Seattle-based startup Cryptogogue unveiled today a collectible card game called “Volition“ that seeks to recreate the industry with blockchain technology.

With this implementation, it will be possible for people to print their own cards while keeping those cards collectible using the digital ledger. Game cards produced on the “Volition” platform will be digital assets rewarded on the game’s own proprietary blockchain by “miners,” or people who secure the blockchain by verifying transactions.

Like a traditional CCG, miners will receive packs of digital cards called “booster packs” that can then be traded to other people or opened to reveal the cards in the pack, which in turn can be individually traded. Booster packs can also be sold by retailers with a printed Quick Response code on a folded card or a scratch-off.

Because the cards are digital, card holders will also be able to customize the artwork and skins on the cards that they own. The company also expects to produce galleries of artwork that can be used to customize cards to produce unique and interesting combinations of imagery, card backs, borders and other card designs.

At the same time, players can print the cards to create physical versions, in what’s referred to as the digital-to-physical aspect of the platform.

In this fashion, anyone can print and play with “Volition” cards and, because it is built and secured by a blockchain, the mechanism of authorization and publication is distributed and not centralized with a single publishing company. Anyone can become a miner and earn booster packs and anyone can be traded a digital asset card or booster pack.

Since proof of ownership can be verified by checking a code printed on the card against the blockchain ledger, the physical card itself is a tangible representation of the digital asset.

“The games industry provides some of the most compelling opportunities and use cases for blockchain, however, most projects today focus on leveraging blockchain within centralized games and platforms, which fundamentally misses the point of the technology,” said Patrick Meehan, co-founder and chief executive of Cryptogogue.

As a part of a game, collectible cards are often used in tournaments and the rarity of certain cards creates an element of the competition. Using the blockchain as ownership verification, participants may bring their own cards but can prove that their deck is authentic by having it checked against the blockchain. The platform will rely on this digital-to-physical connection to give value to cards as assets.

The CCG industry started in the 1990s with the popularization of games such as “Magic: The Gathering,” where players would buy packs of physical cards that could be played in competition. Cards also had limited print runs, making them collectible.

For example, booster packs of cards would sell for around $3 held cards that now can sell for $8,500 or more, such as the Black Lotus. The market for digital CCG games reached $1.3 billion in 2016, according to Statistica.

“By building ‘Volition’ on a foundation of blockchain, not just from a technology perspective but also with a decentralized business and operating model, we will be among the first to embrace the full spectrum of possibilities afforded by blockchain in a collectible gaming context,” said Meehan.

As a blockchain-based CCG, Volition also differentiates itself from digital game CCGs currently on the market in that the cards themselves can be proven to be held by individuals and can be customized, traded and sold. Once the trade happens, the card’s ownership effectively changes. This is not true for digital versions of “Magic: The Gathering Online” and others, where the cards are just digital representations of database entries that could be changed by Wizards of the Coast Inc.

The most Cryptogogue could do is ban the cards in tournament play, which could devalue any given card because nobody could officially use them but would not erase them from existence.

The most notable blockchain and crypto asset CCG currently in the market is “Spells of Genesis,” developed by EverdreamSoft SA. Released in 2016, it does not have physical cards, just digital assets. The team at Nova Token is preparing to do a very similar thing. Launched with an initial coin offering in December, its platform is planned to debut in July. Another project from Elementeum Games LLC, the developer of “Ether Legends,” is also developing a platform for physically produced cards connected to blockchain-based digital assets.

To fuel its platform, Cryptogogue will use a native cryptocurrency called VOL. There is a fixed amount of VOL in the Volition ecosystem and will be used for card trade transactions.

The company will make money off the platform by taking a small percentage of every transaction on the platform. Although players could still trade the cards outside the platform, certain game mechanics such as upgrading cards can only happen using the app.

“With ‘Volition,’ the blockchain and technology innovation will remain at the core of the experience, but designing a game that is fun, accessibl, and engaging is also a priority,” said Ken Pilcher, co-founder and lead gameplay designer of “Volition.”

The company has more news coming in the next few months, including a timeline for development and incentives for early adopters.

Image: Cryptogogue