In an exclusive interview, Sebastien Guillemot, co-founder of Paima Studios and dcSpark, shared his vision of the web3 gaming industry, exploring the intersection of blockchain technology and gaming, and discussing the evolution of gaming in the decentralized era.

Guillemot highlighted the potential of layer 2 (L2) solutions in unlocking innovation and enabling the creation of new environments without being limited to the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). He noted that use cases like gaming, which depend less on institutional-level liquidity, are poised to thrive in this environment, leading to the pioneering of gaming L2 technology at Paima Studios.

Currently, most web3 games operate in a web2.5 world, using a mix of centralized servers and web3 environments for the tradability of in-game assets. While this setup has been commercially successful, Guillemot emphasized that fully decentralized games are quickly growing in interest as a way to fully embrace the benefits of web3, such as composition, ownership, and community involvement.

Paima Studios, founded two years ago, focuses on building fully decentralized games and a modular gaming rollup framework, enabling others to develop similar games. The studio has deployed multiple games to mainnet using their technology, such as the onchain RPG game Tarochi, and several other companies are leveraging their software for their development.

Guillemot also discussed the role of dcSpark, a crypto ecosystem developer, in creating ecosystems in the crypto space. He sees games as a key driver of initial use cases for cutting-edge software, such as zero-knowledge cryptography (ZK), and highlighted the collaboration between Paima Engine and Zeko, a ZK rollup framework, to support gaming use cases.

When asked about bridging the gap between blockchain technology and gaming, Guillemot emphasized the importance of iterating quickly based on user feedback and actively communicating with the community. He stressed that transparency in the building process is key, as people understand the complexity of web3 games and are excited about the technology.

Web3 games offer unique opportunities for both players and developers, such as the ability to trade in-game assets, have a voice in the game's direction, and be financially rewarded for contributions. Guillemot believes that web3 games can allow open-source games to thrive where web2 games have failed due to the natural centralization around a core team.

While not required, Guillemot sees the integration of web3 games with virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) as a desirable end goal, particularly for games with social interactions at their core. He also highlighted the advantages of web3 authentication for compatibility and cross-platform integration between different gaming platforms and web3 services.

Looking ahead, Guillemot identified zero-knowledge cryptography as the current main trend for gaming, with many projects realizing that gaming is one of the main drivers of interest in ZK platforms. He advised aspiring entrepreneurs and developers to get involved in the decentralized gaming space, as it is a great time to iterate on proof-of-concepts and hackathons, with room for commercial projects to enter as early adopters.

As the web3 gaming industry continues to evolve, the insights shared by Sebastien Guillemot provide a valuable perspective on the potential of decentralized gaming and the opportunities it presents for players, developers, and the broader crypto ecosystem. With the convergence of blockchain technology and gaming, a new era of immersive, community-driven, and financially rewarding gaming experiences is on the horizon.