Native Token API for Game Devs

This is an ambitious development project.

Gamers want to trade their in-game currencies between games or even between crypto or fiat currencies, but it is too hard for developers to add that type of capability into their games as it requires knowledge of blockchain development.

By creating APIs, a server, Unity assets, and example games it will give the game developers the tools they need to easily mint their own native tokens and allow gamers to withdraw their in-game currency into that native token.

This project focuses on letting the gamer withdraw their in-game currency to their wallets as native tokens. The actual trading of that native token to other tokens or ADA or fiat is not included in this proposal. The hope is that it can be solved in parallel by other exchange and DEX projects underway. (However, if it isn't by the time this is ready a new proposal can be made to create a way for exchanging.)

There are 7 main pieces to this phase of the project. There are two different APIs for game developers to use. One for in-game transactions, and another one to communicate with the blockchain to actually withdraw the in-game currency to native coins. There will be a currency server created so that in-game currency is never on the local device where it can be easily hacked.

In addition to the two APIs and the server, two additional Unity Assets will be created. This is to lower the barrier for Unity game developers so they can start using the APIs in their games. Finally, in an effort to test the entire system myself and to provide additional examples for the game developer community, there will be two example games created. One will be done in Unity and the other will be a HTML5 game.

Deliverables

1. Blockchain Transaction API for Game Developers

• Documentation
• Video Training

2. Blockchain Unity Asset for Unity Game Developers

• Documentation
• Video Training

3. Currency API for in game transactions

• Documentation
• Video Training

4. Currency Unity Asset for Unity Game Developers

• Documentation
• Video Training

5. Currency Server

• Documentation
• Video Training

6. Example Game 1

• Documentation
• Video Training

7. Example Game 2

• Documentation
• Video Training

These seven deliverables are just the starting point of this project. Having game developers utilizing this API to create their own Native Tokens and letting users create / link up their wallets is just the first part of this project. The funding for the project handles these deliverables.

In addition to this, I'll need to come back for funding for marketing. The current plan is to request funding for marketing during Fund 8 in the August timeframe. This is to do a marketing blitz to get this API in front of game developers so they will incorporate it in their game.

This solves one piece of the puzzle, but the next piece is allowing gamers to trade their unlocked native tokens with other native tokens or crypto or fiat.

While marketing is taking place, an actual exchange will need to be utilized. I'm hoping by this time some of the DEX / Exchange catalyst projects will be usable by then. Otherwise, I'll submit an additional parallel proposal for a DEX and wallet. I'd love to be able to incorporate Decentralized Identities (DIDs) via the Prism project from IOG to allow gamers to have a DID they can use across games. Again, this is future plans.

I'll be devoting my time to this project and will need to pay for Azure hosting at the beginning while letting developers use to the currency server.

Unfortunately, we can't have a single API where all in game transactions occur on the blockchain. Only withdrawing funds into the gamer's wallet will occur on the chain. This is because awarding the user some in-game currency for completing some tasks will only be worth a very small fraction of a penny in USD, but would cost at a minimum 0.20 USD assuming ADA has a price of $1.30.

In-game transactions will not talk to the blockchain at all. Instead, game developers can use their own systems or use the Currency API being built that is an off-chain solution for handling their in-game currency.

Roadmap

May 2021

• Currency API Design Complete
• Blockchain API Design Complete
• Currency Server Design Started

June 2021

• Currency Server Design Complete
• Currency API Proof of Concept (PoC) created
• Blockchain API PoC with Plutus Smart Contract
• May utilize CardanoDbSharp from Fund 3
• Unity Asset PoC created
• Decide on 2 demo games to create to consume API

July 2021

• Currency Server PoC created
• Create Blockchain Unity Asset PoC
• Create Currency Unity Asset PoC

August 2021

• Create Unity Game1 MVP utilizing Currency Unity Asset PoC and Blockchain Unity Asset PoC
• Create HTML5 Game2 MVP utilizing Currency API PoC and Blockchain API PoC
• These are time boxed to 2 weeks each
• Submit Proposal in Fund 8 for marketing of this project to Indie Game Devs

September 2021

• Refactor and finalize Blockchain API
• Refactor and finalize Currency API
• Refactor and finalize Blockchain Unity Asset
• Refactor and finalize Currency Unity Asset
• Refactor and finalize Currency Server
• Update Game1 with finalized Unity Asset
• Update Game2 with finalized APIs

October 2021

• Deploy Currency Server and Currency API
• Deploy Blockchain API
• Publish Currency Unity Asset
• Publish Blockchain Unity Asset
• Create Website for people to get the games for free
• Create Video Instructions for Currency Unity Asset
• Create Video Instructions for Blockchain Unity Asset
• Scope out existing DEX / Exchange projects on Cardano

November 2021

• Start Marketing Blitz to Indie Game Devs from Fund 8 Funds (if awarded in late October)
• Submit Proposal in Fund 10 for DEX or Exchange (only if no suitable projects found)
• Create Documentation for Currency API
• Create Documentation for Blockchain API
• Create Video Instructions for Currency API
• Create Video Instructions for Blockchain API
• Create Video Instructions for setting up Currency Server

December 2021

• Create Documentation for Currency Unity Asset
• Create Documentation for Blockchain Unity Asset
• Create Documentation for setting up Currency Server
• Run a Free Game Developer Challenge for "adding in-game currency to your game in 5 days"
• Run Paid Advertising (Marketing) [Dependent on Fund 8]

2022

• Settle on DEX or Start Development if Fund 10 accepted
• Support Indie Game Developers getting their games completed
• Create Video instructions for Gamers on how they can exchange their game tokens
• Work with Prism team at IOG to implement Decentralized Identifiers (DID) for the gamers

This roadmap is my best effort to plan, but it is subject to change - especially further down the timeline.

