On today's episode of Empire, Jason Yanowitz and Santiago Roel Santos are joined by gaming expert Brooks Brown, co-founder of the PlayFi platform NOR. Brooks has an encyclopedic knowledge of gaming and has worked with studios such as Universal Pictures, Lucas Arts (Starwars), and James Cameron's Avatar.

We discuss the intricacies of world-building, what P2E games get wrong, how financialization shapes game design, NFTs, and the significance of permadeath in Nor. This is a masterclass on the confluence of gaming, finance and Web3.

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Follow me and Santiago on Twitter, @JasonYanowitz and @santiagoroel; let us know what you thought of the show!

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Timestamps

(00:00) Introduction

(01:36) What Makes A Good Game?

(05:11) Open vs Closed Games

(14:41) Improving Is The Human Condition

(19:19) The Evolution of Gaming

(25:18) How Money Shapes Our Games

(29:17) The Two Magic Circles

(33:13) Access Drives Adoption

(35:58) Building Nor In Layers

(39:56) Cohesive Gameplay and Composability

(44:35) What Is The Metaverse?

(48:50) Sponsor Segment

(49:58) Are Games Meant For Escaping Reality?

(53:53) NFTs and Building In The Digital Space

(01:00:46) The Value of Permadeath

(01:10:03) Blockchains Enable Unique Contribution

(01:13:57) Most P2E Games Are Just Jobs

(01:19:28) Adding Scarcity To Games

(01:22:47) Defi vs Gaming

(01:25:45) Closing Thoughts

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Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.