How fungible do you like your tokens – non, or super? Sony has filed a patent for a new “super-fungible token” (SFT) system that aims to revolutionize how players own and interact with in-game assets and collectibles. Talk about a red flag!
The technology seeks to provide gamers with greater flexibility and control over their virtual items, potentially transforming the way we think about in-game ownership and economies. At least, on paper – this all just seems like corporate doublespeak for some horrible new anti-consumer monetization scheme that forces us to pay more for less.
The core concept behind Sony’s SFT system is the bundling of multiple in-game assets into a single token. This SFT represents the player’s ownership of either a subset, or their entire collection, of assets for a game, while allowing them to use only one asset per SFT at a time during gameplay. The other assets within a SFT remain “locked” when not in use.
To illustrate how it would work in practice, consider a first person shooter. A player owns an SFT that contains a AMR9, Striker and Fennec 45 weapons in Call of Duty: Warzone. While the player owns all three items through the token, they can only equip one at a time during gameplay.
If the player selects the Fennec, the game will activate its corresponding token, allowing them to use it in-game while simultaneously deactivating the tokens associated with the Striker and AMR9. Why does this benefit anyone? We don’t know!
Under the hood, Sony’s system leverages non-fungible tokens (NFTs), with each in-game asset minted as a unique NFT. The SFT acts as a wrapper, containing a set of NFTs, and metadata about the assets is recorded on a distributed ledger (also known as a blockchain), which basically means that the player should be in control of their virtual items, not Sony or anyone else.
Assets within an SFT can be swapped in and out, enabling customization and adaptability. For instance, in a game like Destiny 2, an SFT could represent a player’s loadout, allowing them to easily swap weapons by adding or removing NFTs to the SFT. Additionally, assets could be upgraded over time by minting new NFTs, replacing older versions within the SFT.
The SFT framework also facilitates the trading and selling of in-game assets in bundles. An SFT containing a complete set of rare armor could be more easily sold or exchanged compared to individual pieces.
This streamlined process could potentially open up new avenues for player engagement and monetization for Sony, although the extent to which this system will be used for financial transactions remains unclear. It also doesn’t essentially do anything new, it just injects NFTs into gameplay mechanics that already worked fine without them.
While the patent doesn’t mention specific games, the SFT system could have significant implications for many of Sony‘s signature franchises. Imagine the possibilities of trading or selling a loadout from Call of Duty multiplayer or a collection of unlocked cars in Gran Turismo.
The technology provides a blockchain-powered framework for managing in-game inventories and asset ownership, positioning Sony to capitalize on what the company seems to think is growing interest in NFTs within the gaming industry, despite all signs pointing to the fad finally flickering out with NFT values imploding.
However, implementing such a system does come with technical challenges. Ensuring the security and integrity of the blockchain ledger is paramount. Any vulnerabilities could potentially be exploited, compromising player ownership of assets.
Scalability is another hurdle – the system needs to be able to handle massive amounts of transactions as more games and players adopt the technology. Interoperability between different games and platforms utilizing SFTs would also need to be ironed out.
As one of the gaming industry’s giants, Sony‘s foray into this space is a significant signal, beyond the earlier NFT-related patents it has also filed. The patent demonstrates their exploration of how blockchain technology can enable new experiences for players and potentially reshape in-game economies. Or, you know, make more money.
While it may be some time before we see SFTs implemented in a PlayStation game, this patent offers a glimpse into the future of in-game asset ownership and its potential impact on the gaming landscape as a whole.
