Antonio Palma, Business Director at My Neighbor Alice, has a background in engineering and digital markets, with experience in web3 venture capital. At My Neighbor Alice, he’s been involved in launching the marketplace, working on partnerships with Binance and OpenSea, and helping get the $ALICE token listed on major exchanges.
How does My Neighbor Alice’s mission of decentralisation align with your broader vision for the gaming industry, and what steps have been taken to achieve this?
Our vision is to create a gaming environment where players not only own and control their digital assets but also have ownership of the game itself. Decentralisation gives players the freedom to control, trade, and transfer in-game assets across platforms without relying on centralised entities that might change the rules or devalue assets. At My Neighbor Alice, we aim to implement this through on-chain game logic, a player-driven economy, and decentralised governance, where the community will eventually influence game developments, asset creation, and updates.
We’ve integrated game logic and data, including NFT metadata, onto the blockchain to ensure the game can operate without a centralised server. We’re also developing tools that allow players to participate in shaping the game’s future and contribute to the economy. Additionally, we’re focusing on interoperability, collaborating on asset integration with other games and platforms.
How does the listing of the $ALICE token on major exchanges affect the in-game economy, and how does it benefit players compared to traditional in-game currencies?
The listing of $ALICE on major exchanges provides liquidity and bridges the gap between the game’s economy and the real world, allowing players to buy, sell, and trade assets both within and outside the game. This is different from traditional in-game currencies, which typically have no value beyond the game itself.
With $ALICE, players can monetise their in-game activities, making their efforts more rewarding. Moreover, the token’s role in governance gives players a voice in decisions affecting the game’s future, which aligns with our commitment to decentralisation and player empowerment.
How important is it to onboard web2 gamers, and what strategies have you employed to make blockchain integration less intimidating?
A smooth onboarding process is essential for attracting web2 gamers, who may not be familiar with blockchain technology. A complicated or confusing experience could be a major barrier to entry, so we’ve focused on making the process as straightforward as possible.
We allow players to sign up and start playing using just an email address, with the option to skip blockchain elements initially. In-game blockchain transactions are handled in the background to provide a frictionless experience. Over time, as players become more comfortable, they can explore more advanced blockchain features, like using self-custodial wallets or trading assets outside of the game’s marketplace.
The aim is to make the experience so seamless that players don’t notice whether they’re in a web2 or web3 environment.
What are the key innovations needed for blockchain gaming to achieve mainstream adoption, and how is My Neighbor Alice contributing to this progress?
For blockchain gaming to gain mainstream acceptance, innovations like better interoperability between blockchain ecosystems, shared on-chain data for assets across games, and a multichain approach are necessary. These developments are essential for supporting large user bases while maintaining decentralisation.
My Neighbor Alice is contributing by adopting a multichain strategy, ensuring scalability while keeping game mechanics on-chain, making them transparent and decentralised. This prevents network congestion during peak activity and allows other games and platforms to build on our logic or extend assets into different applications.
Our work with the Chromia platform to improve blockchain scalability is a step toward meeting the demands of mainstream gaming, all while preserving a decentralised and user-friendly experience.