Eyeball Pool Puts an NFT Twist on the Classic 8-Ball Game

Digital pool video games have lengthy been widespread informal gaming picks, and shortly the style will make the leap into the NFT world with Eyeball Pool, a sport that lets gamers personal and commerce distinctive digital belongings.

Created by startup Eyeball Video games, the upcoming iOS and Android sport might be constructed on Immutable zkEVM, the gaming-centric Ethereum scaling community created by Immutable Video games in partnership with Polygon, utilizing the Polygon zkEVM tech stack. The sport is due out in Q1 2024 following the present beta testing interval.

Whereas Eyeball Pool is a very new title, it’s being developed with assist from a pair of longtime pool sport builders—Karsten Niemeier and Thomas Elgaard—that labored on the unique model of 8 Ball Pool from cell writer Miniclip. That enduring iOS and Android hit has been downloaded greater than 1 billion occasions to this point, Miniclip introduced in 2022.

A screenshot from Eyeball Pool. Picture: Eyeball Video games

An early screenshot of Eyeball Pool seen above offers off an identical appear and feel as 8 Ball Pool, however the Web3 twist implies that gamers will have the ability to personal and commerce distinctive pool cues within the sport, in addition to doubtlessly profit from an in-game token.

“We wish to basically change the best way our gamers work together with pool video games,” Eyeball Video games CEO Jonathan Ivarsson advised Decrypt. “Gamers spend hours per week taking part in pool video games. That stage of dedication has spawned communities that embrace information switch, ability, influencers, and friendships. We wish to develop an in-game ecosystem that befits these vibrant communities.”

Eyeball Pool was beforehand being developed on Cronos, the Crypto.com-led blockchain community that’s interoperable with Cosmos and Ethereum. The startup beforehand launched 4,001 “Balldroid” profile image (PFP) NFTs tied to the sport in January.

These Balldroid NFTs, together with a brand new collection of Balldroid NFTs set to launch on Ethereum scaling community Immutable X, will provide gamers in-game advantages equivalent to unique objects and in-game rewards. These NFT holders may also have the ability to play an ad-free model of the sport.

Polygon, Immutable Accomplice for New zkEVM Ethereum Gaming Community

Ivarsson cited Immutable’s give attention to gaming as a key purpose for in the end deciding to construct Eyeball Pool on Immutable zkEVM as the sport’s full launch nears in early 2024.

“We imagine that there’s energy in partnering with a specialised chain [versus] one which tries to suit all use circumstances,” he advised Decrypt. “This may permit us to go to market quicker, attain higher audiences, and make participant onboarding simpler.”