This space is hosted by Ancient8_gg
Space Summary
The Twitter space revolved around the intersection of the ecosystem and the social layer within the gaming niche. Emphasizing the value of incentivizing creators, particularly through airdrops, the discussion highlighted how such incentives could significantly amplify community engagement. Incorporating a gaming layer was identified as a strategic approach to further enhance community participation and foster a more interactive environment. The dynamics between players were also discussed, underscoring the importance of competitiveness and interaction in driving community growth. Sharing updates and progress among content creators was noted as a valuable practice to sustain engagement within the gaming community. Overall, the space underscored the critical role of community engagement in cultivating a thriving gaming ecosystem.
Questions
Q: How can incentivizing creators through airdrops impact community engagement?
A: Incentivizing creators through airdrops can significantly boost engagement by motivating them to participate more actively.
Q: Why is adding a gaming layer important for community development?
A: Adding a gaming layer is important for community development as it can enhance community engagement and create a more interactive environment.
Q: What dynamics can be built between players to enhance engagement?
A: Dynamics between players, such as competitions, collaborations, and interactions, can enhance engagement within the community.
Q: How do content creators benefit from sharing updates and progress?
A: Content creators benefit from sharing updates and progress as it keeps the community engaged and interested in their content.
Q: What role does community engagement play in a successful ecosystem?
A: Community engagement plays a crucial role in a successful ecosystem by fostering interaction, growth, and sustainability.
Key Takeaways
- Incentivizing creators through airdrops can significantly boost engagement.
- Adding a gaming layer can enhance community engagement.
- Building dynamics between players can increase competitiveness and interaction.
- Content creators in the gaming community benefit from sharing updates and progress.
- The importance of community engagement and interaction for a successful ecosystem.
Behind the Mic
Hi everyone. Hello, hello, hello. Awesome. Well, welcome to this week’s ArkReforge developer chat. I appreciate you all bearing with me on timing here. The last meeting that we just got out of ran a little bit late, so my apologies for getting started a few minutes late here, but super excited to have everyone here. I’m super stoked to talk shop with everyone today. So anyway, just wanted to provide a little bit of an intro here to anyone that’s listening down in the audience that maybe this is your first time joining into one of these spaces. We like to run these developer chats about every other week, and it was a real way for us to be able to interface with our community. It only started as a Twitter space, it’s obviously evolved into this, but really excited to have everyone here and continue this kind of ongoing commentary and collaboration with our community and our fans. We really appreciate these opportunities to interface with you all. My name, if you’re not familiar with me, if we’re not friendly down there on the timeline yet, is Dominic. I work as a game designer for Big Time Studios, and I am the director of ArkReforge, with some of the other Lovecraft around and helping with some of these awesome dev chats. Been running these along with the team for close to two years now, so super fun stuff. Today joining me, we are super excited to have Dre join us today. We’ve got Moss and Procrast out in the crowd there. And we will be talking with you guys a little bit in depth about ArkReforge today. So, Dre, just gonna kick it off with you, and then we’ll circle back and get some other folks some time on the mic. But if you wouldn’t mind, I’d love for you to just give a little brief introduction, your role in the project, and what you’ve been up to lately before we get started. Absolutely. Thanks for the warm welcome, Dom. And that’s awesome to hear how long you and Lovecraft have been running these spaces. My name is Dre Bokes, I’m a Product Marketing Manager, working with some of the awesome partnerships that we have, including pretty much my primary focus right now with Occupy White Walls. And, yeah, so we’ll talk a lot about just really the merging of gaming and art and culture and some of the cool things that we’re doing in that space, and some of the exciting things that we have this year in 2023 and beyond. So, a lot of cool things happening. But that’s a little bit of my background in terms of who I am. Awesome. Great. So, I guess just to kind of kick things off here, I think that it’s no secret to anyone that’s in the crowd here that we’re working on a Web 3 game project and bringing those elements and ideas to life. And a big part of that lies within community building and growing out your community, kind of engaging the fan base, right? And so, I’d love to hear from your side if you wouldn’t mind sharing some thoughts on this. What have you seen from the social layer, the social ecosystem, that’s been most successful