By Michael Scott
As video games continue to garner massive interest worldwide, new gaming innovations involving bitcoin and other forms of cryptocurrency are emerging.
One of the more popular innovations in this space is Gamerholic, the creation of co-founder Anari Sengbe. This global gaming platform works on the premise that competition is a normal part of gaming — people are naturally inclined to want to compete with a computer, friend or even someone they don’t know in another part of the world. Gamerholic, according to Sengbe, fuels this natural competitive spirit with a unique set of prize incentives, as opposed to points or recognition.
Gamerholic’s genesis, according to Sengbe, began as a traditional cash gaming platform. Then, in 2013, Sengbe relocated to San Francisco, where he discovered the world of Bitcoin. This sparked an idea in his mind to integrate the blockchain-based cryptocurrency into a digital gaming concept — a decision that proved prudent, given Bitcoin’s meteoric rise and exploding global presence at the time. Today, Gamerholic has built a community of users worldwide in part by being one of the first gaming sites to accept bitcoin.
Below, Sengbe shares a bit about his path to form Gamerholic, as well as what he sees in the future intersection between blockchain technology, cryptocurrencies and digital games.
What inspired you to start Gamerholic?
I was raised in Freetown, Sierra Leone, before coming to the U.S. at age 10. I credit the market-based environment in Freetown for fueling my entrepreneurial interests — be it fishermen hoping to sell their most recent catch, to the rows of vendors selling everything from mangoes to full-grown goats and sheep.
What was your first memory related to video games?
I actually remember the introduction of the internet and was particularly captured by the fact that one could first play PlayStation online. Football was my thing, so Madden battles with friends occurred often. With the web, you didn’t need to go over to your friend’s house anymore; you could just play them online.
So how popular are digital games these days throughout the world?
They hold immense interest among a niche set of gamers. It’s sort of a “cool kids’ club” for both awesome gaming experiences and real-world profit. “Force of Will,” with over 100,000 players, will be the first game to fully introduce blockchain assets to its current fanbase.
Has there been much media attention about this?
Many of the top gaming blogs and magazines have yet to explore blockchains in gaming because it’s at such a very early stage. Even with such little buzz, the possibilities are already evident. One major advantage to blockchain gaming has been the amount of cash some indie game developers have been able to raise by offering digital token presales. These tokens can then be used within the games.
What have you learned about Gamerholic in terms of user demographics and interest levels recently?
I’ve learned user interest is much higher outside of the U.S. Gamers in the U.S. may scoff at winning $0.25 in bitcoin or digital tokens playing a game, but gamers in Indonesia and gamers in the Philippines won’t.
For folks in some parts of the world, gaming will be part of their gig economy. A recent report from the Rome International Model United Nations shows that Africa has a 50 percent youth unemployment rate. On a continent as prevalent with mobile phones as Africa, you will see many of these youth turn to gaming for some facet of their daily income.
For the U.S., however, the nerd-heavy approach to Bitcoin media has kept gamers out of the loop, so a lot more education about the technology is required.
What sorts of innovations do you hope to see in the world of digital gaming in the future?
In the future, I’d like to see the field of blockchain gaming reinvent educational games. Like, “score 50 points in this math game and you’ll get .0001 bitcoins” or some variety of digital tokens.
I think you are going to see an addictive change in learning with that innovation, way beyond games for kids. I imagine a time when med students will function in virtual-reality environments where they can earn some version of digital currency for a successful operation.
And finally, what’s happening in terms of Gamerholic’s advancements?
Grabbit, a fun daily deals game by Gamerholic, is one of the fastest-growing games in the world. On Grabbit, players compete against locals in their area to win coupons and gift cards from local businesses, or they can compete against players from around the world to win bitcoin.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
