NFT game development requires developers to utilize an arsenal of development technologies, frameworks, and tools.
Below are some of them:
Game Engines
Game engines are IDEs that game developers use to create games. A game engine has many features, including a graphics engine, physics engine, rendering pipeline, etc., that make the development process easier and faster.
Some top game companies use game engines developed in-house. This affords them better control over the development.
However, most game companies rely on commercially available game engines. Below are a few of the top ones:
Unity is a game engine that supports development for numerous platforms at the same time.
The engine’s IDE supports coding in C# and has many advanced features such as the UI Toolkit, multiple render pipelines and real-time global illumination. It also supports development in both 2D and 3D art styles.
Unity is the most used game engine on the planet. Many of today’s games, particularly those on mobile, have been created using the Unity3D game engine.
Unreal is a top game engine created by Epic Games, the company behind Fortnite and Unreal Tournament. This game engine is renowned in the industry for helping developers create games with high-fidelity graphics.
Unreal’s host of features includes Lumen (a dynamic global illumination system), Nanite, World Partition System, and Blueprints. It uses the C++ language for development.
Blockchain
Blockchains are decentralized networks. Unlike centralized storage, the data is not stored in a single or a group of servers under the same company or administration. Instead, the blockchain shares the entire data across multiple nodes worldwide. This decentralization makes the data tamper-proof and hence, secure.
Blockchain is vital to NFT game development, as NFTs are hosted on the blockchain.
Below are some of these top blockchains that support NFTs
Ethereum is the second largest blockchain network in the world (after Bitcoin.) It is a peer-to-peer network with a cryptocurrency called Ether.
What makes Ethereum a popular blockchain is the smart contracts feature and robust support for creating dApps and blockchain-based games.
Tezos is an open-source blockchain network. It uses the Proof Of Stack data validation method and has significantly less carbon footprint than many other blockchains. The Tezos blockchain also supports smart contracts.
Binance is another blockchain that uses the Proof of Stake method. It is renowned for having one of the highest transaction speeds among blockchains. It is also a cross-chain compatible blockchain.
Solana is a blockchain built on RUST, a top programming language.
Unlike most other blockchains, it uses both Proof of Stake and Proof of History methods for data validation. Besides, the blockchain can accommodate thousands of transactions per second.
Wallet
Crypto wallets are wallets that hold the private keys to an individual’s crypto holdings. The wallet does not contain the cryptocurrencies themselves, but only the keys users can use to access the cryptos holding on the respective blockchains.
Below are some of the top crypto wallets:
Coinbase is a crypto wallet that supports 150+ cryptocurrencies. The wallet is known in the NFT game development community for its high standard of security and ease of use.
Metamask supports cryptocurrencies from multiple platforms. It also has support for the creation of various wallets. The wallet is used by developers who use Ethereum. In addition, it has support for NFTs.
Storage
Decentralized storage is a method that stores data in multiple nodes. It does not store the data in a single centralized server but splits it across users worldwide.
IPFS, or Interplanetary Storage Protocol, is a decentralized storage protocol. Under this protocol, the data is spread across multiple nodes, which details within each node to find out where the data of other nodes are. In addition, the protocol is resistant to tampering.
Filecoin is an open-source, decentralized storage system. It supports the storage of NFTs. It is a reliable method of decentralized storage and is also resistant to censorship.