It's great to see more and more big-name players moving into the world of Web3. This time FIFA are joining the revolution just in time for the World Cup!
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With only a few days until the World Cup kicks off in Qatar, the global football megabrand FIFA has announced they are offering a selection of Web3 games for fans alongside their existing FIFA+ collectables.
The four new platforms are "designed with Web 3.0 and the future of digital engagement in mind", FIFA said in their press release. Something we know a lot about…
The announcement comes shortly after FIFA announced their split from Electronic Arts, the game studio that has been making the hugely popular FIFA football games since 1993.
In ending the partnership, FIFA signalled they would still provide fans with an annual game experience. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said, "I can assure you that the only authentic, real game that has the FIFA name will be the best one available for gamers and football fans".
FIFA has long been aware of the power of collectables in growing fan engagement. The EA Sports title heavily featured "loot boxes" as a part of its Ultimate Team mode. These were so controversial as an in-game monetisation system that the UK government almost decided to legislate them.
Loot boxes contained collectable players that could be used in a custom team assembled by the user. Loot boxes could be earned or paid for, and suspicions that paid-for boxes contained better players resulted in accusations of "pay to win" and an element of gambling.
These accusations did little to dampen the enthusiasm for the FIFA game title, which enjoyed such regular success that it is the most successful sports video franchise in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Given the success of collectables in the FIFA video game franchise, offering fans a gamified collectable experience in Web3 is the next logical step.
It's great to see them taking full advantage of the opportunity that decentralisation provides.
FIFA's new collectable gaming initiative is spread across four different platforms, each with its own twist on the upcoming World Cup.
The Altered State Machine is a 4v4 casual football game played between AI-controlled characters with player input at fun and tactical moments. Players assume the role of both coach and owner of their AI team and can improve the team through power-ups, training and trading characters.
Set in the largest Metaverse Upland, Uplandme allows fans to collect official FIFA World Cup digital assets, including highlights from the tournament. Fans can shop for items representing their colours to customise their Upland Metaverse home, trade items with friends and win prizes.
Matchday allows fans to compete with their friends by predicting the outcome of games based on football cards. Users can flaunt their ability to get it right to their friends, proving themselves the best among them.
FIFA joins forces with the Phygtl platform to create an experience where fans can augment a golden-globe football into their real-life environment. Users can own a fragment of the football on which they can attach their FIFA World Cup pictures and video moments.
FIFA utilising different elements of blockchain technology alongside the real-life event of the World Cup is great news for everyone involved in Web3.
The FIFA+ collectable platform already mirrors the success seen by the NBA's Top Shot, so exploring additional engagement options for the World Cup through gamification is sure to introduce new users to the immersive nature of Web3.
Additionally, the FIFA World Cup is arguably the biggest sporting event in the world, with around half the entire world's population tuning into the 2018 tournament. As Web3 is poised to hit the mainstream, it's an unprecedented opportunity to showcase the enhanced engagement Web3 can provide for live events.
The NFL minted NFTs for the Super Bowl last year with great success, and FIFA's offering of collectable moments alongside the tournament in real-time is a great evolution of the idea.
We're hoping for an action-packed tournament with plenty of incredible moments to be minted as collectable NFTs.
Come on, England!
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