Kurt Wuckert Jr. introduced this week’s CoinGeek Weekly Livestream guest as a “quiet legend in Bitcoin.” Miles leads Champions TCG, formerly known as CoOM Battles, and plans to become the number one trading card game in the world while utilizing the BSV blockchain as plumbing. Learn more about the project and Miles’ exciting plans for the future on episode 34 of the CoinGeek Weekly Livestream.
Miles’ Bitcoin story
Wuckert always asks the guests what their Bitcoin story is—how did they get into blockchain and Bitcoin specifically?
Miles says he got in back when there was only Bitcoin and Ethereum. He mined a lot of Ethereum in the early days and sold it when it was $300 for a bunch of BSV. That hasn’t been a profitable trade, but he’s working on some of the coolest stuff in the BSV blockchain, so there’s always a silver lining.
In the real world, Miles owns a taco and pizza shop and is the leader of Champions TCG. In this episode, he paints his vision for both the short and long-term time horizons.
The potential of trading card games on BSV blockchain
Wuckert says that, even though he isn’t a gamer, he got sucked in and played Champions TCG for over an hour.
Miles nods knowingly and says it’s a serious business. There are over 100 million active monthly players of trading card games, and they tend to play more than one. They also have disposable income since they’re not the type to be out at clubs and bars wasting cash, so there’s potential to build a serious business around these games.
What is it like designing a game like this? Miles says it took months of work and is still imperfect. Thankfully, there’s an understanding among players of trading card games that they won’t always be perfect.
He says Champions TCG is a strategy game that requires players to be seriously alert, and it “gets the heart pounding,” which is why it’s so addictive. One of the top Hearthstone players in the world is leading the vision, so this isn’t some amateur, fly-by-night project. This game is here to stay and has a multi-year vision and marketing strategy.
Miles says they want to encourage players to use the cards. While some players do collect them, and one even shot up in value to just below $5,000, holding them kills the game. They should be used, and they must be affordable. Of course, trading them between players is OK and is even essential.
Is it just a trading card game, or is it truly different?
Miles says the BSV blockchain provides a lot of value. If a trading card game is to become massive, the blockchain the cards are tokenized on must be scalable. For example, Pokemon has six billion cards, so fees have to be fractions of a cent.
As part of the marketing strategy, the team is approaching physical game stores and offering them a profit share on the buying and selling cards. They can get royalties on the packs of cards sold in their store in perpetuity—even when the cards are resold. This is exciting for stores because some cards can become extremely valuable. Of course, this is only possible thanks to the BSV blockchain.
Brett Banfe joins the livestream
Brett Banfe from HandCash joins the stream at this stage. He works on the infrastructure from the HandCash side. He emphasizes that all of this is only possible on the BSV blockchain.
Banfe is working directly with Miles on the marketing strategy. He says that, for now, it isn’t about the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It’s about putting in the work to build a great game.
Viewer questions about Champions TCG
Q. How important are graphics? How are they designed?
Miles answers that AI is used, and the person responsible for using it is top-notch. He says it’s not easy to just whip up something that looks this good using AI. It takes great skill.
Q. Is the team planning to go to other trading card game tournaments?
No, Miles says. However, they have two Hall of Famers on the team, and they’re listening to their advice and taking it in. Some of the big guys are making serious mistakes, and they plan to offer a superior product that remedies them by listening to the advice of these world-class players.
To hear more about Champions TCG million-card mint on the BSV blockchain, Miles’ thoughts on COPA v Wright, and the potential for miners to switch their hash power to BSV after the next halving, listen to the live stream via the link above!
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