Self-described internet warlord Derek Smart posted a blog earlier this spring. No, it’s not about Line of Defense; the last word about that game was last year. No, it’s not about Alganon either; word on that has also been silent as of last year even as Smart promised a relaunch this year. What this blog is about, then, is his personal blockchain project, the ACE Platform.
Summarizing ACE as an “all chain engagement platform” and a “rewards-driven online virtual world hub” designed to retain users, Smart says the goal is to grant users rewards for doing things like connecting external accounts to the platform, engaging in activities in its online social world, and playing ACE-compliant games. “The platform was designed first and foremost to be a virtual town hall of engagement opportunities in which all technologies are seamlessly integrated and abstracted,” the site claims. “Just have fun with your friends and we’ll take care of the rest.”
The site’s video link button is also literally a rickroll, so there’s that.
Smart’s blog post about ACE effectively claims the platform is an answer to several problems with Web3 and blockchain gaming, all of which he says he predicted years before things started to collapse in the P2E and crypto gaming spheres. Even so, he’s apparently very deeply committed to blockchain tech overall and celebrates a partnership that doesn’t require minting a new token.
“I have always felt that the end result of doing a token would put my project right where we are today in Web3 whereby gaming tokens — all of them, no exceptions — were designed to line the pockets of those who benefited the most, while leaving an otherwise engaged community holding the proverbial empty bag and likely with nothing to show for their engagement or funding.”
As for ACE itself, an offered explainer PDF appears to be aimed at investors, though it also points out that it’s “a massively multiplayer online world” and “not a game.” And that probably isn’t by mistake, as the close of Smart’s blog appears to suggest this is his last swing at the games industry.
“Those of us in Web3 gaming are well aware that things aren’t working, but few seem to want to buck the status quo trend because the road less traveled isn’t for the feint at heart; it’s for pioneers and those who dare to defy,” Smart concludes. “And so, here I am, once again at the cusp of one of my greatest challenges, and what I believe to be my last hoorah, if you will.”
