Sony gets on board L2: A new chapter of the entertainment giant in Web3

Since 2021, Sony has been continuously expanding its exploration boundaries in the Web3 field, including laying out the metaverse, adopting NFTs, and investing in quality projects. Now, this entertainment giant is officially entering the public chain track, collaborating with a Japanese public chain developer to develop the Ethereum L2 network Soneium based on OP Stack. This move undoubtedly adds a heavyweight member to the OP Stack L2 ecosystem.

The Soneium ecosystem will not only be compatible with existing decentralized applications but also plans to develop innovative services related to Sony's business, aiming to integrate blockchain technology into Sony's product line. The official statement clearly indicates that they are committed to supporting creators in expanding their creativity and enhancing interaction with the fan community.

Considering Sony's strong position in the entertainment industry, including gaming, music, and film, we can boldly speculate that the Soneium ecosystem will primarily focus on the entertainment and consumer sectors. After the mainnet goes live in the future, it may prioritize the support and independent development of the following types of projects:

1. GameFi

Sony holds well-known game IPs such as "Elden Ring", "The Elder Scrolls", and "Horizon". Although it may not immediately launch a Web3 version of a AAA title in the short term, it is expected to develop small Web3 games based on these IPs, such as card games.

It is worth noting that Sony proposed the concept of "Super-Fungible Token" in March this year, which is essentially an extended application of in-game NFTs. This means that even if the game is discontinued, players still retain ownership of these digital assets.

However, Sony needs to learn from the experiences of other Web3 gaming pioneers. To successfully penetrate the Web2 market and attract mainstream players, the key lies in achieving "chain abstraction" and "concept abstraction," allowing players to be unaware of the existence of blockchain and to focus on the gaming experience itself.

2. NFT

In addition to in-game NFTs, Sony is likely to more frequently integrate its film and television IP into the NFT space and issue music NFTs. Creating a dedicated IP NFT marketplace can not only reduce its own issuance costs but also attract collaboration from other IP companies.

Sony has made some explorations in the NFT field: In 2021, Sony collaborated with a cinema chain to distribute NFTs to fans of "Spider-Man: No Way Home." In 2022, Sony partnered with Universal Music Group to issue digital collectibles of legendary musicians, including Miles Davis, on an NFT marketplace.

3. Consumer Applications

One of Soneium's main goals is to leverage Sony Group's diverse business and IP to create new services, transforming it into infrastructure that can be used daily. As a Web2 giant, Sony has a large user base and traffic resources, making it relatively easy to promote its Web3 products or selected high-quality on-chain products to Web2 users.

With the popularity of cryptocurrencies, Sony may develop some innovative consumer applications, such as social platforms that integrate token interaction features or communication tools that combine Web2 and Web3 characteristics, providing users with a brand new experience.

All three directions have the potential to bring a large number of new users to Web3. Imagine ordinary Web2 players experiencing high-quality Sony Web3 games for the first time, or movie enthusiasts gaining unique viewing experiences and community interaction opportunities through NFT tickets, or regular users easily accessing the cryptocurrency world through the Web3 social platform promoted by Sony. These scenarios could all serve as catalysts for the mass adoption of Web3.

The key to Soneium's success lies in providing high-quality products and a healthy ecosystem. As long as Sony can avoid excessive hype and focus on creating high-quality content and services, Soneium has the potential to become an important force in driving the mass adoption of Web3.

It is worth mentioning that Soneium is about to launch its testnet, and its community platform has just opened. For interested users, participating in community activities now to gain early contributor status might be a good choice.

Finally, we hope that Sony can deliver on its promises and truly develop innovative Web3 services related to its business, rather than just using it as a marketing gimmick to attract testnet users or gather data. The development of Soneium is undoubtedly worth the industry's ongoing attention.