The Enjin Developer Spotlight Series is a new feature blog series profiling the Enjin team and community members shaping the future of a decentralized metaverse. The series will showcase what the development team is working on, how they’ve grown their skills and tips for getting involved in the community.
The first conversation in our series is with Tassio Rafael da Silva, Ecosystem Manager at Enjin, who shared his thoughts on working for a decentralized company, the challenges of integrating NFTs into gaming, and the future of decentralized gaming.
Hi Tassio! Tell us about yourself and why you decided to join Enjin.
I joined the company in 2017 after I stumbled upon the vibrant community of Enjineers. Upon digging into what everyone was working towards, I was inspired by the vision and enthusiasm. I was still in college and had a stable internship in project management lined up, but I decided to take a leap of faith into the exciting world of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and blockchain gaming. It’s four years on and I can’t believe how much progress I’ve made.
What does your role at Enjin involve?
Working at Enjin has given me a chance to join a movement. I am a part of a concerted effort to transform the gaming industry for the better. My primary role is assisting developers by introducing them to the vast utility residing in the world of NFTs. I am directly responsible for articulating their vision through innovative technology and integrating into their games. My advice to game developers out there would be to approach us with a clear vision. It needs to be practical. If you’re unsure what you want to achieve within game development, you’re not setting yourself up properly.
What’s your advice to those looking to get involved in the NFT industry?
Don’t get caught up in the hype. The NFT Bandwagon has plenty of space! Take your time to plan out what your title will achieve and if it will bring anything new to the gaming industry. Discover what you are passionate about. Tell a story or build a challenge. Enjin is here to make sure you have the tools to bring your vision into (virtual) reality. When a developer has a clear vision in their mind, my job becomes so much easier. Creative synergy is such a treat.
What are the benefits of working for a decentralized company?
I really enjoy being a part of a decentralized and global workforce. Everyone has a voice. We are all open to suggestions and flexible to reason. When it comes to planning projects or structuring an idea, everything is open for discussion and anyone can pitch in, be it the most senior person, or the most junior. This is something that I don’t think I would ever experience working in a centralized company.
More importantly, I have a direct line with some of the most creative and technical minds in the blockchain industry. For the vast majority of employees at centralized workplaces, they may never meet the executive team. Getting the opportunity to work with our amazing co-founders, Witek and Maxim, on complex infrastructure has been invaluable, and they are great teachers. I also get to meet people from all over the world, from varying backgrounds and cultures. Some days I feel like I’m on a student exchange program, it’s wonderful.
What’s your prediction for the future of decentralized gaming and NFTs?
I’d like to see greater public acceptance of NFTs in gaming. I understand the apprehension to change, however, NFTs will add more than they will take away. I believe that we are shifting towards an understanding that NFTs offer real purpose and have the ability to change lives by allowing people to have full control over what they own. For gamers, NFTs allow you to play an active part in the in-game economy. For developers, who are commonly exploited by gaming publishers with short-term contracts and anti-social working hours, NFTs allow you to build compelling titles on your own time. Neither of these benefits are trivial, in my opinion.
Further down the line, in the next five years I would like to see the decentralized metaverse become a safe space for people to congregate. A place where players have the ability to jump from game A to game B and bring their virtual assets with them. When I first joined Enjin, I thought the metaverse concept was an extraordinary idea that would be too difficult to execute. Now, I am developing a future where my younger self will be proved wrong.
For more information about building on Enjin, visit our developer portal and explore how you can contribute to the future of the decentralized metaverse: https://enjin.io/solutions/developers
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