The blockchain gaming startup B2Expand, which is behind the space Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) game Beyond the Void (BTV), is one of the five startups in Ubisoft’s 5-month accelerator program. This gives it access to 15 business, gaming and design experts to help fine-tune its product following the early release in late September.
In conjunction with Station F, one of world’s largest business incubators, Ubisoft is helping B2Expand improve its business plan, get legal advice and design workflow. The video game publisher is also advising on game designs and development.
Strategic Innovation Lab Project Director at Ubisoft Catherine Seys has stated:
“We are glad to count B2Expand as one of the startups taking part in the first season of Ubisoft program at Station F. The ambition of the team to bring new value to the video game industry using the blockchain technology is very inspiring for us. We are more than happy to share some of our gaming expertise with them along the course of the program.”
Driving innovation
Ubisoft’s impact on video gaming began in 1986 when the company launched in France as a video game distributor. It has since grown into one of the global leaders in video game publishing with a huge interest in online gaming.
Ubisoft collaborates with startups, designers, investors and developers to drive innovation within the industry. As part of this endeavour, the company has partnered with Station F to offer a more strategic acceleration program to innovative startups using new technologies. B2Expand is the first gaming company using the blockchain technology that both Ubisoft and Station F are working with.
B2Expand co-founder Eric Burgel has expressed enthusiasm at the support they are receiving from Ubisoft and how they see that translating to the best experience for BTV players when the full release of the game is made in 2018.
“At Ubisoft we’ve found kind and attentive people with a real desire to help us succeed. Their interest in blockchain technology is fascinating, and very refreshing. This partnership promises to be very fruitful for all of us. We are keen to make the most of this opportunity and reward players and the wider community.”
Blockchain interest
In late September, Ubisoft expressed its interest in the blockchain technology by inviting William Mougayar, a board member at Ethereum foundation and also at Coin Center, to open a talk series at Station F. William is an author of the best-seller book The Business Blockchain and a blogger on the decentralized applications topic.
B2Expand implementation of the blockchain technology in its ecosystem crossed a major milestone in November 2016 when it sold over 28,904,984 Nexiums (NxT) tokens through an initial coin offering (ICO) and raised $332,014. The Nexium tokens were created on the Ethereum blockchain and will serve as the native currency for B2Expand’s digital second-hand shop where players will buy and sell game assets such as skins, avatars, titles, holotags and event cards.
Nicolas Pouard, Research Director at Ubisoft Innovation Lab:
“When we discovered B2Expand was one of the first in the gaming industry to complete a successful ICO, we were eager to meet them to understand what they would do with the blockchain technology. We were also surprised to see what a great vision of the future of their company the Fab Four (Manon, Eric, Rémi and Maxence) were foreseeing. We think BTV could be the beginning of something big in the gaming industry.”
Aside from the Nexium tokens, B2Expand is also using the blockchain technology to set up the second-hand marketplace. The testing of the concept is ongoing and once the security and stability of the marketplace is ascertained, it will go live on the Ethereum mainnet. This is slated to happen before the end of the year.
Because of the decentralized nature of the blockchain, the B2Expand second-hand marketplace will adhere to the true ownership concept. Players will buy, sell and own game assets independent of the existence of the game. Players will also be assured of the safety of value they accumulate in the game in the form of Nexium tokens and digital assets as it will not be under custodial holding.
The Nexium tokens can be converted to cryptocurrencies like Ethereum and further into fiat currency, therefore, connecting the gaming economy to the real-world economy. Players will also be able to purchase the NXC tokens with fiat currency directly from the store.
New addition to Steam
Joining the Ubisoft program at the Station F startup campus is not the only progress B2Expand has made in recent past. On October 20, Steam confirmed its support for BTV. Steam is the world’s biggest digital distribution platform for video games with close to 90% of the market.
However, B2Expand shop will not be accessible through the Steam platform. Although Steam accepts bitcoins, it is yet to accept Ethereum tokens. In the meantime, B2Expand will have to advertise their crypto third party shop through other platforms including social media.