Building a Web3 ‘Homeland’: Alan Tan on MetaCene’s Decentralized Future for Gamers

MetaCene’s Alan Tan discusses the game’s innovative approach to Web3 gaming, from player-owned servers and NFT-driven economies to achieving true mass adoption in a decentralized digital landscape.

As blockchain strives to establish a gateway from Web2 to Web3 through the gaming industry, developers are pushing beyond the traditional boundaries of game design and player engagement. Among them is Alan Tan, who is spearheading a blockchain-based MMORPG built around community-driven gameplay, asset ownership, and decentralized governance as the co-founder and CEO of MetaCene. 

Drawing on his two decades of experience in leading games, Tan is reimagining the MMORPG model for a Web3 audience by blending blockchain with deep social dynamics and vibrant player economies.

MetaCene’s innovation is underpinned by ServerFi, a first-of-its-kind decentralized server model, and the MAK token, which serves as the ecosystem’s economic core. Through NFTs like the Apostle and Realms assets, players in MetaCene gain real ownership over in-game resources and the ability to influence the world around them. 

In this interview, Alan Tan dives into achieving true mass adoption, how the platform addresses the challenges of Web3 gaming, and his vision for the future of blockchain in the industry.

With MetaCene’s goal of achieving true mass adoption, what are some of the key challenges you see for Web3 gaming, and how does your platform address them?

Alan Tan: The current blockchain games on the market have yet to truly realize mass adoption, and MetaCene addresses these pain points with solutions that are highly applicable to both traditional and Web3 gaming sectors:

• Digital asset ownership: MetaCene grants its players true asset ownership and high freedom to trade, promoting fairness, player community stickiness and willingness to consume and transact.

Represented by our second NFT collection, MetaCene Treasure Box, which is also the first product of MetaCene’s DeFi product suite, we are working on a comprehensive system that facilitates smoother trading experience and asset management within the game’s scope. Our goal is to avoid the inconvenience of traditional in-game asset transactions, mitigate the risk of black box asset manipulation, and strengthen trust among players.

• Decentralization: MetaCene’s ServerFi and Realms system is designed to utilize all the benefits private servers present while mitigating against centralization concerns. Meanwhile, our underlying server management protocol and transparent decentralized distribution network effectively reduce the cost of private game servers. 

Through holding Realms NFT, players and guilds can participate in MetaCene’s server building, governance and revenue sharing, making them an integral part of MetaCene’s operation and publication while enriching the game’s ecosystem.

• Incentivized engagement: MetaCene offers high-quality game content and a Web3 economic system that perfectly complements it, underpinning the intrinsic value and future appreciation of its diverse assets and rewarding continuous engagement and contribution.
  

• Blockchain gaming that is not intimidating: MetaCene is equipped with intuitive, Web2-friendly tools to streamline the onboarding process for all players, with or without crypto/blockchain knowledge. Social login, effortless AA wallet generation, and opt-in Web3 experience as an option — a few examples of how MetaCene is built to be mainstream-ready.

What role do NFTs play in MetaCene’s ecosystem, particularly regarding assets like Apostle and Realms? How do these NFTs contribute to the game’s social and economic structure?

Alan Tan: NFTs are the integral value vessels in the MetaCene ecosystem. They stand as symbols of community membership, and we design the game to ensure the value of assets in the hands of our players is accurately reflected in both utility and face value. 

We categorized our NFTs into two genres: in-game ones like mining machines, skins, and weapons, and ecosystem NFTs that represent higher privilege. We see that with the gradual increase of Web2 players in the game, the demand for in-game NFT equipment and weapons will also go up, and that’s an opportunity we are excited about.

The categorical design is to serve players with diverse needs and levels of commitment. Some players enjoy exploring the map and following the main storyline for a more idle experience, while some enjoy high-stake PVPs that require more advanced equipment but also yield greater returns. In Web3, NFTs go beyond mere in-game assets and are, in a way, how you guide players to engage with the game. 

Regarding ecosystem NFTs, represented by Apostle NFTs, Treasure Box and Realms, they empower holders with more long-term, distinguished benefits. Treasure Box, a stake-to-earn generative asset, is designed for broader ecosystem participants contributing to the MetaCene NFTFi system.

The genesis collection Apostle is the most prestigious asset for our diehard fans, with in-game privileges, player-journey acceleration, ecosystem priorities, and MetaCene token rewards. With every new version and ecosystem upgrade, we add to the utility of these core assets, making sure we are creating maximum value for our players and holders. 

In terms of decentralization, MetaCene’s Realms system promises a governance structure involving players and guilds. How does this system work, and what benefits does it bring to both the players and the game’s ecosystem?

Alan Tan: With a long-term vision of creating a virtual homeland for global players, the MetaCene team will launch Realms NFT to build an immersive virtual oasis and foster ecosystem diversity and interactivity.

Realms will represent fractionalized ownership over these servers, unlocking various tools and features to lower the technical barriers for UGC-inclined holders and offering governance, exclusive rights, and a share in the revenue generated from the corresponding server.

A single entity, either a whale player or a guild, could purchase the majority ownership of a server and create and monetize in it. This opens up a lot of opportunities for brands, creators, and organizations with the aim of creating a player-owned economy. We envision Realms servers as a key growth driver and vitality injector for the MetaCene ecosystem. 

What is the MAK token, and how does it drive MetaCene’s in-game economy and governance?

Alan Tan: MAK is the core governance token of MetaCene and a foundational asset in our ecosystem. It’s designed with a range of utilities and ways to engage, including staking, purchasing, facilitating transactions, and enhancing play-to-earn opportunities. MAK’s functionality extends to cross-asset value unlocking, ecosystem participation rights, and much more. Currently listed and trading on major exchanges, MAK supported a daily trading volume of $2 million and a community of 22,000 holders in our recent Gold Rush Season.

MAK’s integration across MetaCene’s asset network connects it directly to other on-chain assets, broadening how players can engage and capture value. For instance, staking a Treasure Box can yield MAK tokens, and spending MAK tokens boosts returns within the Realms server network, adding incentives for players who engage deeper within the economy.

During the Gold Rush Season, which ended with over 1.87 million in-game transactions, we’ve continued to grow and expand MAK’s roles across the ecosystem. Each update allows us to increase its utility and ensure players can benefit from active participation in MetaCene’s world.

Looking at the gaming industry, where do you see blockchain gaming fitting in over the next five years? What needs to happen for the mass adoption of blockchain-based games to become a reality?

Alan Tan: Fun first. Distribution is key — understanding the mentality of both traditional gamers and Web3 native users and helping them find balance in your game. Off the Grid set a great example for all Web3 gaming builders in attracting Web2 attention. To truly achieve mass adoption, Web3 games need to balance short-term profitability with long-term development.

By going on Steam to increase discoverability, inviting Web2 streamers to try the game and create an organic word-of-mouth effect, and focusing on fine-tuning the product itself, Off the Grid went out of the typical comfort zone for Web3 games. This should be a more widely adopted approach in the blockchain game industry; I think recreating familiar patterns that will resonate with Web2 user behavior is a hack for Web3 games. The messenger app mini-game trend is another example of this.

Conclusion

MetaCene is setting the stage for Web3 gaming’s next chapter, one where players have both ownership and influence. With Tan’s vision and a foundation built on decentralization and player-centric economies, MetaCene has the potential to become the template for blockchain gaming’s future.