PacNEM is a Peer-to-Peer Online Multiplayer Game featuring the popular Pacman game in a remake with an autonomous Play-to-Earn system using the NEM blockchain. This project was featured in the Heise.de iX Magazin in July 2018.
This project was worked on in a collaboration with NEM Foundation, in an attempt to showcase the feasibility and readiness of NEM to host smart contracts and games.
Table of contents
What is PacNEM?
PacNEM is a Peer-to-Peer Online Multiplayer Game featuring the popular Pacman in a remake that rewards players with custom tokens using the NEM blockchain. This project was featured in the Heise.de iX Magazin in July 2018, an online version of this publication – in German – can be found here.
This game features an online multiplayer mode to play together with up to four other players on the same grid. Players are grouped in chat rooms that are built using Socket.io. The source code for this project is open-source and leverages a Node.js runtime, which can be self-hosted or hosted on a VPS or virtual machine.
As showcased in the popular German developers’ magazine iX, this Play-to-Earn showcase is much more than just a remake of Pacman. It features a sponsoring system that harnesses the power of on-chain transactions and a high-scores table that will live on forever- stored on-chain as well.
A Node.js API is made available under the hood, which connects to a Mongo backend used as a cache storage for data that lives on-chain. A socket.io Websockets communication channel is used to establish the multiplayer matchmaking. The game board uses the traditional Pacman game rules and extends the game by including a tokenised approach to players’ scores.
Thanks to the integration of standard HTML5 technologies such as Canvas and the Websockets API, this game also features the capacity to be embedded into social platforms, including as a Facebook App.
This project was worked on in a collaboration with NEM Foundation, in an attempt to showcase the feasibility and readiness of NEM to host smart contracts and games.
Benefits of using PacNEM
Play-to-Earn
Play-to-Earn (P2E) refers to a gaming model where players can earn tokens or digital assets – a.k.a cryptocurrencies – by actively participating and achieving specific goals within a game. It combines elements of gameplay and economic incentives, that in turn, creates an environment where players can both enjoy the gaming experience and potentially profit from their gaming abilities.
PacNEM is an online multiplayer remake of the iconic Pacman game that incorporates tokenization and blockchain technology. In this software, players’ achievements and scores are recorded on a blockchain network using tokens specific to the game.
Tokenization
The tokenization of high-scores in PacNEM introduces a new level of competitiveness and ultimately also, financial motivation for players. It allows skilled players to not only showcase their gaming abilities but also earn tokens for their achievements. This system incentivizes players to invest time and effort into improving their gameplay skills, as higher scores can potentially yield greater financial returns.
Note that this project is a case study, or showcase, which works with a test blockchain network. There are no actual financial returns with PacNEM. The simulation of this dapp at scale got featured in a popular German developers magazine, click here to read the original publication in German.
Screenshots of PacNEM
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