1Kine Laboratories Unveiled the Web3 GR1D modular gaming network to simplify access and asset management for blockchain games.
The unveiling of such an ecosystem has been long overdue, but 1Kin Labs is seeking to unify fragmented blockchain networks. For gamers, 1Kin promises to help them discover Web3 games from its high-profile game catalog, access games in development, claim rewards, and take their digital assets wherever they go — all with a single login, 1Kin Labs said. Founder Jack O’Neill, in an interview with GamesBeat.
“What we’re trying to build with the Gr1d network is really a future-proof network. What we want to do is create an open network that any game can plug into to help their game grow, allowing them to tap into different communities, and it’s really decentralized,” O’Neill said. “Games themselves are actually the main stakeholders in the ecosystem. A lot of our investors have actually been our game partners. “What we’re trying to do resonates with them.”
The company said it has more than 100 gaming partners for its modular Layer 2 solution, which operates across 14 major blockchain platforms in an effort to create a unified ecosystem free of fragmentation and complexity.
Lil Snack and Beat Games
GamesBeat is excited to partner with Lil Snack to make games just for our fans! As gamers, we know this is an exciting way to engage in gameplay with GamesBeat content you’ve already loved. Start playing games now!
“There’s an initial level of friction that basically causes a lot of people who are used to turning on their console, turning on the game and starting to play — they don’t want to deal with roadblocks,” O’Neill said.
1Kin Labs, a company built to facilitate the distribution and discovery of Web3 gaming content, today announced Gr1d, a modular Layer 2 blockchain designed to connect and unify all decentralized gaming ecosystems.
“There’s an ecosystem that we’re trying to build. The Gr1d network will basically be an umbrella for everything that lies underneath it,” O’Neill said. “1Pass exists within the network. It is the first decentralized gaming subscription model of its kind.
Titles using it include Aavegotchi, Blocklords, and Aurora. 1Kin has formed partnerships with ecosystems such as Polygon, Solana, Avalanche, etc., and 1Kin is preparing to create a unified gaming hub for Web3 through Gr1d.
The primary goal of Gr1d is to enable players to discover new games and easily access all their features via a single platform without switching chains and wallets.
The platform will be powered by node operators whose services under the hood ensure a frictionless experience across all of Web3. The goal is to create a unified experience rather than forcing users to navigate disparate ecosystems and juggle multiple wallets.
In turn, Web3 game developers will benefit from Gr1d’s interconnectivity and tap into a broad user base without migrating from the series they have chosen to integrate – allowing them to focus on providing gameplay experiences without worrying about joining. Likewise, different chains and protocols can increase network activity and retain their hard-earned communities while leveraging Gr1d network effects.
Stakeholders, such as users, games, studios and enterprises, will also be encouraged to participate in the governance of Gr1d, helping the network to remain decentralized while serving as a single access point to the entire Web3 gaming industry. These features aim to put blockchain gaming on par with the traditional gaming industry.
“Our journey began with a vision to standardize the way Web3 games are discovered and provide standardized tools to allow full interoperability across series and titles,” O’Neill said. “Gr1d is our answer to these challenges, giving users a no-nonsense login experience like Amazon Prime Gaming or Xbox Game Pass while bringing blockchain efficiencies and distributing value back to shareholders.”
To achieve these goals, Gr1d includes a range of innovative products and services aimed at providing a unified user experience. One of them is 1Pass, a subscription service similar to a “decentralized Xbox Game Pass.” 1Pass provides players with access to exclusive Web3 content for partner games, early access opportunities, discounts on other services, and more. During a closed beta in 2023, the service has already seen demand from players, with 25,000 participants.
Additionally, a software development kit (SDK), dubbed 1Kit, allows games and studios to complement their existing Web3 features with access to Gr1d, and even create games and decentralized applications that live entirely on the network itself if they so choose. The SDK will also come with interoperable wallet tools.
Gr1d will leverage industry-leading interoperability protocols that simplify the user experience and create a global foundation for blockchain interoperability. Interoperability and liquidity of gaming assets will be key focal points for the modular gaming network.
O’Neil wants to be able to provide the same kind of help to Web3 game companies that mobile platforms provided to mobile game companies in the earlier days when there wasn’t as much friction between platforms and developers.
I’ve noticed that there are user acquisition companies and ad tech companies that have tried to unify disparate mobile platforms. I asked if this is similar in Web3.
“We’ve moved away from being a studio ourselves to create these different instruments. I think that’s a good parallel you draw with that whole era,” O’Neill said. “Last year, it wasn’t unusual to see [acquisition costs] More than $10 per user. Obviously there is serious user friction if you can’t convert users without these huge spending campaigns. There must be new channels being exploited to help raise awareness and convert users to games.
To simplify and streamline the login process, the network also makes use of the Gr1d Tag, a global ID system that allows players to take a single digital personal identity wherever they go within the Web3 gaming industry.
Finally, a key component of the network’s economic structure is Gr1d Credits ($GRID), a global gaming token that will give its holders access to the entire Web3 gaming industry with seamless interoperability under the hood. This code is critical to facilitating seamless cross-chain transactions and interactions, ensuring that asset purchases and transfers are efficient and instantaneous, and solving a major pain point in how Web3 games are played, experienced, and managed. A $GRID token generation event will be announced in the near future.
1Pass is scheduled to go live in early August, the Gr1d Testnet is scheduled to launch later in 2024 and the mainnet is expected to launch in 2025.
Origins
O’Neill said the company started as a gaming studio in the Web3 space. The team built a game on the Solana blockchain, and learned what it was like to develop in the new ecosystem.
“The walled gardens that Web3 was supposed to dismantle have actually been rebuilt with new types of rails, both at the protocol level, and within games. “There has been a lot of friction between users navigating the gaming space when it comes to Web3,” he said.
About two years ago, the company decided to focus entirely on solving those problems. O’Neill said: We have been building solutions that allow players to access games in a very seamless and familiar way, across all major game series, allowing access to the entire Web3 gaming ecosystem.
“We make discovery, access and onboarding easier for users across all major game series,” he said.
Last year, the company raised $3.3 million from a variety of platforms and other investors. Now she has a team of 15.
road map
The company will launch 1Pass and a new wallet. It will then move on to launch its own blockchain mainnet, which will likely launch early next year. Then it expects to have the largest number of blockchain games on its platform.
The technology has a few basic pillars. The Gr1d network is operated by partners. The network will contain an interoperable software development kit (SDK) that allows any game to be connected to the network. It is a standard framework that allows game developers to choose which aspects they want to incorporate. Gaming companies will be able to share interoperable game assets, something O’Neill says he’s excited about.