Ubisoft's hackathon signals the powerful potential of blockchain technology for gaming

MONTREUIL, France, June 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - From June 29th to July 1st, 2018, CryptoKitties CEO Roham Gharegozlou will join Ubisoft founder and CEO Yves Guillemot; Ken Timsit of Consensys; Fred de Villamil, of Ledger; and Matthew Tomkinson, UX Director at Ubisoft, France, to jury Ubisoft's "Blockchain Heroes" hackathon, which challenges development teams to integrate blockchain technology and gaming.

CryptoKitties introduced consumer audiences to blockchain technology in late 2017. The world's most successful blockchain-based game, CryptoKitties has transacted 1.5-million wallets and US$25-million, showcasing the real-world value of crypto assets beyond currencies.

"From Doom on PC to Farmville and Facebook, games have been key in driving mainstream consumer adoption of emerging platforms, and blockchain will be no different," says Gharegozlou. "But blockchain unlocks exciting new possibilities for developers and players alike. Players can truly own their digital items and developers can create all sorts of new experiences."

As a world leader in interactive entertainment, Ubisoft's hackathon signals the power and potential of blockchain for the gaming industry, which is valued at over US$100B.

"We truly believe in blockchain's potential to provide key new benefits to players that could help improve their gaming experience. This hackathon is an opportunity to explore how to set them as heroes of our worlds like never before," says Nicolas Pouard, Blockchain Initiative Manager at Ubisoft.  

The community-driven projects developed at events like Blockchain Heroes are unique to decentralized apps, whose open nature enables teams to build on top of established concepts. CryptoKitties recently released a free license for any developers creating blockchain experiences. They also revealed a program to support third-party projects that leverage the popular cats, providing developers with funding, free tools, and development insights. Thanks to third-party developers, a player's CryptoKitty—a digital asset with ownership secured via blockchain technology—can now race, have literal catfights, and collect their own cryptocollectibles.

At the Blockchain Heroes Hackathon, Gharegozlou will reward the top team with special-edition CryptoKitties. The prize cat is a crossover with Rabbids, Ubisoft's mischievous bunnies who have headlined games alongside Mario, one of gaming's most beloved icon. Though there's no dollar figure attached to the prize, similar exclusive CryptoKitties have sold for over US$100,000.

Learn more at www.cryptokitties.co/heroes-hackathon or blockchainheroes-ubisoft.com/en/home/

About CryptoKitties

CryptoKitties is the world's leading blockchain game. Unlike cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin or ether, CryptoKitties are cryptocollectibles. The breedable and collectible cats sell for prices ranging from six dollars to six figures. Learn more at www.cryptokitties.co.

About Ubisoft

Ubisoft is a leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, with a rich portfolio of world-renowned brands, including Assassin's Creed, Just Dance, Tom Clancy's video game series, Rayman, Far Cry and Watch Dogs. The teams throughout Ubisoft's worldwide network of studios and business offices are committed to delivering original and memorable gaming experiences across all popular platforms, including consoles, mobile phones, tablets and PCs. For the 2017-18 fiscal year, Ubisoft generated sales of €1,732 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoft.com.

SOURCE CryptoKitties