in really kind of fostering that fan base for you? I think one of the elements that has been really key is really how we now view this participatory nature of social content. So, traditionally, maybe you could say content creators were traditionally your typical artists, let’s say a studio brought on and maybe made an announcement or release some cool concept art, those sorts of things. And then the fans were just kind of there, right? So, what we’ve now seen is that fans in the space, as a player and as more of an activator, if you will, you’re really able to take over and own that moment. And one of the things that we’re doing as part of our work and our expansion with our partners within the ArkReforge and Occupy community is introducing this concept of decentralized decision-making and decentralized ownership. So, the idea is that the fans will have the ability to participate in creating the experiences, creating the narratives that we’re going to share through our experience. And within this kind of social and game environment, it’s almost kind of like a simulation, right? The fans in the community will help shape and drive that. And so, you can imagine how interesting and how exciting it is to really think that decentralization and ownership go hand in hand on a platform where now everybody can participate. The way you participate depends on your skill set. You know, maybe you’re the artist, you’re the developer, you’re the community activist, but it’s really becoming more and more pervasive within our community and embracing people wherever those talents are to participate in creating the story with us. That’s great. I know that that kind of creative control and input from the fan base has always been something that people love to see and people love to engage in. So, to hear that you guys are really like fostering that is really cool. And, you know, hearing what you say about the fans being kind of the activators, I think is also really, you know, interesting aspect to touch on too because, you know, we’ve seen that in other areas as well where, you know, by kind of incentivizing the fan base to participate in ways that go beyond just playing the game or enjoying the game. I think it’s a really interesting way to kind of take it to the next level, you know, as far as engagement and as far as, you know, getting people involved in maybe different areas of the ecosystem that they wouldn’t have otherwise been involved in. And so, you know, I’d love to hear, you know, more directly from you on this. What are some ways that you’ve been able to create that engagement, especially on social platforms? What strategies have you found most effective in doing that? Absolutely. And I think that one of the common threads you’re going to hear across, you know, not just this conversation, but really all over different types of forums or discussions on this topic is that Web3 is giving us this opportunity, this new paradigm of rewarding engagement and rewarding participation. And so what we are seeing and how we approach this engagement strategy is that our game environment, as I mentioned earlier, as kind of this social layer, and that’s a term that you’re going to hear me say over and over because it’s really important as we build it out, but really making sure that the fan base understands that they’re not just partaking in something that is static. So it’s not a passive experience. It’s really each individual has the ability to shape it based on their own input. So for example, maybe we have some really amazing narrative threads that our fan base might be able to suggest and introduce to our story arcs and then the rest of the community can vote on, can comment on, can give input on. That obviously doesn’t always guarantee the outcome, but their input and their engagement is being integrated into those decision-making processes and ultimately the outcome of those decisions is shared equally amongst everyone. So financially and also in the content that gets produced. So this kind of continuous feedback loop is definitely something that engages fans because they understand from the beginning that their voices will matter and it will be counted. And the other aspect with that is we are creating different instruments for measuring impact. So our fan base will be able to contribute and then see directly within the game within a kind of more general kind of marketing content that we share and they will be able to understand where their input has really influenced or impacted our kind of ongoing development. So in essence, it’s really creating this feedback loop where it’s not just kind of one way or just sharing some cool teasers, but it’s really about them having the agency to influence it directly. And I think that’s something that’s going to be empowering to folks and making them excited to want to join us not just to play, but to shape and create this with us. Yeah, no, I think that’s a great point. And, you know, one of the things kind of along those lines is once people become really invested in these, they’re almost like social constructs that grow around these games and these platforms, right? Like you said, it’s a social layer and once people kind of get invested in those, the amount of not only time but, you know, effort