Infinity Auto: Grand Theft Auto

Infinity Auto, a Grand Theft Auto (GTA) 5 server built by MyMetaverse, made waves in the gaming world by integrating NFTs into Grand Theft Auto V using Enjin's technology.

The innovative approach to NFT integration allowed players to own and use unique NFTs in one of the world's most popular games, resulting in a highly engaging player-driven experience that was well-received by the Web3 community.

Although the project was eventually halted due to a cease-and-desist letter from GTA's publishing company, Take-Two, Infinity Auto's pioneering use of NFTs in a popular gaming environment demonstrated the potential for integrating blockchain technology into mainstream gaming experiences.

Utility-Driven NFTs: The AAA-Quality Multiverse

Parallel Planes's CEO, emphasized the importance of utility-driven NFTs, stating that those that could be used across multiple games would provide players with the most value.

The introduction of the MyMetaverse collection into Infinity Auto and the Survival Infinity Minecraft Server marked the beginning of blockchain-enabled, cross-game interoperability, creating the first playable cross-game NFTs in mainstream games.

MyMetaverse has successfully integrated numerous NFTs from Enjin community collections into its ecosystem.

By leveraging Enjin's Open Platform, MyMetaverse has been able to incorporate a diverse range of digital assets, including the MetaHome NFT collection, across various gaming servers.

This collaboration between MyMetaverse and Enjin has facilitated the creation of playable NFTs, pushing the boundaries of blockchain-based gaming experiences and demonstrating the potential for interoperability and utility within the gaming industry.

Take-Two's Cease and Desist Letter

Despite the initial excitement surrounding the introduction of NFTs in the gaming industry, Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of Rockstar Games, objected to Infinity Auto's use of NFTs within GTA servers. Citing concerns about intellectual property and real-world brand misuse, Take-Two enforced its legal policy against business exploitation, including the prohibition of revenue generation through in-game integrations or sponsorships.

In response to the formal takedown request from Take-Two Interactive, Infinity Auto expressed disappointment, acknowledging that they had misjudged the gaming industry's readiness for NFT integration. Although Take-Two's CEO, Strauss Zelnick, has previously shown optimism towards NFTs, the absence of a supportive legal framework and widespread opposition from the gaming community have hindered widespread adoption.

Infinity Auto complied with the takedown request and ceased all NFT-related operations within the specified timeframe, highlighting the ongoing tension between innovative digital ownership models and traditional gaming industry regulations.

“Our ultimate dream was to collaborate with Rockstar and build a way for players to earn free items that they could own forever, give to their friends, and use in multiple games. In creating the Infinity Auto server, we saw ourselves as contributors to the GTA ecosystem.

We were hoping that they would discover us and see that cross-game items are destined to become the future of gaming. Players love playing and receiving digital items that can be used across an ecosystem of games. This is the perfect way for a company like Rockstar, with such a wide range of incredible games, to create a connected experience and community across its titles.

We’re disappointed to find out that we were wrong. Today, we received a letter from Rockstar’s parent company, Take-Two, asking us cease all operations on the Infinity Auto Server. So, we have shut down our server and we’ll never relaunch it. We want to do the right thing and respect Take-Two’s wishes, it was never our intent to upset them. We truly believed we were providing a service that was benefiting them.

On a personal note, for the last 4 years, my only mission has been to show the world that NFTs can provide amazing cross-game experiences. I’ve sold my house and spent everything I own to try to prove this point. Today is a big loss for me, my team, and our players.

I still think Rockstar is an amazing company and, actually, Red Dead is one of my favorite games ever. I just hope that one day they implement some form of item-interoperability across their games so fans like me can feel some kind of historical connection between the games.

My dreams would truly come true if that happened and those items were on the blockchain.”

— Simon Kertonegoro, Founder of Infinity Auto

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