Hi everyone! Smoothbrain here. Super excited about Gamestop Playr, which is still mostly under wraps. The most information we’ve gotten about it is from a trademark filing, which leaves much to be desired about what this thing can actually do.

I got curious, I wanted to better understand its potential for an apparent all-in-one platform. So I had Chat GPT+internet broswing search the trademark filing to create a story of what Playr could theoretically look like.

**Quick Note: This story is a work of fiction, please don’t take it as financial advise, or advise of any kind. **

Here’s the prompt I used:

Search online for the trademark filing for Gamestop PLAYR. Please use that information to construct a short story about a gamer using PLAYR. Talk more about the experience of someone using it, try not to make it sound like an ad. I want to use this short story to better understand how PLAYR could be useful for a gamer like me.

And here’s the response:

Based on the information from the trademark filing, GameStop’s PLAYR appears to be a comprehensive platform for gaming and e-sports. It includes a wide array of features such as:

-Downloadable computer software for multiplayer and collaborative gaming, e-sports, and broadcasting of digital media content for gaming.

-Streaming of gaming and e-sports content.

-Providing online games and a website portal for users to play computer and electronic games, share game enhancements and strategies, and participate in tournaments and competitions.

-Platform as a service (PAAS) featuring computer software for online, multiplayer gaming.

-Web 3 gaming and marketplace where players can view, sell, and purchase digital assets that are used in the playing of various video games.

-Providing temporary use of non-downloadable software for viewing, selling, and purchasing digital assets, including non-fungible tokens (NFTs)​.

Let’s now use this information to create a short story about a gamer’s experience using PLAYR.

Sam, an avid gamer, had been hearing about GameStop’s PLAYR all over the internet. He decided to give it a try and downloaded the software onto his gaming PC. The logo, a stylized “PLAYR” in a rectangle, popped up on his screen, followed by a sleek, user-friendly interface.

He found himself immersed in a world of multiplayer games, e-sports competitions, and a thriving community of like-minded individuals. The software offered him a diverse library of games, from action-packed shooters to immersive role-playing games. He enjoyed the seamless experience of accessing, viewing, and playing these games all from one platform.

One day, Sam discovered a new feature on PLAYR - a portal for sharing game enhancements and strategies. He decided to contribute, uploading a guide on how to tackle a particularly tricky boss in his current favorite game. To his delight, his post was well received by the community, with many thanking him for his insights and even inviting him to join their gaming teams.

As time passed, Sam grew more interested in e-sports. PLAYR provided him with access to streams of top-level e-sports content, and he found himself learning from the pros, picking up strategies, and improving his gameplay. He even entered a few PLAYR-hosted tournaments, experiencing the thrill of competition firsthand.

Sam’s adventure with PLAYR didn’t stop there. He was fascinated by the platform’s digital assets marketplace. This was a new world for him, a blend of gaming and blockchain technology. He began to buy, sell, and trade digital assets used in his favorite games. He also got into non-fungible tokens (NFTs), digital assets that were unique and had value. He bought an NFT of a limited-edition in-game item and proudly displayed it on his PLAYR profile.

PLAYR became a staple of Sam’s gaming life, transforming not only how he played games but also how he interacted with the gaming community. It gave him a platform to share, learn, compete, and even trade. It wasn’t just a software; it was a complete ecosystem that catered to his love for gaming.

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  • @ChivesMAEnglish
    6•1 year ago

    Exciting to think about the possibilities here. GameStop has a first mover style advantage in so much of the gaming web3 space - I feel their main limitation is ambition! Can’t wait to see how accurate this short story is.

    • Rickety ThuddsEnglish
      8•1 year ago

      They’re actually second movers, which is better in some ways. Check out “robot cache”. They were making a splash very coincidentally (not coincidentally imo) right around when RC Ventures sent that fateful letter to GameStop. They had the real first move, and they’re barely hanging in there as far as I can tell. They’re a, tick the boxes with me:

      ✔️ gaming platform that

      ✔️ sells games as tradeable NFTs, and has their

      ✔️ own cryptocurrency, but lacked

      ❌ zero knowledge roll-ups for low gas

      ❌ Layer 2 and 3

      ❌ Their own wallet

      ❌ Brand recognition

      ❌ Deep ties in the industry

      ❌ Social media buzz

      We’re second movers. Every time I mention this elsewhere it goes largely unnoticed. I have no idea why nobody else connects these dots.

      • @gorillonaire2OPEnglish
        4•1 year ago

        Thanks for this! Had no idea there was already a platform for buying/selling digital games.

        I’m not sure it’s a 1:1 comparison because it’s missing a few key things like in-game collectibles and streaming (unless I missed it). I do see your point about Gamestop being a second mover, it sort of reminds me of pets.com/chewy and how chewy benefitted from new technologies (iphone apps, cheaper website deployment, refined dropshipping strategies, etc.)

        • Rickety ThuddsEnglish
          4•1 year ago

          Exactly so. For robot cache, it was a good idea whose time had not yet come.

          To judge the sentiment against NFTs among the terminally online at large its time still has not quite come, but I think we’ve backed a horse that can win other races as well as this one, so I like my odds.