Play-to-earn retro games with Bitcoin (BTC) payouts may soon be a reality at bars, conferences, and meetups near you. According to a Feb. 12 tweet by Zebedee founder Christian Moss, the software is tentatively called “Bit-tendo.” The tweet included a video of someone playing Super Mario Bros. 3 on an old-school tube television. The TV displayed a QR code at startup, which asked for a Bitcoin payment. The game only started running once the payment was sent.
During gameplay, a “sats” counter was displayed that counted the number of satoshis the player had won as a reward. Satoshis, or sats, are Bitcoin’s smallest divisible unit, representing 0.00000001 BTC each. The display also showed a timer that counted down from 90 seconds to zero. When the timer went to zero, the game ended, and a new QR code was displayed. A statement at the bottom and top of the image implied that the player could use the QR code to withdraw their sats.
In the post, Moss said that the software will eventually “be a free retro game bitcoin infuser for bars, conferences, meet ups etc.” Cointelegraph reached out to Moss for an explanation of how the software works. He said that it runs on a PC or other device that is able to accept a video feed. The game itself is produced by a real Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) console, but the video is altered en route to show the sats counter and timer. The software tracks movements in the video feed to determine if the player has collected a coin and updates the sats counter each time a coin is collected.
Moss said that in order to fund the payout wallet, the bar or club needs to sign up for a custodial wallet with Zebedee or LNbits. The wallet is connected to the Lightning Network in order to enable low transaction fees and fast payments. The Zebedee app is available on the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store. Screenshots reveal that it has a “top up” (deposit) and “cash out” (withdrawal) function that can be accessed after the user completes a Know Your Customer verification process.
Moss also explained how he came up with the idea for “Bit-tendo.” He said that he tried to get people interested in Bitcoin play-to-earn games at Bitcoin conferences but found that participants preferred to play games they already knew rather than “in-house” designed games. Moss said he hopes to make the software work with any game, not just Super Mario Bros. 3: “I want to also let the user be able to train the software to recognize events in any game they may have, ultimately making it game-agnostic.”
In his tweet showing off the software, Moss states that he would integrate Sonic The Hedgehog 2 with it if the post got 200 retweets, which it has since received. Moss has been an innovator in the blockchain gaming space since its inception. In 2014, he created Sarutobi, a game that allowed players to collect Bitcoin by controlling a monkey that swung across a jungle landscape. Because it predated the release of EverdreamSoft’s Spells of Genesis beta by approximately one year, Moss’ Sarutobi is considered by some to have been the first blockchain game.
The idea of play-to-earn retro games with Bitcoin payouts is an exciting one, and it could revolutionize the way people interact with cryptocurrency. If the software is successful, it could open the door for more innovative ways to use Bitcoin for gaming. It could also provide users with a fun and easy way to earn Bitcoin, as well as a way for businesses to attract more customers.
The potential applications of this technology are vast. It could be used to create tournaments or leagues that offer Bitcoin rewards. It could also be used to create mini-games that users can play to earn Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. Additionally, businesses could use it to attract customers by offering Bitcoin rewards for playing their games.
The possibilities are endless, and it will be exciting to see how this technology develops in the coming years. If it is successful, it could be the beginning of a new wave of gaming that is powered by Bitcoin. It could revolutionize the way people interact with cryptocurrency and open up new avenues for earning and spending it.
