From F2P to P2E: An Interview with Martine Spaans, Game Designer & Community Manager at FGL
We caught up with this gutsy games industry veteran to discuss her first impressions of the NFT space, the story of Cosmic Clash and Mecha World so far, and FGL’s future plans!
MAY 3, 2022. INTERVIEWS. WRITTEN BY JOHN NICHOLS.
With each passing week, more brands, organisations and people of influence are entering the blockchain industry.
Each entrant brings their own set of specialisms, experience and know-how – and when it comes to the mobile gaming space, few have as much expertise as the latest big-hitters to hit the WAX blockchain, FGL.
With the release of their first Play-to-Earn title Cosmic Clash under their belt, and with their second game Mecha World set to release soon, we spoke to Martine Spaans, Lead Game Designer on Mecha World and Community Manager at FGL, for the inside scoop.
We have a giveaway for three Mint #1 Prime Mecha Body NFTs from FGL’s Mecha World, now live on Twitter! Click here to discover how to enter!
John: Hey Martine! Could you tell me a bit about yourself, your background and how you got into NFTs?
Martine: Hi! My name is Martine, and I live in The Netherlands together with my husband and dog.
I’ve worked in the games industry for over 15 years. In 2013 I started Tamalaki, my own game publishing company that’s focused on mobile F2P games. I partnered up with FGL for publishing support and we’ve been working together ever since.
We got into NFTs in the second half of 2021, during the wave of crypto-curiosity. We figured this would be a great market for some game concepts that were brewing in our minds for quite a while already. Those concepts turned into Cosmic Clash and Mecha World.
Being a game publisher, we were thinking big straight out the gate. Following the release of these two games, we have several more new releases planned which will all hook into the economy of the FGL token. We’re open to receiving pitches from other WAX developers who want to work with us.
Within the FGL team, I’m the Community Manager and the Lead Game Designer for Mecha World. Next to that role, I’m also the General Manager of the Dutch Games Association.
Why did FGL decide to enter the blockchain space with WAX?
Through contacts in the game industry, we were already familiar with WAX. We knew about their focus on games, their dedication, and their excellent support.
WAX’s carbon neutrality is one of the factors that pulled us over the line.
Your first P2E game, Cosmic Clash, launched several weeks ago. What has that experience been like for you and your team?
First impressions? The WAX community is full of tough love, haha!
The launch of Cosmic Clash was definitely a whirlwind and quite a change of pace from the mobile F2P world. We were thoroughly grilled by the community, which I fully understand because of the impact failed projects can have. By staying engaged and open to feedback, we survived the storm and came out stronger on the other side.
Cosmic Clash is relatively small compared to other projects out there, but it’s doing very well and serves a very dedicated player base. We’re putting everything we’ve learned into Mecha World, which will launch very soon.
Speaking of Mecha World, what can you tell us about it so far, and what can the community expect from your second game on WAX?
We held our first drop on April 21st, with 900 packs spread over 4 different tiers.
Anyone who missed out shouldn’t feel too bad, as we have a second drop this Wednesday!
The game is set to launch in May, with Questing and Upgrading on release, and Battling to be added a few weeks later.
Is Tamalaki working on any further games for the WAX blockchain?
Mecha World is the only project that’s coming out of my brain, but FGL has a few more projects lined up for release.
The third game will be Nifty Fish, planned for Q3 this year.
Have there been any particular surprises jumping from F2P to P2E development?
Within the games industry, there is currently a massive interest in the crypto space in general, and many of those are also leaning towards P2E. Although it’s a bit of a polarising subject for traditional game developers, many are embracing the new opportunities. FGL is ahead of the curve in that regard.
What future plans do you have for the FGL token?
Some players have asked us about the option to stake the FGL token. We certainly see options for that down the line, but first we want to focus on stabilising the token economy across several games.
We think multi-game tokens have more longevity and added value, and we want to make sure we live up to that promise.
Could you go into further detail regarding the battle mechanics of Mecha World, and what the player can expect on launch?
We’ve recently updated our Mecha World whitepaper to include that info!
The first Mecha World battle game is a strategic game based around dice. We’ve partnered up with Draco Dice for gameplay – owning Draco Dice is not mandatory, but it can give you an advantage.
To keep things fresh and interesting we’ll add multiple strands of gameplay over the course of the next few months.
What do you think is the biggest problem in blockchain gaming at the moment, and how do you think FGL will help to tackle it?
One that comes to mind is the onboarding of new users.
Many people are crypto-curious, but the process of wallet creation and the multiple coins and tokens can be quite intimidating.
By adding step-by-step guides, how-to videos, and actively answering player questions within our community, we try to help people with this process as much as we can.
What should the reader come to expect from any P2E game published by FGL?
All of our games will have a strong focus on gameplay. We’ll design our experiences to reward interaction with the game and with other players, which we think is much more fun and holds more longevity than farming and button-clicking.
Further to that, we do want to branch out the types of gameplay that we offer and the types of players we’ll attract.
Where would you like to see FGL, and its P2E games, by the end of 2022?
By the end of this year we aim to have 4 different games up and running, all of which will hook into the FGL token economy.
We hope to do our part to diversify the NFT gaming audience by offering a wide variety of games, and continue to build our portfolio and do our part to enrich the WAX game ecosystem!
Where does the future lay for FGL post-2022?
We aim to grow together with WAX, but who knows what other options might open up. Multi-chain support would definitely be cool!
For every game we publish, we have a multi-year plan in mind. We’re here for the long run.
Is there anything you’d like to add? Anything you’d like to say to the reader?
We think we have a lot we can add to the NFT gaming ecosystem.
Besides our creative gameplay-driven projects and the longevity of a multi-game token, we aim to add transparency and professionalism to this industry.
We’ve been lucky to receive encouraging feedback from our community so far, and we’re excited about the way forward!
Time for those quick-fire questions!
What fuels you?
Coffee and chocolate. Whiskey after working hours.
One unusual fact about you?
Judging by the amount of Discord DM’s I get that start with “bro” and “dude”, it’s apparently unusual that I’m female!
If you could give one piece of advice, what would it be?
Stay vigilant. The level of scams and exploits in this space is one of the few things that was a negative surprise.
You can invite three people, real or fictional, to dinner. Who do you choose and why?
Colin Chapman, Coco Chanel and Shigeru Miyamoto.
What is your purpose in life?
To enable people around me to have fun and engaging experiences.
How can we follow you and your work?
All of FGL’s links can be found here!
Combining Martine’s experience, FGL’s enthusiasm for the space, and their long-term commitment to the games they publish, this game publisher will be one to keep a watchful eye on in the days, weeks and months to come.
If you’re looking to get your start in FGL’s games, the second drop for their second title, Mecha World, takes place tomorrow at 14 UTC. Don’t miss out!
Don’t forget to enter our giveaway for three Mint #1 Prime Mecha Body NFTs from FGL’s Mecha World, now live on Twitter! Enter here!