and energy that they’ll dedicate to them, I mean, it goes up significantly. And so, you know, by having these different avenues to engage, you know, parts of their personality that they maybe, you know, bring into different aspects of the world, right? So, like they’re a creator, they’re an artist, they’re a gamer. It’s really interesting that they then become more deeply and more inherently attached to that world, right? Yeah, exactly. And I think that the human nature to want to belong and want to find something where they can channel those energies and those talents as well is just really perfect. And because the medium is so scalable in ways, it’s dynamic. So, one of the things that I know that we constantly share with our community is that we’re able to tweak things on the fly and create brand new pathways for engagement that are a direct reflection of that feedback loop I mentioned. So, if the community gets really excited about a particular direction and it’s something that we weren’t really prepared for as developers, you know, we can then pivot really quickly and say, okay, let’s really focus our content on this one aspect that people are really getting engaged over. And another key element that’s not lost is that when you introduce digital ownership into that equation, it now adds value to the efforts. Because before, you know, you would say, hey, yes, this was one of our main contributors, meaning they had some really cool ideas, but there wasn’t always the other reward element to backing up that to say, here’s how we’re rewarding those creative inputs. Whereas, you know, digital ownership provides that opportunity in essence. So, we’re able to really identify and celebrate the contributions that people are making in a variety of ways that they previously weren’t. So, it’s really just that perfect blend of bringing those two together in this new ecosystem. Yeah, exactly. And it’s like, you know, previously it was a lot of these systems, it’s not to say that they’re bad things, it’s kind of more traditional ways of rewarding people, right? Like monetarily, or even just with exposure can be great. But yeah, it’s like, you know, providing digital ownership to people not only allows them to kind of have that badge of, you know, look how much I contributed, but also it essentially lets them build value alongside the platform, right? So, it’s almost like you’re getting more of a direct stake in the performance of the thing that you’re contributing to. And that creates a really interesting kind of feedback loop, because people naturally, when they’re allowed to build value alongside the developer, you know, they’re going to want to foster and grow that value as much as possible because it’s benefiting them directly. So, it’s kind of building this ecosystem that really benefits everyone, right? Exactly. And I think that’s something that is really kind of top of mind as more and more people come into the space and start to have a deeper understanding of Web3 and how it can be done right. Because something that we do see as well is that there are a lot of maybe traditional folks or traditional brands that maybe there wasn’t quite the right synergy and we’re still trying to figure it out in some ways, but it’s really how do you balance all these elements appropriately and create value for everyone involved. And a key element of that is making sure that the engagement is constantly fluid and dynamic and really responsive. And that, again, requires significant collaboration, making sure you have a really tight-knit community of your leaders within each space, your moderators within each space, and all those keys in place so you’re constantly monitoring and then responding accordingly. And that feedback loop is really something that we see not only produces some of the best results, but also keeps everyone really motivated and keeps everybody really engaged and enthusiastic about where we’re going next. Super appreciate you sharing all those insights on that. And so, I know we don’t have too much time here with you, so I just wanted to ask if there’s anything specifically that folks should keep their eyes or ears out for coming in the near future as far as what you guys are working on over at ArkReforge and Occupy, we would love to hear about just what’s coming down the pipeline. If you want to share any of those little bits, that’d be awesome. Absolutely. We’ve got some really exciting things. And one of the elements that I know is really key is that cross-collaboration that we spoke about earlier with other projects. So our partnership with Occupy White Walls, we’re expanding that significantly. And so there’s some really awesome elements that will come into our gameplay and the experience there that we’re doing. That partnership is really exciting. And with ArkReforge as a full ecosystem and our working play, you’ll see more opportunities for fan bases to come in and create experiences with us that you’ll see manifested in the world. So it’s really more of that leverage really incentivizing community-created contents, meet the project initiatives, and creating new ones. So I would say that be ready to experience new ways to create and really ways that players’ ownership and the digital asset economy is going to