Despite the popularity of NFTs waning since the boom of 2021, Sony — one of the gaming industry’s most prominent players with a current market capitalization of $109.1 billion — has so far remained cautious on whether to enter into the NFT space.
NFT framework for transferring digital assets between devices
The company’s newly-published patent — published by Sony Japan — examines the potential of how interoperability can flow between different games within its ecosystem.
“Current systems are technologically inadequate for the owner to use the asset across different games and platforms.”
“Accordingly, as further recognized herein, the functionality of the game may be enhanced by enabling gamers and/or spectators to exclusively use the asset and possibly transfer its rights to others via NFT.”
Sony is keen to explore the potential of NFT technology within its larger gaming ecosystem, even though it is not yet deployed.
“Components included in one embodiment can be used in other embodiments in any appropriate combination. For example, any of the various components described herein and/or depicted in the Figures may be combined, interchanged, or excluded from other embodiments.”
The patent also expressly outlines how these NFTs would be valid across all hardware — from virtual reality headsets, to tablets, computers, mobile phones and consoles.
“The digital asset is then usable via the NFT by the first end-user entity across plural different computer simulations and/or across plural different computer simulation platforms.”
The patent also discusses the possibility of minting progress in a particular video game, such as a certain level, score, or points accumulation, and then transferring or selling it via NFT — allowing players to advance their gameplay.
All of this signals a likely push towards a more favorable Web-3 business model for one of the world’s largest gaming corporations.
Sony’s Web3 push
Despite Sony’s latest patent, gamers seeking to utilize NFTs for enhancing their gameplay and gaining a more personalized experience will have to exercise patience. Sony is exploring the potential for NFT integration within its gaming ecosystem. However it may be a while before any significant Web3 pushes are announced.
However, analysts believe that NFTs will continue to play an important role in the future gaming industry, given the prominence of high-definition digital skins and collectibles in mass-multiplayer games, metaverse and Web3 technologies.
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