Polygon’s Director of Technology, Brian Trunzo, sees NFT’s future applications expanding even further. These include fashion and gaming. Brian Trunzo, Polygon Studios’ lead metaverse, spoke to Decrypt during Chainlink SmartCon 2022. He also discussed the future uses of NFTs, Web3 technology and how gamers will accept them.
It was profile photos and artwork that have dominated headlines in the NFT space’s early years. As the market changes and the immersive future web of the becomes more accessible, will tokenized images still be the most prominent use for NFTs in the future?
Trunzo believes that the technology’s skeptics are influenced by a limited knowledge of Web3 and that there will be a wider range of NFT applications in the future. According to him, Web3 is what the mainstream media describes as right-click-save JPEGs. This is an investmentable asset class, which is not the future for Web3 or NFTs.
An NFT can be used as proof of ownership of an item, it can be used to represent digital items such as artwork and profile pictures. However, it can also serve as a proof of ownership for any item.
Polygon Studios is a collaboration between creators and companies who are working on Polygon.
This sidechain scaling network for Ethereum and the top blockchain to support NFTs and decentralized applications, is used by Polygon Studios. Trunzo is the metaverse leader and works with his team to create technology that supports immersive apps and NFT-powered experiences.
He cited Starbucks’ recent NFT Announcement as an example of how assets are being used as technology layers rather than as an asset class. Starbucks will use Polygon for customers to receive NFT stamps and to sell premium NFTs. All of this can give customers real-world perks, experiences, and a lot more.
He explained that Web2 would be measured in engagement. Web3 would then be measured in brand immersion and gamification.
Starbucks’s program will not be a game-like, 3D metaverse Decentraland, or Sandbox. However, the NFT-powered program was designed to engage users in both digital and physical spaces.
This type of Web3 gaming is an opportunity Trunzo sees as one of the most significant in the space. Trunzo, who co-founded the r menswear brands previously, stated that metaverse fashion will appeal to users’ desire for self-expression as well as vanity and a desire to showcase virtual “flexes.”
Trunzo, however, is a proponent of NFTs in the realm of true video games. Many gamers aren’t excited about NFTs. This is partly due to speculation and scams, but also because they believe that publishers and creators will exploit them to extract more value from their players.
Trunzo believes that despite the stigma, there will be a “genie in the bottle” moment in which more people embrace NFTs in gaming. Trunzo believes that players will be more empowered to take control of their progress and unlock benefits through NFT assets, which can be sold or transferred to other games.
He doesn’t think all future video games will be using NFTs, however. Some games might live entirely on-chain while others may not need NFTs. Others could be somewhere in the middle with limited or no Web3 functionality.
