Apple to fix gaming? SEC hates Metaverse, Logan Paul trolled on Steam – Cointelegraph Magazine

Play games on Mac for less suck

Is Apple’s reign as the worst gaming platform coming to an end?

Amidst all the hype about their long-rumored VR/AR headset, slated for release in early 2024 (it’s lining up outside the Apple Store starting October), that’s not the only signal that Apple may finally be sorting out its subpar gaming offerings. It’s also releasing software that will make it easier to play Windows games on the Mac.

Playing games on Mac really sucks. Many games – especially indie games and early releases – are not compatible. Keyboard mapping can be funky. To this day I can’t attach a custom tackle to my fishing rod (no, that’s not a satire) on the Mac edition of Stardew Valley.

With VR games, it’s even worse. If you want to spend hours watching YouTube videos, you can use most VR headsets to work with your Mac. But right now the only one that’s actually officially compatible seems to be the HTC Vive.

The downside to the original Apple product is that it comes with an Apple price tag: a hefty $3,499. It’s hard to justify that kind of money exploring an empty, slow metaverse when you can spend a few months traveling and seeing some of the coolest places in the real world for the same price.

Endless legal wrangling over in-game virtual assets

Sandbox, Decentraland, and Axie Infinity tokens – SAND, MANA, and AXS, respectively – appear as cameos in the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) complaint against crypto exchange Binance, which was filed on June 5.

The complaint against the crypto exchange contains 13 allegations, including that Binance was selling unlisted securities. The SEC counts SAND, MANA, and AXS among those securities – meaning it considers them investment types, not currency.

Speaking at the Non Fungible Conference (NFC) in Lisbon, Portugal on June 7, The Sandbox COO Sebastien Borget said that his team was aware of the litigation but that they themselves were not subject to anything.

“We do not necessarily agree with the characterization put forward in that litigation, including SAND’s qualifications as collateral there,” he said, adding that it would not change the company’s day-to-day business.

Since the announcement, eToro has said it will be phasing out some tokens, including MANA, for US-based customers.

Creating in-game currency securities is a new twist on the turmoil that bridges the gap between virtual game currency and real-life money.

This is nothing new. The debate over the legal status of in-game currency even predates the invention of Bitcoin. Second Life earned its first millionaire in 2006 and the questions of who owes what to who gets on, are compounded by the fact that many developers and creators already feel they are paying hefty “taxes” to the platform.

But previous conversations have mostly centered around ensuring those who sell virtual assets or developer games on the platform are properly taxed, not about investments and possibly because Web2 virtual currency acts more like a currency.

At last check, the US IRS doesn’t seem to care much about virtual currencies if they don’t leave the game.

Avalanche wants to help Web2 gaming leaders make their way to Web3

The quest by blockchain to turn gaming companies to the dark side continues with the launch of Arcad3 Ava Labs, a program to help gaming giant Web2 “launch powerful blockchain deployments.”

Ava Labs, which has supported gaming companies in building more than ten game subnets on Avalanche and more than 100 Web3 games, will work with the team on game monetization, marketing, user acquisition and risk management.

Among the first companies to jump on board are Tokyo-based Gumi and GREE (not to be confused with Chinese AC giant GREE Electrics), as well as Shrapnel, DeFi Kingdoms, and Gunz Chain by Gunzilla.

GREE Board Director and SVP, Metaverse, Eiji Araki said he believes the program will help companies stay ahead of Web3 games and develop relationships with studios experimenting and building spaces. Currently working on his first Web3 game, Project INCURSION.

“I can’t share any details beyond the project code yet, but it will be a groundbreaking title that successfully combines our nearly 20 years of mobile game development know-how with the new essence of Web3,” he added in a statement.

The GameStop CEO was replaced by a memestock trading billionaire

So long, Matt Furlong.

The GameStop CEO and former Amazon executive was fired on June 7 after his 24-month contract with the game retailer expired. During that time, he oversaw GameStop’s transition from a brick-and-mortar retailer to a more internet-focused company.

Ryan Cohen will replace Furlong. Cohen made his fortune founding online pet supply retailer Chewy, but is perhaps better known for his involvement with memestocks. He managed to get people to invest in companies like Bed, Bath and Beyond, and GameStop himself, causing prices to skyrocket. Critics say he pumps and dumps.

He joined GameStop’s board in January 2021, became chairman of the board that same year and owns approximately 12% of the company.

It seems that many of GameStop’s subsequent forays into crypto have come from Cohen. In February this year, he signed a deal with Immutable to build GameStop’s NFT marketplace. It’s due to debut later this year.

Hot take: Crypto-themed games on Steam

Given the lack of exciting Web3 games that have landed on my desk over the last few weeks, let’s talk about non-blockchain based games all about crypto.

Steam may not allow crypto gaming but there isn’t much to do about trading simulators and Bitcoin mining tycoon RPGs. Nothing hits. Most of them appear tongue in cheek.

Take Coin Invaders, for example, which tells the player that he must save Bitcoins by destroying altcoins. It’s basically Space Invaders with an extra step, noted one reviewer.

Or maybe you’ll enjoy Crypto is Dead, where attacks have paralyzed the world’s economy and physical currency has returned. It’s up to you to determine which bills are real and which are fake. gripping stuff.

Then you can choose from half a dozen outlandish mining tycoon simulators that require you to build mining rigs and businesses to cash out cryptocurrencies of varying degrees of complexity. One version even has a simplified edition for kids.

But perhaps the award for funniest crypto-themed non-crypto game goes to CryptoZoo, which is out this February. I know what you’re thinking and the answer is no: Logan Paul has yet to deliver on his promise to revive the zombie project that earned him the entire series on Coffeezilla’s crypto sleuth YouTube channel.

Instead the duties of making CryptoZoo games were taken on by Rye Bread Games, which describes itself on Steam as a dealer making games for fun.

According to the deck, CryptoZoo is “…the best CryptoZoo on the market…the best of its kind…the best ever…”

It may not involve NFTs, but at least players get the long-awaited opportunity to breed animals in scientifically impossible pairs.

Other Goods

– Heroes of Mavia will release the first phase of the Beta game for Land NFT owners on June 30th. The larger community will be able to play the game in the second phase from September 1 to October 31.

– Amazon’s Prime Gaming partnership with Web3 company continues. It’s gearing up for another deal with Blankos Block Party Mythical Games where Prime members will be able to claim exclusive bundles to use in-game.

– Ahead of the expected launch of Otherside: Legends of the Mara this summer, Yuga Labs is beefing up the merch engine with KodaPendants for Koda holders and Otherside vessels. The pendant is the first “relic” in the Otherside Relics by Gucci collection.

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CallanQuinn

Callan Quinn is a UK freelance journalist covering crypto and technology. He has worked as a business journalist in China, England, Somaliland and the Republic of Georgia. Previously, he was also a reporter for NFT, games, and metaverse at The Block.