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Gaming

Dr Disrespect stands firm in support of blockchain games

Despite the negative reception that blockchain games have received, Dr Disrespect is still strongly advocating for them, claiming that those games offer unique experiences for players in various fields, including but not limited to item ownership and transaction transparency. Prior to gaining popularity as a streamer, Dr Disrespect, whose real name is Herschel Beahm IV, had a successful career in game development as a level designer for Call of Duty. The now YouTube streamer revealed the launch of his gaming studio, Midnight Society, during his dispute with Twitch in December 2021. The primary focus of Midnight Society is to develop online multiplayer games with blockchain integration. The studio's current priority is Project Moon, which has received widespread criticism for its utilization of NFTs. The official description of Midnight Society defines it as a unique triple-A game studio and publishing model that has been in the making for over a decade. It comprises a group of game industry veterans who believe in a future where developers create games collaboratively with players sharing in the game's success. Dr Disrespect has taken on a more prominent position than ever before for his game Project Moon, and it is not as if he is just a simple gamer who wants to make a video game. Previously, the content creator faced a backlash from fans and followers for endorsing various blockchain games on social media and during his streams. Many accused the streamer of promoting a product that could harm the community and worsen wealth inequality. As a result, the content creator distanced himself from the technology, at least temporarily. However, Dr Disrespect recently tweeted about blockchain games, saying they are the future. Dr Disrespect presented the idea of trying to extract an item discovered on the chain that is worth $100,000, highlighting the entertainment value for both viewers and players. "Imagine trying to 'extract' with an item you discovered worth $100,000 on the chain," Dr Disrespect said. "Think about entertainment value as a viewer let alone a player." Later, Dr Disrespect shared his excitement for the concept of digital collectibles in an online game, particularly in an extraction-style game. The streamer also dismissed those who criticize the use of blockchain games as "brain dead headline followers," comparing them to people who spend a lot on skins for yearly game releases, which everyone ends up having. Skepticism from gaming community Blockchain technology gained significant traction within the gaming industry due to its potential to offer more secure and transparent transactions and ownership of items. However, many individuals grew skeptical of blockchain games shortly after, citing concerns about their potential environmental impact and other issues. Dr Disrespect's recent statements on blockchain games have received a mixed response from the gaming community, with some of his supporters expressing their approval of the streamer. However, many of his followers are still skeptical about the technology. For instance, one fan commented that NFTs are a scam. The underlying concept of Project Moon appears favorable when put down in writing. The plan is to sporadically release vertical slices, highly restricted portions of a game, and make changes to the game based on feedback from players. However, some experts have reservations about the idea of focus testing games. They argue that players may not be the best judges of what they want since they often prefer familiar experiences, while individual preferences can vary widely. Additionally, playtesting is typically something that game studios pay for. Looking at Dr Disrespect's approach to development, some experts believe that he is effectively exploiting his fanbase for free labor.

The World of Gaming online

Take a closer look at online gaming with our guide to this global phenomenon

Gaming online has seen a massive increase in popularity over the last few years, largely down to the way that mobile phone technology has developed. The numbers of people who play online games has risen massively. Almost everyone you know, including people over the age of 40 who are not necessarily the first people who spring to mind when you mention online computer games, will have played some form of online game in the last few weeks.
This has been partly due to social media, of course, which provides accessible platforms where almost anyone can find games to play that suit their lifestyle and interests. Sports games have become very popular, while we have all heard about games like Candy Crush.
Other types of online computer games remain very popular with younger people who like to play online games. Massive multi-player online games, often referred to as ‘MMOs’, remain hugely popular. World of Warcraft, for example, has become a cultural phenomenon that extends far beyond people’s computer screens or gaming mobile phones and has spawned books, a movie and other cultural products.
Here, we will take a closer look at the world of gaming online and at some of the gaming trends associated with it.

What is gaming online and how do you get started?

Even if you have no interest at all in the digital world or technology, the chances are pretty high that you will have heard of online gaming. It is, of course the act of playing games on the internet. There is tremendous variety in the number and types of games that you can play online nowadays, though. From retro arcade games, to intellectual puzzles, to role playing games, to traditional board games like Scrabble, you really can play almost anything you want online these days.
According to Juniper Research’s published white paper, the numbers of people who now play online games regularly is huge. The Newzoo 2018 Global Games Market Forecast stated that mobile gaming  and mobile games has been raising online casino revenue. The proportion rose from 18% in 2012 to 51% by 2018. The Newzoo report also predicted that this trend will continue, and it expected gaming online to contribute up to 59% by 2021.
There are also significant geographical trends in the world of online gaming. In November 2018, China made up almost 28% of global mobile gaming revenue, according to tech website iWeb. Japan is another country which makes a massive contribution to the wealth generated by gaming online. A big role in this is played by the way that gamers in Asia have moved away from their computer screens in recent years and started to use gaming mobile phones.

Online gaming and esports betting

It is possible now to pick up skins during online gaming which can be used to bet on esports. Skins are items that improve the cosmetic appearance of your character in some online games. They do not usually have any effect on the actual gaming performance of the character. They are a particular feature of games like Counter Strike: Global Offensive and Defense of the Ancients 2.
Gamers soon found another use for these skins as competitive esports grew in popularity over the last decade. As esports became more popular, increasing numbers of people wanted to bet on the matches and events for games like CS:GO, Dota2 and the International tournament.
While the betting companies were lagging behind demand, many gamers started betting using the skins that they had collected from their own gaming activities. This allowed gamers to use their skins as a kind of cryptocurrency for betting.
It is also possible to sell skins for real money, something that means successful esports skins bettors can actually make some genuine profit from their betting. It will be interesting to see how the concept of skin betting develops in the online computer games world in the years to come.

Highlights

While we have not been able to cover the entire vast breadth of the topic of gaming online in this article, you now have a snapshot picture of this vast phenomenon. As 5G technology develops and becomes more widespread, we are sure to see more new and exciting developments in the world of online gaming. More powerful, faster gaming mobile phones are sure to arrive on the market too.
As the number of games to play increases new gaming trends are sure to emerge in the years to come, especially with the advent of 5G. Concepts such as virtual reality are sure to have an impact too, especially on the world of esports and esports betting. It is an interesting time to be alive for all fans of online gaming across the world!

Gaming

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