reflect and interact with our game environment. That’s awesome, man. Well, thank you so much for sharing all those insights and hope you have an awesome rest of your week and we’ll look forward to catching up again soon if you want to be back on here. So thanks again, Dre. Hey, thanks, y’all. Appreciate you having me and giving me this opportunity. Really excited to be part of this community. Awesome. Thanks, Dre. And, you know, I’ll also take this opportunity to kind of mention the efforts that we’re doing to take things a bit further in terms of the feedback loop. We’re working on some really interesting things. I’m not at full liberty to share all the ins and outs yet, but what we do want to do is to take community engagement to a whole new level. I’m really talking about the builders and developers and people that are looking at us something completely different. We’re creating these layers where talented individuals can come in and really enhance the gaming experience. We want this doorway to be open to people from all walks of life to really come in and add value. That’s kind of where you see the overlap between what Dre was talking about with Occupy White Walls. It’s not just about playing the game, it’s about contributing to these worlds and making them what you want them to be. I’ve spoken to some of you personally and there’s this hunger out there to have an impact, not just from enjoying the game, but from being part of building the environment and contributing creative input. That’s why I think the whole social layer, the social ecosystem, ecosystem and the social layer. But being incentivized to do that is such a great way to, like, take this all to the next level. You know, hate to keep throwing Pac Moon out there, but I think they’re also a community that is incentivizing people to do something they already want to do, which is create. Right. The creators want to create, you know, funny and fun stuff on social media. So incentivizing them to do that through that layer, airdrop layer, is a really interesting way to, like, really boost the amount of engagement that people are willing to participate in. So, love that you touched on that and, you know, layering that, then with a game as well, it’s just, it can be such a potent, you know, pair for a really engaged community. If done right, I’d love to hear from Ron. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Please shift. Jump back in there. Definitely. Just one thing I wanted to add is, because I think it’s really underrated, the level of, like, the dynamic that builds up between players. If within the game, they have a certain competitiveness amongst each other, and then they follow each other’s storylines, the layers get deeper. I’ve seen it multiple times where you get so invested in the social dynamics in this space. People love to talk about it. People love to share their stories, you know? And these narratives, they go beyond the game itself. It spills into everyday life. Definitely. Communities motivate each other to push boundaries. Challenges come up frequently, and I believe it’s what keeps the narrative rich and stirring. By including elements that focus on these dynamics, we’re platforming it to a different way to connect users in this rich web of stories they produce. This can’t be downplayed. It creates a new blend. Absolutely. I think that’s part of why the integration of decentralized systems continues to fascinate everyone. We frequently discuss user’s roles expanding into more autonomous zones in these projects, and how we can push those boundaries. And I believe we’re on the precipice of something major. Echoing those sentiments have been key motivators. Because you can feel it, you know? This desire to push boundaries and explore uncharted territories in the space. It’s palpable. Moving forward, can you let us know the timeline of some of these integrations and expansions? Some of these things I’m very curious to follow. A lot of different test phases are ongoing. We’ll be sharing more detailed roadmaps soon. Keep an eye out for the upcoming announcements. And the gamers out there are going to have fun, I can promise that. The new features expanding? Yep, really looking forward to those details. Appreciate you giving us a sneak peek. Looking ahead seems promising. We’ll have more granular updates on how that goes. With that being said, ladies and gentlemen, we are just a few minutes past the hour here. I have to get ready to shoot over to another space myself, but I want to thank you all again for joining us today. I also want to send some shout out love to some of our friends down in the crowd. I see Lavi, our brand lead down there. I see Casu, one of our leads over at space three here hanging with us, Ernie, Edward, Jamie, Uncle Jack, Valeria everybody. Thank you guys so much for coming and hanging and chatting with us here. As always, Sarah as well. Hi Sarah to you. Hope to see you guys back next week on Thursday. We will be running it back. As always, would love to have some of you return and give us some updates and look forward to catching also your updates in the timeline. With that being said guys, have an amazing day, an amazing evening wherever you’re tuning in from and we’ll catch you guys all on the next one. Take care.
