Colorado, US - In this interview, Wyeth Ridgway, CTO of UNIO, explores how Franchise-as-a-Service is set to transform the gaming industry. UNIO is leading this change through its Unioverse project—an entertainment franchise that promotes a decentralized, community-driven ecosystem. Ridgway discusses UNIO's goal to reshape intellectual property development, with a focus on open-source assets, blockchain integration, and community engagement. He highlights how UNIO's unique approach to NFTs emphasizes real player value. With a strategic focus, UNIO aims to reach mainstream gamers through community-building and expansive storytelling within a sci-fi universe. Drawing on his extensive experience with franchises like Pirates of the Caribbean and Lord of the Rings, Ridgway shares insights on how this model can simplify user acquisition and adapt to shifting gaming preferences.--Ed
Q: Could you provide an overview of UNIO with its core focus areas? What is UNIO’s vision and mission?
- UNIO is a game development studio creating the Unioverse - a next-generation entertainment franchise built around a decentralized, community-driven ecosystem. It aims to revolutionize the way intellectual properties (IPs) are developed, shared, and monetized in the games industry.
Core Focus Areas:
Open-Source Assets – Unioverse provides high-quality assets (characters, environments, etc.) that creators can use freely to build their own games, comics, and media.
Blockchain Integration – It leverages blockchain to verify ownership, reward participation, and facilitate transactions.
Community-Centric Model – The ecosystem is designed to empower creators and fans, giving them a stake in the franchise’s success.
Gaming & Storytelling – Unioverse blends gaming and narrative experiences with an expansive sci-fi universe.
Q: How do you see the game development industry evolving alongside blockchain?
- The game development industry will evolve by seamlessly integrating blockchain in the background, making experiences faster, easier, and more feature-rich than current systems. For UNIO, this means empowering players to earn, create, and own metaverse content independently, without company control.
Q: How does UNIO create vital community-building with the UNIOVERSE?
- UNIO fosters community-building by allowing players to earn UNIO through its games (three live today!). Players can hold UNIO for ecosystem benefits or spend it to create unique content—like vehicles and weapons—that are instantly usable across all Unioverse games.
Q: Do you believe blockchain gaming will become more mainstream as a result of the crypto bull run?
- I believe it will become more mainstream in the same way as game consoles won during the console wars: based on a few amazing games that prove the entire model. Blockchain will be secondary to great gameplay, but ownership will anchor people to the experiences.
Q: Do you believe it's possible to combat the negative reputation of blockchain gaming through UNIO?
- Yes, UNIO can help shift the negative perception of blockchain gaming by focusing on real player value and seamless integration. I've seen similar skepticism before—like with mobile freemium games, which were initially met with hostility but later became the industry standard. Blockchain is just another technological revolution, like cloud computing. It’s powerful, inevitable, and not inherently good or bad—its impact depends on how we use it. UNIO is proving that blockchain can enhance, not exploit, the gaming experience.
Q: Can you share your thoughts on the integration of NFTs within gaming?
- We've minted over 1 million game NFTs across multiple chains and more than a dozen Unioverse collections, giving us unmatched experience in this space. The real value of a game NFT lies in its versatility—if it only works in one game, the blockchain isn’t necessary and doesn't add value. UNIO NFTs, like our unique Hero skins and Gamer Tags, offer lasting integration and utility, not just for today’s games but for decades to come. This is where ownership and open marketplaces become game-changers. I often say game NFTs are worth some base cost, which is times the number of games they can be used in.
Q: NFTs tend to have a bad reputation amongst the crypto and video game community as a cash grab, what makes UNIO different?
- UNIO NFTs are designed with real player value in mind, not as a cash grab. Our approach is rooted in years of experience in the Web2 gaming industry, focusing on practical use cases. You can buy a Common Unioverse Hero for under $1, while a Legendary tier costs around $100—similar to rare skins in AAA games like Apex Legends. The key difference? UNIO NFTs work across multiple games, and can be sold, so they’re not a sunk cost. By consistently delivering on this philosophy, we’re building a loyal player base and proving NFTs can enhance, rather than exploit, gaming.
Q: How does UNIO create vital community-building with the UNIOVERSE?
- UNIO is still in the early stages, both as a platform and within blockchain gaming, but community is at the heart of everything we do. We actively reward players with rare content and UNIO coins for their participation and contributions. Our Discord is a testament to this engagement—you’ll regularly find me and other founding team members interacting directly with the community. This level of involvement and co-creation is deeper than in any other game I’ve worked on, making the Unioverse a truly player-driven experience.
Q: What does the future look like for UNIO?
- The future of UNIO is about reaching mainstream gamers. With Hoverdrome launching on Steam and Epic, we’re expanding beyond our loyal beta testers to a much larger audience. This shift will be a game-changer, transforming our player base and redefining UNIO’s position in the industry.
