Animoca Brands and Ubisoft have teamed up to invest in a $12 million round of funding for the blockchain game Cross the Ages. The free-to-play card game features digital trading cards as NFTs that can also be converted to physical cards.
The game is designed to be played by anyone, regardless of their prior experience with blockchain or gaming. Players can use their digital cards to battle other players online, or they can convert them to physical cards and play offline with friends.
The game, which is currently in beta, uses the Ethereum blockchain to track ownership of in-game items and allow players to trade them with one another. The game also features collectible cards that can be used to power up characters and give them new abilities.
Cross the Ages is developed by Blockpix, a studio based in Malta. The game’s lead developer is Alex Amsel, who has worked on a number of popular video games including Assassin’s Creed and Halo.
“I am very excited to be working on a project that combines my two passions: video games and blockchain technology,” said Amsel in a statement. “Cross the Ages is a game that anyone can pick up and play, but which also has a deep level of strategy for those who want to really get into it. I believe that this combination of accessibility and depth will make it one of the most popular games on the Ethereum blockchain.”
Animoca Brands is a Hong Kong-based company that specializes in developing and publishing mobile games. The company has published a number of successful titles including The Sandbox, an open world voxel-based game that allows players to create their own worlds and experiences.
“We are very excited to be working with Blockpix on Cross the Ages,” said Yat Siu, co-founder and chairman of Animoca Brands. “This is a great example of the kind of game that can be built on the blockchain, and we believe that it has the potential to become one of the most popular games in the world.”
Ubisoft is a leading global developer and publisher of video games with over 100 million active players worldwide. The company has a long history of supporting new technologies and platforms, and was an early investor in blockchain technology.
“We are excited to be working with Blockpix on Cross the Ages,” said Olivier de Rotalier, managing director of Ubisoft’s Strategic Innovation Lab. “This game has the potential to redefine how players interact with digital assets, and we believe that it will stand as the benchmark of future, innovative games.
With this latest investment, Animoca Brands now has a stake in three of the most prominent blockchain games on the market. This gives the company a strong position to capitalize on the growing popularity of blockchain gaming.
Cross the Ages is just one of many blockchain games that are currently in development. The genre is still in its early stages, but is already starting to gain traction with gamers and developers alike.
As more games enter the market, it is likely that we will see even more investment flowing into the space. This could lead to rapid growth for the blockchain gaming industry, and help to further legitimize the use of blockchain technology.