Over the years, there have been multiple attempts to bridge the gap between cryptocurrencies and gaming. Other than a few blockchain-based collectible projects, not much has happened in this space. The NANO plugin for Unreal Engine 4 may not make much of a difference either. It is an extra potential revenue stream for game developers, however. 

Monetizing Video Games with NANO

It is rather apparent that something needs to change in the video game industry. For developers who want to monetize their content, new solutions need to be created. These days, it’s all about lootboxes, microtransactions, season passes, and so forth. The days of paying for a full game and buying any expansion or DLC separately for a fair price are well over. It has caused plenty of friction among gaming enthusiasts and critics alike, for obvious reasons.

The big question is whether cryptocurrencies can make a positive – or any – impact at all in this regard. For people who are contemplating to develop a game – or have one in progress – there are not too many options at one’s disposal. The NANO team has confirmed its plugin for developers utilizing Unreal Engine 4 is now available. It can yield some extra income without making users pay for in-game items and content they might not even need or want. Instead, gamers will be rewarded for playing a game, and they can complete in-game purchases with NANO as well.

How Does it Work?

In this day and age of modern gaming, the players are never actually rewarded. While they may get an enjoyable story or even addictive action, there are no “tangible” rewards other than the things one can use within the game. Although that is not necessarily a bad thing either, it seems there has been a growing demand among gamers who would love to earn small bits of money from playing a game. More specifically, this is the crowd who does not stream on Twitch or Mixer, but rather those who play for entertainment purposes.

In the demo video shared on YouTube, this concept is put into action. Although this will heavily depend on game model it seems there is a way to reward users with Nano and have them spend it in-game as well. Items to be bought include, in this case, better weapons and armor, among other things. This technology can be customized in many ways. Players could even pool funds together and have the “winner” of a competitive game take the pool minus a cut for the game developers. An interesting option to explore, albeit it remains to be seen if anyone will even use it. 

Still Lots of Work to be Done

Although this NANO plugin is now available in beta, it is evident that there is still a lot of work to be done. The developers who are interested in integrating the plugin can do so at their own risk by following the GitHub instructions. While it is rather novel, the gaming industry isn’t necessarily waiting for something like this.