Acting Defiant: An Interview with Rob Lee, Studio Lead at Common Extract

The head of the award-winning Malaysian game studio shares his bear market blues, Web3 woes, and the aspirations of their newest project, Defiantz NFT.

Long bear markets are dreadful.

They fill newcomers and seasoned collectors alike with unease; but whilst this decline can be hugely stressful, it also presents an opportunity to focus on establishing a solid community and building momentum for the future.

At Gamescom Asia earlier this year, I caught up with Rob Lee, Studio Head at Common Extract, to tell us what it’s like to be building a blockchain game in the chilly conditions of the crypto winter.

Jenz: Can you tell us more about Defiantz and the team behind the collection?

Rob: Defiantz is a blockchain gaming project by game development studio Common Extract. We’ve been around since 2008 building projects as a work-for-hire service, mostly in animation and gaming, spanning both Web2 and Web3 brands, and even Roblox.

Ultimately, we spend most of our time on contracted game development, but have also worked on key Malaysian IPs as well as with clients across the US and Europe.

What was the inspiration behind the collection?�

The art is strongly influenced by the popular Nintendo series Splatoon, and the style of its Japanese art director, Seita Inoue. The storyline takes a all-to-familiar common clich� and spins it on its head; kicking-off with a virus that causes a global pandemic, with the only survivors being those who underwent a brain replacement!

The Defiantz NFT collection launched in March. What has your journey been like since?

We launched 300+ military-inspired NFTs as a free mint collection and now we are building a game and DeFi which will launch later on. We originally planned for a 10,000 NFT collection but we put it on hold because the market is not doing so well.

The market for NFT is pretty much in a downturn which caused a lot of the traders and investors to leave but we are still here and we are still building because we strongly believe that Web3 gaming will be something of the future. Maybe not now, but two or three years from now it will come.

We believe that a lot of people in the NFT space, at least for now, are either not a gamer or a casual gamer and we think that there is an opportunity for casual games in the space so our focus is very much on that because we can see the market for it.

Where pretty much still in the bear market now, what’s it like to build a project, network and raise funding all at the same time in this current market situation?

Building a project during the bear market is not ideal nor easy, but the market condition shouldn�t and doesn�t affect our belief in the future of Web3. Sure, VCs and investors are a lot more careful now, but those that are still around are the ideal long term partner going forward because only the believers and genuine builders choose to push the envelope even during the bear market.

What is huge for Defiantz at the moment and what should we expect in the future?

We are currently raising funds, and while we are looking for funding to further develop, we are internally building two casual games with our own funds based on the current IP so there may be other collections in the future that we will announce.

Currently, the art for one of the two games is underway and is almost done. The other one is already completed but we want to expand more. If everything goes smoothly, we expect it to be fully ready by Q1 next year.

Where do you see Defiantz 12 months from now?

We aspire to be a hit and hopefully the market will be better 12 months from now. In the meantime, we focus very much on building the game and building the project. We are also looking to collaborate with those that are interested and passionate in the space that can help push and develop the industry further.

There are so many companies intending to bring their players into Web3 and that is something that we are looking to find and partner with. As an industry, I feel that we can grow bigger together.

Where can we find Defiantz?

The free mint collection is sold out but you can buy the collection from the secondary market at OpenSea. We haven’t really launched the main collection yet so follow us on Twitter or join our Discord and stay tuned for the news.

What�s your message to all supporters, collectors, and builders on Web3?

We are not here to take your money and disappear, that’s for one.

To those who really believe in NFTs, whether you’re a trader or someone who simply believes in the technology, please follow us, support us and connect with us.�

In a short period of time, everything will be better.

Opinion

Yes, bear markets are scary but it feels necessary in weeding out the bad players in the space. Whilst the sentiment in Web3 is bleak, the market adjustment may turn out to be the best thing for the industry.

From speaking with Rob, it�s clear that they are not here to make a quick buck, but are here to stay and commit to building and helping the industry thrive.

To learn more about Common Extract and other projects they are building, visit their website and follow their Twitter or you may also join Defiantz�s Discord and Twitter for latest updates on their collection.

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