Anvil - Open Source - Universal Wallet Connector (Weld) for Unity, Godot, and Game Maker

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Zachary Soesbee

[GENERAL] Are you delivering this project as an individual or as an entity (whether formally incorporated or not)

Entity (Incorporated)

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

5

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language

No

[GENERAL] Summarize your solution to the problem (200-character limit including spaces)

We propose continuing to develop and improve the compatibility of Weld, a universal wallet connector, with various game engines and blockchain platforms.

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.”

No dependencies

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

Yes

[GENERAL] Please provide here more information on the open source status of your project outputs

Project will be fully open sourced.

[METADATA] Horizons

Developer Tools

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

We propose continuing to develop and improve the compatibility of Weld, a universal wallet connector, with various game engines and blockchain platforms. The primary objective is to provide seamless integrations with:

1. Unity
2. Godot
3. Game Maker

These integrations will enable developers to easily connect their web-based games or applications to the Weld wallet system using WebGL technology.

The focus remains on strengthening Weld's integration capabilities, allowing it to work with multiple and new wallets as needed. This project builds upon existing efforts to enhance weld's compatibility, as outlined in the official weld repository.

However, note that Unreal Engine has been excluded from this scope due to its lack of support for WebGL since the latest version (specifically, starting from Unreal Engine 5)

Key Deliverables:

• Integrate, test, and provide working demos of Weld integrations for Unity, Godot, and Game Maker within WebGL contexts.
• Develop a simple backend implementation using Anvil technologies on Cardano to support transactions on supported blockchain platforms.
• Strengthen Weld's compatibility with multiple wallets and allow for easy integration with new wallets as needed.

Vision

We envision a unified and seamless experience for building Cardano-based games across various engines, similar to the intuitive development flows offered by modern web technologies (e.g., HTMX, NextJS). Our goal is to simplify and standardize the integration process, enabling developers to focus on crafting engaging game experiences rather than wrestling with complexity.

Key Aspects:

• Provide a unified way for integrating Weld into various game engines (Unity, Godot, Game Maker).
• Streamline the development experience by offering pre-built integrations and reducing the complexity of building Cardano-based games using these engines.
• Leverage industry-standard technologies to create a consistent and user-friendly development flow, similar to what developers enjoy when working with modern web frameworks.

Benefits

For Customers:

• Enjoy a hassle-free experience playing blockchain games, eliminating the need for separate app installations.
• Play directly within their browsers using WebGL technology, making it easy to access and play their favorite games.
• Benefit from a familiar and intuitive interface with well-known flows to interact with the Cardano blockchain.

For Developers:

• Leverage existing knowledge and skills by reusing their familiar development flow (if compatible with Weld's integration).
• Build dynamic and responsive games that take advantage of WebGL's capabilities, enhancing the overall gaming experience.
• Expand their reach by integrating with more game engines beyond JavaScript/TypeScript-based ones, including Unity, Godot, and Game Maker.
• Focus on core aspects of game development and backend implementation while relying on a robust and well-built frontend wallet solution (Weld).

For Integrations and Adoptions:

• Receive streamlined packages or plugins for popular game engines, making integration seamless and efficient.
• Enjoy dedicated support to guide and assist developers in integrating Weld with their existing and new projects.
• Unlock new possibilities by leveraging Weld's capabilities in conjunction with other technologies and services.

[IMPACT] Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community

Our goal with this project is to give back to the community by providing our expertise and understanding of Cardano through open source tooling. This is the third iteration of Weld, a completely open source Wallet Connector, which has the intent of easing the gap and developmental skills needed to add wallets to web applications.

Through the concrete foundation we have built with this project, we plan on continuing that by now making it even more functional. This shall provide the community with an easy to use tool, with quality documentation, to implement Cardano wallets into their gaming applications.

We will measure impact of our success by montioring Github activity within Weld, continuing to gauge social metrics and reception on the tooling, and using our business to assist people with implementation.

Currently Weld is being used to power all Anvil tooling, as well as our API, which many projects are using. This will also be available in the in-app stores for free, furthering the adoption possibilities of Cardano.

[CAPABILITY & FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

Our team has a strong track record in managing complex, innovative projects with high levels of trust and accountability, demonstrated by our successful deployment of several projects over 3 years. We plan to follow our standard company practices and develop this with the same intent that has driven our business to the level of success it currently has.

Another point to note would be that Anvil has successfully finalized it's first catalyst proposal (for Weld) and has never been late on a milestone submission. We pride ourselves in our ability to meet deadlines and deliver on exactly what we commit to. This is another chance for us to create a valuable product for Cardano, and we do not take the responsibility lightly.

