Can a Major Esports Network Convert NFTs’ Biggest Detractors?

There’s far more to NFTs than the generative PFP projects you may stumble upon while scrolling through social media. But for many, the conventional conception of what NFTs are is rooted in a field far removed from the arts: play-to-earn (P2E) games.

This is especially true in Asian countries, where P2E experiences like the beleaguered Axie Infinity reigned supreme in a recent analysis done by CashNetUSA gauging the most popular NFTs in the world by region. Enter TechStorm ⁠— a Singapore-based digital esports media network that aims to function as a regional hub for Web3, fostering collaborations ranging from gamefi (gaming and decentralized finance), NFT drops, DAO formation, and more, according to a recent press release.

Asia’s budding NFT market

To build up Asia’s Web3 services, location is critical. CashNetUSA’s analysis identified Singapore as the single most interested country in NFTs according to aggregated user search history. With this move, TechStorm hopes to foster a broader consumer acceptance of NFTs — and Web3 as a whole — for a group that’s been one of its biggest detractors: gamers.

Aside from fostering NFT acceptance amongst their core audience, TechStorm is also hoping to cash in on the growing popularity of all things non-fungible in the East. Due to their geographic location, they’re also uniquely positioned to serve their neighboring Southeast Asian markets, which include Indonesia and the Philippines. This is significant because both countries are among the biggest NFT markets in Asia, just like Singapore.

“We have spotted a massive market opportunity with first-timers looking to access the rapidly booming, non-curated NFT marketplaces such as OpenSea,” said TechStorm founder Debbie Lee, in the press release. “Our aim is to help them navigate the NFT space and enable increased selectivity by amassing unique projects endorsed for their strong consumer value proposition.”

“This is a great avenue to introduce the world of NFTs and Gamefi titles to TechStorm’s audience — a community of 92 million across 11 territories in Asia aged between 18-34 — who are eager to discover new NFT drops, Gamefi trends, and projects,” she said.

What TechStorm has in store

To that end, TechStorm plans to pack its upcoming Web3 “media launchpad” with “an all-Asian slate of specially curated projects designed by the Gamefi and Asian NFT creator community,” according to Lee. This initial slew of projects will also include Affyn’s Generation Zero Buddies — an NFT collection that serves as an entry point into Affyn’s P2E metaverse experience NEXUS World.

Following this launch, TechStorm will continue curating, with plans to feature Gamefi and NFT works within the Asian community through their upcoming content segment, “The Drop”. Best known for its esports, gaming, and technology coverage, TechStorm believes its audience is more than ready to take the plunge into Web3. We’ll have to wait and see if they buy in, or react negatively.