Newly published documents reveal that global entertainment giant Sony applied for a patent in 2021 for a system that tracks digital assets in video games using blockchain technology
Sony—a Japanese multinational technology conglomerate known for its PlayStation gaming consoles—points to the worldwide popularity of gaming, and players who want to own unique items associated with their favorite celebrities, activities, and esports tournament winners.
“In traditional video games, there is no way to differentiate a specific instance of an in-game item that a famous player of the video game used to win a famous tournament from any other instance of the in-game item,”Sony says.
According to the application, Sony wants to use a distributed ledger, or blockchain, to record digital media assets, gameplay, and video clips and include a unique token for the digital item with a unique identifier and metadata that would identify properties of the digital asset.
Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, are cryptographically unique tokens linked to digital and physical content, providing proof of ownership for things like artwork, music, memorabilia, and items in video games.
NFTs-Sony’s SRD, a tablet-like device that displays three-dimensional visuals in semi-physical augmented reality, permits users to view and manipulate 3D objects without the use of glasses or other accessories. The SRD display tracks eye movement, pivoting the image in sync as the viewer tilts or moves their head in any direction, creating the sensation of a solid 3D object. The NFTs launched by Theta and Sony will thus be viewable and manipulable on the SRD in mixed reality 3D, without the assistance of eye accessories.
One of the two SRD-enabled NFTs, a Tiki mask called “The Tiki Guy,” will be limited-edition: only 10 “Tiki Guy” NFTs will be created. However, owners of the NFT with a U.S. shipping address will receive a free Sony SRD. The SRD currently sells for $5,000 per unit.
The NFTs will be released on ThetaDrop, Theta Labs’ NFT marketplace, which previously released Katy Perry’s first NFT collection, as well as promotional NFT collections for the World Poker Tour, singing competition “American Idol”, and game show “The Price is Right.”
The NFT launch is intended to kickstart integration of the SRD into more projects designed for the metaverse: a future, more immersive version of the internet that people may use to work, play, and socialize in augmented and virtual environments. “Immersive, three-dimensional NFTs are a great way to showcase the potential of Sony’s Spatial Reality Display for metaverse enthusiasts and collectors,” Nick Colsey, Sony’s VP of business development, said in a press release.
“Theta’s NFTs are just the latest way we can show our rapid adoption of metaverse-friendly technology,” he said. This marks a public-facing shift in Sony’s marketing of the SRD; since its launch in late 2020, the device has primarily been touted as an industry development tool for designers, artists, and engineers.
While the filing is only for a patent, it shows Sony is interested in entering the growing NFT gaming field. According to CoinGecko, the top NFT games, also known as Play-to-earn games, include Axie Infinity, Alien Worlds, STEPN, and The Sandbox.
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