[PROJECT MILESTONES] What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

Milestone 1: Unity Integration

Outputs:

• Integrate Weld with Unity (https://unity.com), ensuring seamless integration and compatibility.
• Create a demo scene in Unity showcasing the successful integration of Weld, highlighting its features and capabilities.
• Package Weld for Unity and offer it as a free plugin on the Unity Asset Store.
• Release the Unity integration in a dedicated open-source repository (e.g., GitHub), providing access to developers and enthusiasts.
• Provide comprehensive guides, documentation, and video tutorials explaining how to integrate Weld with Unity, including step-by-step instructions and best practices

Acceptance Criteria:

• Link to Github showing integration
• Link to demo scene showing Weld working with Unity
• Link to Weld for Unity in Unity Asset Store
• Link to Dedicated Github for Weld x Unity
• Link to documentation and instructions

Milestone 2: Godot Integration

Outputs:

• Integrate Weld with Godot (https://godotengine.org), ensuring a smooth and efficient integration process.
• Develop a demo scene in Godot demonstrating the successful integration of Weld, highlighting its features and capabilities.
• Research and document the process for releasing packages on the Godot Asset Library or other suitable platforms (e.g., Godot Store).
• Release the Godot integration in a dedicatedopen-source repository, making it easily accessible to developers and enthusiasts.
• Create guides, documentation, and video tutorials explaining how to integrate Weld with Godot, providing detailed instructions and tips for a successful implementation.

Acceptance Criteria:

• Link to Github showing integration
• Link to demo scene showing Weld working with Godot
• Link to Weld for Godot in Godet Asset Library
• Link to Dedicated Github for Weld x Godot
• Link to documentation and instructions

Milestone 3: Game Maker

Outputs:

• Integrate Weld with Game Maker (https://gamemaker.io/en), ensuring a seamless and efficient integration process.
• Develop a demo scene in Game Maker showcasing the successful integration of Weld, highlighting its features and capabilities.
• Research and document the process for releasing packages on suitable platforms for Game Maker (e.g., Game Maker Studio, GameMaker Store).
• Release the Game Maker integration in a dedicated open-source repository, making it easily accessible to developers and enthusiasts.
• Create guides, documentation, and video tutorials explaining how to integrate Weld with Game Maker, providing detailed instructions and tips for a successful implementation.

Acceptance Criteria:

• Link to Github showing integration
• Link to demo scene showing Weld working with Game Maker
• Link to research document showing package release methods for Game Maker
• Link to Dedicated Github for Weld x Game Maker
• Link to documentation and instructions

Final Milestone: Project Close-out and Impact Report

Outputs: 

• Finalize the project for public release 
• Produce comprehensive documentation of the work completed, including a video demonstration. 

Acceptance Criteria:

• Compile a project close-out report outlining the development process, community engagement outcomes, and a detailed review of all milestones achieved.
• Produce a video that demonstrates the platform's capabilities, its impact on the Cardano ecosystem, and real-world applications.

[RESOURCES] Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

Zachary Soesbee: CEO of Anvil. Responsible for managing timelines, milestone submission, and general development team logistics.

David Desjardins: CTO of Anvil. Responsible for managing development work, implementation, and all other technical requirements.

Patrick Bernard: COO of Anvil. Responsible for video documentation, publication, and employee management.

[BUDGET & COSTS] Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Total Request: 156,000 ADA

SDK: 65% 

This portion of the budget is around 360 development hours. This is inline with our other proposals and accounts for all development time necessary to bring this tooling to production. Our team consists of professionals with extensive experience in blockchain technology and software development. The wages for our team align with the average rates for software engineers in our industry, which is necessary to attract and retain the talent capable of delivering a high-quality product.

Documentation and examples: 25% 

This portion of the budget will cover the time spent creating easy to use documentation, examples, and Github repositories. The development of comprehensive, user-friendly documentation is vital for facilitating the adoption and ease of use of the SDK. Producing and maintaining this documentation involves significant work.

Project management: 10%

This portion of the project will go to Project Management. Management includes keeping goals in check, populating Jira boards with the tasks associated, and managing the employees to complete the work on time. Dedicated project management and quality assurance are crucial to ensure that the project meets its milestones and maintains high quality standards. The costs associated with these roles are consistent with industry standards for similar technology projects.

[VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

This project represents value for Cardano in a multitude of ways:

Accessibility - What we are setting out to create will allow for projects to have an easily integrated tool for video game integrations.

Open Source - The entire project will be open source, allowing for anyone to use this for free. This is valuable because it applies all of our principles at Anvil to a free to use tool.

Adoption - Simple tools = simple integrations, breaking down the barrier of Cardano development difficulty. This will help Cardano to infiltrate the gaming sector with ease.

Professional Quality - As proven by our portfolio of work, and Weld itself, Anvil has proven to be qualified to deliver professional products on professional timelines.

Opportunity Cost - While not a direct financial outlay, the opportunity cost represented by potential revenue lost during the focus on this project is significant. By choosing to allocate resources to this project, we are prioritizing long-term ecosystem growth over immediate profit. This strategic decision underscores our commitment to the Cardano community and the broader vision of making blockchain technology more accessible and efficient.

Community-Driven Development - Open-sourcing the SDK utilizes the collective expertise and innovation of the community, leading to a more robust and feature-rich product. This approach increases transparency and trust in the project, which are essential for sustaining long-term value.