Decentralized Dreams: Alien Worlds Puts Players in the Driver’s Seat

A recent lawsuit filed against Amazon perfectly illustrates the difference between Web2 and Web3 where ownership is concerned. For those who missed it, the suit takes umbrage with the tech giant’s practice of granting users the chance to “buy” (not “rent”) content, claiming such wording is deceptive – since perpetual possession is not assured. 

In common with the other big streaming platforms, what Amazon actually does, per the smallprint, is dispense viewing licenses that can be revoked whenever it pleases. How would you feel if you bought something from a shop, only for the proprietor to turn up at your door five years later to reclaim the goods? Not good, we’re guessing.

This is the kind of bait-and-switch that can happen when you interact with centralized platforms. In the world of gaming, there are plenty of examples: developer Ubisoft has powered down the servers of multiple games, leaving fans frustrated and without recourse, while Chinese World of Warcraft players could only watch in horror as their accounts and assets vanished following a server shutdown in 2023.

Against this backdrop, Alien Worlds presents an intriguing alternative. Rather than licensing gaming content, players plug into an expanding sci-fi universe where you actually gain the ability to steer the ship. This is made possible through a combination of decentralized governance, disintermediated influence, and tokenization.

A Short History

Whether you’re an Alien Worlds OG or a new player, a quick precis is necessary here. What actually is Alien Worlds? It’s a question that’s become harder to answer over the years, a consequence of the ecosystem’s expansion. Let’s keep it simple.

Alien Worlds is a multi-chain metaverse that combines elements of strategy, staking, collecting, and governance. It started with the core mining game, where players could use tool NFTs to extract the native Trilium (TLM) token. The goal was to build your deck/mining rig and procure higher amounts of TLM, which could in turn be used to upgrade tools and improve yield.

Gradually, the mining game became just one of many endeavors one could pursue. There were mini-games. Play-to-earn tournaments. Land parcel NFTs that could be rented to miners to generate passive revenue. Factions like the Miners Union, organically spun up by enterprising players. Then came the Syndicate DAOs, Tokenized Lore, Galactic Hubs. More on them later.

Over time, the use-cases for Trilium and Alien World NFTs also grew. To take one example, Meta Battler, a WAX-based rogue-like deck building game, came along and let players sync their NFTs to participate in PvP battles. With higher-grade NFTs, your prospects of winning these face-offs and pocketing rewards was increased. There are many instances where holding certain NFTs can redound to your credit.

Today, Alien Worlds is a largely community-driven platform with a commitment to ever greater levels of decentralization. Because its tokens live on-chain, and because there is an assortment of adjacent games created by independent developers rather than one central focus, it is stronger now than at any point since launching five years ago.

Planetary Power 

Much of this strength is attributable to the six player-controlled Planetary Syndicates, and the subsequent arrival of Union DAOs and the Worker Proposal System. 

You only need to look at the numbers – over 5,070 proposals submitted to Syndicates so far, of which some 1,860 were given the green light. This is not a community that sits idly by and lets the chips fall where they may; it actively funds innovation.

Tokenized Lore ensures players’ time in the driver’s seat is even comfier. Introduced last year, it lets the community participate in building out the game’s sci-fi canon. The Tokenized Lore Book, which summarizes sci-fi master Kevin J. Anderson’s foundational lore, provides the bedrock while players are tasked with taking the story in new and exciting directions. 

Among other benefits, Tokenized Lore gives Trilium a fresh role in governing a transmedia franchise. Projects are also encouraged to integrate the growing lore into their games, both to better connect with the community and ensure consistency across different projects. All the while, the Syndicates’ focus remains on shaping the ecosystem through diverse projects that provide more use-cases for NFTs and TLM.

The Future Looks Bright

With gaming token launches having jumped 200% year-over-year in 2024, and web3 gaming funding up 17%, the space as a whole is on an upward trajectory. Yet Alien Worlds’ ambition is much greater than to simply ride the waves of market trends and soldier on. It’s about bringing true ownership and value to gamers, empowering them to own the universe rather than simply interact with or license it. 

The truth is, players won’t stand for shoddy licensing agreements and their in-game achievements being at the mercy of publishers’ whims for much longer. Web3 tech offers a means of escape from this system, and Alien Worlds a safe haven for gamers who want and deserve more.

If that’s you, welcome aboard, Explorer.