Interview with Can Picak: Is Digard the Next Big Thing in Web3 Gaming?

Web3 gaming has grown far past the niche product it once was. Over 73 million gamers play on Web3-based platforms, with more to join as blockchain and NFT technologies continue to develop.

Digard is a blockchain-powered gaming ecosystem aiming to innovate on the state of Web3, offering developers new ways to launch and maintain their games.

Here to tell us more about the Digard project is Can Picak, co-founder of Digard and its Eldarune game factory.

1. You’re pitching Digard as a “Web3 Gaming Ecosystem without borders.” How does Digard stand out from other Web3 gaming projects promising similar offerings?

Our unique proposition for game developers is the convenience and cost-effectiveness we offer as a one-stop shop for all things Web3. Unlike many of our competitors who rely on third-party services for core features like NFT trading and platform analytics, we provide these services in-house, saving developers both time and money. This approach underscores our commitment to empowering developers and valuing their resources.

For players, Digard is a game store first, offering a diverse range of games for purchase. But we don’t stop there. We also provide opportunities for players to earn rewards while playing and a variety of ways to use those rewards, including token and NFT staking, a streamlined payments system, and NFT minting. Our platform’s support for Ethereum Virtual Machine and non-EVM networks ensures that player assets aren’t confined to one blockchain, enhancing their gaming experience and keeping them engaged. So, Digard users do not need to turn to other platforms – they can manage their assets, analyze their profile, play games, and join communities through Digard dApp.

2. What community-building features does Digard offer? A game’s community is its most important part, after all.

Digard’s built-in analytics provide developers with valuable insights and inform their future design plans. Analytics based on actual player data help developers make better game decisions, ensuring a happier community and a longer-lasting game.

Making friends is effortless through Digard. Our social and guild features provide multiple avenues for gamers to connect and play together. These features are especially important, as Eldarune, one of Digard’s game development studios, is building four games in the Eldarune universe — each of a different genre. The Eldarune universe is a rich and diverse gaming world, offering a variety of game experiences for players. Facilitating cross-game communication is essential to our studio and the player experience overall.

Digard also provides community-building features for game developers: they can create in-game and social quests to increase their digital presence.

3. How does Digard facilitate game development? Are you working with developers from scratch, or assisting studios with a promising project in the works?

We’ll be doing both. Our platform offers two developer services: a Blockchain Development Kit (BDK) for developers to easily integrate blockchain into their existing games. The BDK is a comprehensive set of tools and resources that simplifies the process of integrating blockchain technology into games. This way, studios won’t have to overhaul their entire system to make their game compatible with blockchain. The BDK provides all of Digard’s core benefits, including cross-chain compatibility and smart contract integration, making it easier and more cost-effective for developers to leverage the benefits of blockchain technology.

As for developers building on Digard from scratch, we have a Software Development Kit (SDK). Studios building on Digard will find developer resources, API integration, and community support methods to start growing a fanbase as soon as possible, like in-game and social quests.

Of course, both types of developers can harness Digard’s additional features after launch, such as our NFT and Token Launchpads or our NFT Marketplace.

4. How does Digard’s $DIGA token come into play in your ecosystem?

The Digard token is a key component of our ecosystem. It serves as a medium of exchange within our platform, allowing gamers to purchase in-game assets and NFTs from our Store. Additionally, our workshop provides a space for players to upgrade and customize NFTs, which they can later sell for $DIGA.

Players can also use $DIGA as an intermediary currency between Digard’s various games. For example, Eldarune uses the $ELDA cryptocurrency. Players can convert $DIGA to $ELDA, or vice versa, and invest in other games. This flexibility allows players to diversify their gaming experiences and make the most of their in-game progress.

5. Once their game is live on Digard, what features and support can a developer expect to keep their game profitable?

Digard offers developers a monthly subscription plan that covers the cost of maintaining their games within the Digard ecosystem. It includes access to our streamlined NFT project launch support and various discoverability features in our store. It’s a cost-effective way for developers to keep their games profitable and visible to players long after their launch.

Our community management tools make it easy for studios to interact with their growing communities. These tools help developers see what gamers like and dislike about the game’s current state and what features they’re asking for in future updates. 

6. It sounds like Digard has a lot going for it. Can you discuss some of the platform’s future plans?

Absolutely. We’re working towards Solana integration to provide players and developers with yet another blockchain. Alongside establishing additional partnerships, we plan to launch a Digard DAO for increased governance and to provide our users with a say in the future of Digard.

Our eventual Web3 Gaming Accelerator will serve as a space for new developers to build their games with funding from players. In return for funding, players can vote on upcoming game features and play a more significant role in its overall development.