Founder of Xiroverse, Roshan George Shares Insights on the future of Gaming, Web3 and the Metaverse

With the onset of Web 3.0 and evolution of the Metaverse, the internet as we know it is changing. In a joint report published by Boston Consulting Group, Bitget and Foresight Ventures, researchers projected 1 billion users to hold cryptocurrencies by 2030. With plenty of room for growth, Web3 is attracting serious attention from venture capitalists and major corporations. A report from Verified Market Research predicted the NFT (non-fungible token) industry’s value to be $231 billion by 2032. A separate report from McKinsey & Company and Citi Bank reported that the Metaverse could be valued at $5 - $13 trillion by 2030. The Web3 industry is quickly evolving from PFP (profile picture) projects to more robust use cases that are adding digital, and real-world utility to users. Organisations like Xiroverse, are starting to integrate blockchain technology to give people ownership over their digital assets and allowing them easy access to the Metaverse. We spoke with Roshan George, founder of Xiroverse, to give us his insights into the new era of the Metaverse and gaming. 

How is the gaming industry evolving (including Web 3.0, the Metaverse, and the NFTs)? 

“Gamers are almost always first-movers when it comes to advancements in technology. Web3 and the Metaverse has enabled people to think of gaming a little differently. It’s given people the ability to claim total ownership of their digital identity and online persona. Unfortunately most Web3 games out there are boring, unentertaining games, drawing people in with a false promise of “Play-to-Earn.” Don’t get me wrong, it is certainly possible to earn some money playing NFT games, but once the hype dies, a lot of these games lose their initial value, leaving people holding JPEGs and PNGs with almost no value. But that’s starting to change slowly as gaming studios are realising the benefits of giving their gamers digital ownership of in-game assets, and are now starting to focus on building games that are actually entertaining to play! The industry is slowly evolving into a decentralised future with open Metaverses, where people will be able to socialise, play games and hangout with friends and family in a digital universe of their choosing and also own their digital assets.” 

What are the biggest challenges Xiroverse faces? 

“One of the biggest challenges we face is, how do we onboard more people into using blockchain technology? As it stands, there are multiple barriers to entry in the entire Web3 and Metaverse space. First users need to download a wallet, then they need to convert fiat money (USD/ GBP/ INR, etc) into cryptocurrency, and users also have to pay gas-fees for every transaction between ten dollars to hundreds of dollars. People are used to a free internet, and I think it's ridiculous to start charging them now! Current Web3 has an upfront cost, it’s almost like asking people to pay hundreds of dollars to access a website. In today’s world, that sounds ridiculous to us. So, Xiroverse is building an ecosystem that’s free to access and easy to sign up to. It’ll be as easy as creating a new social media account. We’ll take care of all the backend functions by creating a wallet, and even allocating some tokens into it to get people started. The goal is to introduce people to Web3 and the Metaverse via gaming, by changing the game from a 6-8 step process to a 1 step process. And we’re not trying to reinvent the wheel at first, we want people to play the games they already love playing for free, with the opportunity of earning tokens at no cost, to trade in for rewards as and when they please. Gamers will be able to collaborate, chat, organise and host tournaments and live streams on our platform too!” 

How does Xiroverse stand out from other Web 3.0 gaming and Metaverse platforms? 

“We’re not just a gaming platform. Gaming is only one small component to what Xiroverse will eventually be. The reason we’re starting with gaming is because we want to do our part in pushing the needle forward and contribute to adopting the next billion users to Web3 and the Metaverse, and gaming allows us to deliver value by entertaining people. Xiroverse will become a lot more than just a gaming platform, it’ll be an ecosystem, a “digi-verse" of sorts, where people will be able to engage with their community, socialise with friends and family, play, explore, and discover digital worlds. To us, the Metaverse is the future of the internet, how we socialise with our friends and family and interact with the real world in the near future. And we want to build it all with a strong community, allowing them to decide how the project progresses.`` 

Once the platform kicks off, what are your plans moving forward? 

“[Laughs]... Yea, we are allowed to dream, but first things first, eh? After we launch our Web3 gaming app and marketplace, hopefully before the winter of 2022, Xiroverse will act as a launchpad for gaming studios to build and share their creativity, by building the technological infrastructure to making the world of Web3 more accessible to them and easily migrate Web2 games to Web3 and the Metaverse. We then want to establish a marketplace where people can access digital assets (NFTs), and real-world rewards to enhance their gaming experience. Xiroverse will essentially bring the internet as we know it to Web3 and the Metaverse, by providing the infrastructure for content creators and game developers. We will eventually be a one-stop-shop for all things related to Web3 and the Metaverse, by building a totally immersive experience where people can do as they please with the technology available to them.“ 

What’s your background and how does it help Xiroverse? 

I am a serial entrepreneur, having exited two of my previous startups. I’ve also invested in 8 FinTech and Gaming startups in the UK and EU, which have raised multi-million dollar investments and are all very successful. With over 20 years of experience as an applied technologist and business strategist, I have rolled out emerging technology such as Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain within multi-billion dollar corporations, various Investment Banks, and Asset Managers. I have now turned my attention to Blockchain Technology, digital assets, decentralisation, gaming and the Metaverse by starting Xiroverse with a great and growing team to back me up. 

What was your inspiration behind Xiroverse and how did it come to life?  

“Creators are emerging with unique and fascinating ideas to enhance how we experience the internet, and I’ve always wanted to contribute in some way. To be frank, I’m not a very creative person, I’m more of a strategy and numbers guy, and I would love to get a little closer to my creative side. I guess, the inspiration was to be one of the first-movers in a space I really see immense potential in, by putting in the leg work and creating an ecosystem for creators, gamers, and artists to be able to access and leverage at no cost. That’s why our name is pronounced “Zero,” because we want to remove all barriers to entry into the Web3 and the Metaverse space. The entire team at Xiroverse, shares a vision to foster a diverse and vibrant community that will allow people to collaborate and organise events of their choosing. We understand we will be nothing without a community, and although we might not be able to please everybody, we really want to give people what they want.” 

The transformation from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0 and onwards to an open Metaverse, seems to be inevitable and organisations like Xiroverse are putting their unique ideas into effect to carve out their own niche space within the multi-trillion dollar market. One of the biggest challenges for Xiroverse will be to find a way to adapt to this forever changing industry and leave its mark on the growing market. How users interact with the internet is evolving , with more money pouring into the industry, it’s only a matter of time till established organisations, and new ones, find their way into the next generation of the internet and redefine how the 5 billion+ internet users adopt a more immersive Metaverse experience. 

For more information, Visit : https://www.xiroverse.com/