Background: Manish Agarwal’s Journey into Blockchain and Games
Manish Agarwal, the founder of Kratos Studios, has had a long history in the gaming industry. His career began in 2010 when he ran a studio for Reliance Games, pioneering the development of premium games for western markets in India. Agarwal then moved on to run Nazara Games for seven and a half years, taking the company public in 2021 and making it the only listed gaming company in India.
His interest in blockchain technology and its potential for gaming was piqued when he saw the promise of community economic value sharing. Agarwal believed that blockchain could deliver on the internet’s original goal of democratizing the distribution of wealth. With this vision in mind, he founded Kratos Studios and published its whitepaper in August 2022. Since then, the team has been working on building gaming communities using blockchain technology.
Acquisition of IndiGG Guild: Breaking the Mold for Game Design
One of the key moves for Kratos Studios was the acquisition of the IndiGG guild. Agarwal met with Gabby Dizon, the co-founder of Yield Guild Games (YGG), and Sandeep Nailwal, the co-founder of Polygon, in 2021. He saw the potential for creating a new type of game design that focused on freemium games and NFT gating.
Agarwal realized that these games needed a different approach compared to traditional premium games. By incorporating NFT gating and freemium models, the shelf life of games could be extended, and the scholar model could become a limiting factor. While Agarwal was an angel investor in IndiGG, he saw the need to chart a new course and created Kratos Studios to pursue a different business model.
The migration from the Indi.gg brand to Kratos was an important step in building a gaming community that focused on economic value sharing. Agarwal emphasized the importance of having the right people to build with and establishing a foundation for the next 30 years.
Why Kratos Studios is Focusing on Emerging Gaming Markets
Kratos Studios is targeting emerging markets, such as Indonesia, Brazil, Nigeria, Egypt, Turkey, and the Middle East, for its gaming communities. Agarwal believes that these markets will see significant growth in the next decade. He understands the nuances of these markets and knows the importance of having a strong local presence, connections, and understanding of local consumer behavior.
Global publishers often hesitate to establish a physical presence in these markets, which creates an opportunity for Kratos Studios to build platforms that connect global publishers with local communities. Building gamer-first platforms that cater to the specific needs of these markets, including community engagement, local payments, and statutory compliance, is the key focus of Kratos Studios’ expansion.
Earning, Fame, and Power: The Key to Building a Strong Gaming Community
According to Agarwal, building a strong gaming community requires providing opportunities for players to earn, gain fame, and wield power. These three elements drive engagement and retention among gamers. By offering tools and features that enable gamers to enjoy earning, fame, and power, Kratos Studios aims to create a highly engaged and sticky community that benefits both players and publishers.
Kratos Studios’ approach involves organizing grassroots decentralized tournaments to create local fame groups. This allows gamers to become famous within their own communities or colleges, for example. By combining earning, fame, and power, Kratos Studios aims to create a cocktail of incentives that keeps the community engaged and benefits the publishers who rely on their engagement.
Integrating Blockchain: How Kratos Studios is Creating a Sustainable Earning System
Kratos Studios is integrating blockchain technology into its platform to build an immutable trust reputation system and enable economic value exchange between gamers and publishers. The blockchain allows Kratos to create on-chain reputations for gamers, which serves as a single source of truth for both players and publishers.
Additionally, Kratos Studios is launching a crypto store marketplace where game publishers can integrate their NFT APIs. This marketplace will enable gamers to make purchases using fiat currency or cryptocurrency, creating a circular economy of earning and spending within the community. By utilizing blockchain technology, Kratos Studios aims to reduce friction in spending and encourage gamers to see their purchases as investments in future value creation.
Kratos Studios is focused on delivering value to both gamers and publishers, with the goal of generating revenue, reducing costs, and providing a better return on investment. By building a strong gaming community and integrating blockchain technology into its platform, Kratos Studios is well-positioned to create a sustainable earning system for gamers while offering publishers a highly engaged and ROI-driven audience.
Analyst comment
Positive news: The acquisition of the IndiGG guild and the focus on emerging gaming markets indicate that Kratos Studios is taking strategic steps to expand its presence and build a strong gaming community. By incorporating blockchain technology, Kratos Studios aims to create a sustainable earning system and provide value to both gamers and publishers. Market analysis: With its innovative approach and focus on emerging markets, Kratos Studios has the potential to attract a significant user base and generate revenue, making it well-positioned for growth in the gaming industry.
