Sony Files New Patent for NFTs, Paving the Way for Future Gaming Innovation
Sony Interactive Entertainment, the maker of the Playstation gaming console, has filed a patent request for non-fungible tokens (NFTs), signaling a potential breakthrough for blockchain-enabled gaming. The move, aimed at providing more flexibility with in-game assets, could allow gamers to use NFTs across different games and platforms, including those produced by rival console makers like Microsoft and Nintendo.
What’s in the Patent Filing?
In its filing, Sony outlined plans to enable the use of NFTs across “plural different computer simulations and/or across plural different computer simulation platforms.” The company also expressed its desire to extend NFT use to “virtual reality (VR) headsets, augmented reality (AR) headsets,” smartphones, tablets, computers, and televisions. Ownership of the NFT can be transferred to other users for their own use across different simulations and platforms.
What This Means for the Future of Gaming
With Sony’s experience delivering popular titles like “The Last of Us” to market, the company could help introduce millions of gamers to blockchain-powered gaming. The use of NFTs in gaming has struggled to attract mainstream gamers used to playing on consoles and platforms provided by Playstation and Xbox. However, if Sony becomes a strong supporter of digital asset ownership in gaming, coupled with its plan for interoperability that extends to other companies, this could prove to be a seminal moment in the evolution of gaming.
The Next Phase: Web3
Blockchain advocates believe that the next era of the internet and gaming will include increased interoperability and widespread ownership of digital assets that can be used on different devices and platforms. Dubbed web3, this phase is currently being built with help from many executives and gaming developers who made a name for themselves during the period known as web2, which has been traditionally dominated by closed ecosystems.
Sony’s Move Into NFTs
This isn’t Sony’s first foray into blockchain technology. The company filed an NFT patent last November, but the patent appeared to be rejected for failing to “integrate the abstract idea into a practical application.” Sony has also explored using blockchain technology for music copyright management and education. With the recent filing, Sony could be paving the way for a new frontier in gaming, and the potential of widespread adoption of NFTs in gaming could be on the horizon.
Source: The Block
