Beyond Splinterlands - What If There Was Even More?

In the past I've written a couple of posts about Splinterlands tactics, my favorite monsters' abilities, and the game's financial aspect. This time I decided to do something different.

What if Splinterlands would become something even more than a blockchain game?

This is just me fantasizing but hang in there, what if it would expand in the future becoming a franchise with graphic novels or animated series? When this idea first popped into my mind I thought it was pretty far-fetched but think about it! There is so much more depth in Splinterlands backstories than in most blockchain games or in regular games.

True Value

I think people on web3 sometimes tend to neglect the stories and artwork of blockchain games. I admit I'm one of them. I do my research on tokenomics and read whitepapers and roadmaps but like many, I usually consider the artwork and the game world quite irrelevant when I have those laser eyes. It shouldn't be like that at all.

If we'd like to attract people outside the crypto sphere into a certain project we should understand that they'd still value NFTs as art for example. If a person new to crypto should choose between two p2e games, I'd bet they'd choose the one with better artwork and a more interesting story. I don't think that web3 can change the impact of first impressions.

Stories

Ever stopped to wonder and appreciate the artwork of a Splinterlands card? Yeah, me too. Sometimes when I sink into my thoughts thinking about a market buy I might find myself staring at a single card. Actually, in my opinion, quite many of the Splinterlands cards have some strange appeal to them.

When reading the backstory, or lore, of the monsters they usually become even more intriguing. There are all sorts of story pieces behind the cards. Some are longer and some are shorter leaving more room for your imagination. Some of the stories can be brutal and violent while some are pretty funny.

When the Horny Toad puffs up and fills itself with air, razor-sharp spines protrude in every direction from its body. This amazing defense helps make sure the toads are not eaten as snacks. They also urinate uncontrollably when frightened, an attribute repulsive enough to save their lives quite frequently.

Beyond Gaming

Doom, Tomb Raider, even Angry Birds. Lots of gaming franchises have been made into movies throughout the years.

Remember the mobile strategy game Clash Of Clans? Some time ago they sent me an email about a graphic novel they were about to publish. Based on the few pages I got a glimpse of it seemed to be made for younger audiences. What they are doing here is reaching a much wider group, going for the grand prize - the mainstream audience.

What if Splinterlands did the same?

This is where I'd choose a different path. For Splinterlands this would mean cutting down some of the most violent stuff.

Its lips were tattered and bloody. It was Grewa's blood. It had torn her open and was feasting on her guts. And she... she was still moving. She let out a little whimper.

Every monster is always feasting on someone's guts...but that's a good thing!

Staying true to the Lore with all the gore would potentially reach the audience already reading Japanese manga and other more violent graphic novels such as Hardboiled. There would be a real cult status to be achieved in this sector!

...And Beyond

Why stop there? Since we are thinking big, the next logical step would be a tv-series, or nowadays a series for streaming platforms. As I mentioned, many games turned into movies. Splinterlands is a vast world with so many characters. Because of that, I'd think that a structure with episodes and storylines not necessarily connected to each other would be just right for Splinterlands. It would allow the development of already interesting storylines but also bring in new characters.

The Right Target

Stepping outside of the crypto sphere for a while could potentially have a huge impact on not only Splinterlands but on Hive and the whole crypto as well.

Let's face it. The target audience, people who read comics like manga and watch sci-fi and fantasy shows are nerds just like you and me. The bar for them to get into the crypto space shouldn't be that high. They would probably find their way into the game through other channels and traditional marketing wouldn't be required.

After they are hooked on the world of Splinterlands and hungry for more they'd get excited when finding even more stories and characters in the game. While they are feasting on that, there's a big chance for Splinterlands to gain new active players.

Coming To Life

This creature here on the right is Night Ghoul. I really doubt he will be making any compromises and neither should Splinterlands.

Yuri lay still, pretending to be dead, and when the thing was done and it had slaughtered every other member of the night watch, it hunkered down on its haunches, its back to Yuri, and feasted on the bloody mess.

Splinterlands stories are great and it would be fantastic to see them coming to life in a form of a graphic novel or/and a series, targeting an audience beyond the ones already playing the game.

There are millions of nerdy people waiting for a franchise like this. Splinterlands already has the base covered with interesting backstories. Why not expand beyond the land and the whole crypto space?

Conclusion

Perhaps these kinds of ideas and visions have been tossed around in forums before but all I can say is I have huge respect for the artists who created the stories and images. Would love to see them come to life in a different form and reach a wider audience in the future.

Probably some die-hard Star Wars fans will disagree with me but I feel that Splinterlands world could easily be compared to that. Both have a much deeper storyline than first meets the eye and lots of things and creatures bubbling under.

I can always explain to my no-coiner, Sandman-reading friend that yeah, it's a really cool game with all this and that happening... but to give a graphic novel to his hand is a different thing. Sneakily giving him time to sink deep into that world is the best kinda guerilla marketing.

Thank you for reading!