Immutable, the Ethereum-based gaming company, launched “Passport,” a type of digital identity that allows players in decentralized Web3 games to use a single profile across multiple platforms.
The idea is to simplify the “sign-up process for players by providing them with a universal profile,” according to a statement. With the profile, players can “carry their identity, achievements, and digital assets across different online games and marketplaces.”
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Interoperability at play in Web3
Immutable said Passport will be available initially to over 500,000 users across five gaming titles and marketplaces, including Gods Unchained, Blocklete Golf, TokenTrove, and AtomicHub.
Passport is both a wallet and an authentication tool. Once a player signs up, they’ll receive a unique digital ID that gives them access to supported gaming platforms without the need for a password.
Users can store funds, make deposits, manage in-game items, and find new games in one place, the company said. It added that the tool does not hold “user private keys or sign transactions.”
Essentially, Passport is designed to make good on the promise of interoperability in Web3, a space often dominated by gaming titles looking to go it alone, meaning frequent sign-ups with every game. Immutable thinks this is a problem.
“Ask any web3 game or marketplace about the biggest barrier to adoption, and they’ll talk about user acquisition,” said Immutable president and co-founder Robbie Ferguson in a release.
“[Passport] increases user acquisition, optimizes transaction conversion rates, and gives players a smooth, seamless experience that enables them to explore new worlds and participate in new economies.”
It is not clear how players will use digital assets between games such as Gods Unchained, a digital trading card game that has seen $52 million worth of cards traded with Bleacher Report Watch-to-Earn, a sports loyalty program.
Setting standards
While Immutable is keen on a gaming universe that’s platform-agnostic, some observers worry that a single, universal standard could spark a frenzy of rival standards, which could be messy.
But not everyone agrees with this view. Emre Bilgutay, cofounder of Dubai-based incubator and consultancy firm Nadmah, said while skepticism regarding adoption remains due to past failures of similar experiments, Immutable’s plan holds some promise.
“This innovation could set a new standard for the player experience by enabling seamless interoperability and empowering gamers with true ownership of their digital assets,” Bilgutay told MetaNews.
He added that in the past, player profiles tended to be “fragmented across platforms, diminishing their experience and jeopardizing valuable in-game items.” Bilgutay said the new tool could “revitalize player engagement and dedication.”
The Web3 gaming space remains in a developmental phase and is playing catch-up with the conventional gaming platforms, which have built strong communities that run into several millions.
In a statement, Daniel Paez, vice president and executive producer of Gods Unchained, said: “If you want to alienate gamers, ask them to create a wallet every time they sign up and tell them they can’t take their assets or achievements with them from game to game.”
“This has long been a major obstacle to widespread web3 adoption, not just for gaming but for a range of applications,” he added.
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