Funding

There is enough work here for a solid 8 months. As a result, I can't do this project for anything less than 120,000. This will allow me to devote my time to this project as well as pay for cloud hosting for the Currency Server and both APIs in the beginning.

If this proposal is approved by the community, I'll definitely be submitting another proposal for a marketing budget during Fund 8. I'm hoping that the final piece of actually allowing the gamer to trade their in-game currency they were able to deposit into their wallet can happen from an exchange or DEX that handles native tokens. If it doesn't appear that a solution is on the horizon, a final proposal could be created for Fund 10 to create that functionality. My expectation is that it won't be needed, as others will have solved that problem by the time it is needed.

I understand that at $120,000 USD that this project is 20% of the overall Development Fund of $600,000. I do not take that lightly. However, I cannot devote the time needed in the timeframe needed without that amount.

Sustainability of the project moving forward

In order for these APIs to be maintained and the ecosystem grow so that more gamers are able to unlock their in game currencies and more game developers are able to facilitate that, there needs to be a way to monetize the system. This is my current thought process for keeping the project sustainable over time. It is subject to change, but this is how I see it being self-sustained assuming there is enough adoption.

1. For Game Developers that do not wish to host the Currency Server themselves, they can utilize the deployed Currency Server's API at a monthly rate. There will be a free plan for a certain number of requests, and then 3 additional tiers most likely. More thought needs to be given to the appropriate amount of traffic needed for a typical game with a certain number of users.

2. Game Developers will pay a nominal fee in ADA each time they mint a new coin or forge more currency into existence. This will utilize a Plutus smart contract and policy.

3. When gamers withdraw their funds from the game into their wallet using the Blockchain API, it will utilize a Plutus smart contract that will add a nominal fee that will continue to pay for this project.

Intellectual Property

Both Unity Assets will be free. Both games will be free. The Currency Server and API will be opened source. If game developers don't want to stand up their own Currency Server, they can utilize my Currency API Server for a fee. All documentation and video trainings will be free. The Blockchain API will not be open source immediately. However, the Plutus smart contract will be opened source. Open source projects will be released with MIT license.

The project will be in GitHub and planned via Projects. Issues will be created in GitHub so the community can see the progress. There will be a sprint review done on YouTube at the end of every 2-week sprint to discuss accomplishments for the completed sprint.

Relative Experience

Thank you for taking the time to read this proposal and considering it.

Since you made it this far, I'm sure you are interested in my ability to actually pull this project off. My name is Chad Carter and I've been professionally developing software since graduating from college in 1996. During the last 25 years I've architected and developed multiple eCommerce systems that are used by 5% of the top Fortune 50 companies and 26 of the Fortune 500 companies along with dozen of more companies.

In 2007 I authored a book on game programming for the Xbox 360. I updated that book focusing on networking and multiplayer in 2009. Both books were best sellers. In 2012 I created my third and final book on Windows 8 programming using web technologies. Unfortunately, that book had the same fate as the operating system.

I started my own company in 2010 and have done consulting for different clients and created a new eCommerce system. In 2015 I found out about the HoloLens, and was able to purchase one of the first ones in 2016. Later in 2016 I launched LearnHoloLens.com where I taught developers how to use the HoloLens. I ran that membership for 21 months, but I had to shut it down due to the low number of HoloLens developers. I treated my business model as if it were a consumer product instead of the business product it is.

I've also created my own Cardano Stake Pool, but I've not done any marketing with it. I just found out about Cardano last month and I wanted to be a part of this upcoming transformation so I started there.

I'm currently in the Plutus Pioneer Program and have been diving deep into the Haskell programming language and the Plutus scripting language. I've architected many different APIs over my career and by making games I understand the concerns of game developers when working with a 3rd party API.

This project will be a very large undertaking. In addition to the actual software engineering expertise needed to pull this project off, the API needs to be really easy to use and really well documented. Additional video training needs to be made as well to help game developers use this.

Besides the 25 years of professional development experience, I've written 3 books, and taught a paid membership for 21 months with articles and video modules. Because of this, I can create easy to use APIs, easy to understand documentation and video training around each part of this project.

While I cannot guarantee the success of the overall project, I can basically guarantee (assuming I'm still alive and healthy) that the deliverables will be completed in a timely fashion. I really want this to succeed and will do my level best to make it work.

Thank you again for considering this proposal!