SECTION 1: APPLICANT INFORMATION
Applicant Name: Ross Krasner
Project Name: Distribution of Games Protocol
Project Description:
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Distribution of Games Protocol is a protocol for ecosystems to distribute games and reward users in their native currency for completion of in-game actions
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As part of the grant, The DoG Protocol released an Arbitrum Games Launcher, a white-label storefront and launcher for all participating Arbitrum games that lives on the protocol’s website (https://arbitrum.dogdao.gg) as well as a downloadable launcher available on desktop. It is built on top of the protocol and exclusively supports games powered by Arbitrum.
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As a genesis partner of the Protocol, as a part of this grant, the ARB DAO will be granted an allocation of the Protocol’s upcoming $LAUNCHER token.
Team Members and Roles:
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Ross Krasner, CEO (previously LinkedIn)
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Wyatt Mufson, CTO (previously Amazon)
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Nick Fujita, staff developer (previously O3 Labs, Bitcoin.com, Crunchyroll)
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Randolf Tjandra, senior developer (previously Crunchyroll)
Project Links:
Developer Documentation and Tooling
Contact Information
Point of Contact: rosskrasner
Point of Contact’s TG handle: rosskrasner
Twitter: rosskrasner
Email: ross@ryu.games
Do you acknowledge that your team will be subject to a KYC requirement?: Yes
SECTION 2a: Team and Product Information
Team experience:
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Shipped Flame launcher, live with 50+ EVM games
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Shipped tooling for game developers that will be white labeled for Arbitrum as a part of this grant, including Unity SDK, Unreal SDK, developer dashboard for uploading games etc.
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Protocol partnered with Treasure as a genesis partner, and will be releasing a customized desktop app later in 2024 with custom Treasure UX, branding and more.
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Core team has raised $4M from top investors. Developers have experience shipping products. Nick Fujita was a founding engineer at O3 Labs (blockchain wallet, acquired by Bitcoin.com) and worked on the video streaming platform at Crunchyroll. CTO Wyatt Mufson has experience from the Alexa team at Amazon. CEO Ross Krasner has experience from Linkedin. Randolf Tjandra has experience from the payments team at Crunchyroll.
What novelty or innovation does your product bring to Arbitrum?
The Distribution of Games Protocol is founded to facilitate game distribution among tight knit communities, like Arbitrum. Through this grant, we will create a white labeled game storefront and launcher, exclusive to the Arbitrum ecosystem, which will act as an easy way for gamers to play games on Arbitrum. Unlike large aggregated platforms, this launcher will act as a showcase for Arbitrum games exclusively and over time we will add complementary tools that further boost the Arbitrum ecosystem.
In addition to a hub for Arbitrum gaming for gamers, the product is a one stop shop for new game developers building on Arbitrum. We have partnered with ThirdWeb to allow devs to easily create NFTs (721s and 1155s) and tokens (ERC20s) and deploy them on Arbitrum using standard open source and audited contracts. Our SDK supports popular game engines such as Unity and Unreal and common programming languages like Typescript and C#. It allows game developers to query token and nft balances, request transactions on-chain and purchase in-app purchases. It allows gamers to pull up an overlay on top of the game to view relevant information, view their wallet and the marketplace.
The crux of our platform is the ability for developers to reward their users for in-game actions by funding “campaigns”. Campaigns on the Arbitrum launcher will be funded exclusively in ARB. Gamers are then rewarded through our protocol for in-game actions that are set by the game developer, often unique to their game.
Gamers can use their rewards to claim Arbitrum, NFTs on Arbitrum or other tokens powered by Arbitrum. When gamers claim their rewards, it drives transactions on-chain to Arbitrum, whether the in-game action was on-chain or off, it all leads to on-chain activity.
Rewarded in-game actions:
Is your project composable with other projects on Arbitrum? If so, please explain:
Yes, we are a discovery and reward platform for all participating Arbitrum games. For the purpose of this grant, we will start with a curated list of 21 specific games. The list may be modified based on feedback from the forum.
In addition to supporting games, we are synergistic with gaming ecosystems on Arbitrum, like Treasure. Through this launcher we can further support their games and drive traffic to their initiatives.
Any games built on Arbitrum can self-onboard through the developer dashboard and documentation. Our reward protocol will set up Arbitrum nicely for future incentivized grants given to games and gaming ecosystems. Even if game developers want to reward gamers for in-game actions off-chain, the act of claiming rewards by users drives on-chain activity and revenue for Arbitrum.
Our tooling, including our NFT and token creation tools powered by ThirdWeb never technically or commercially lock games into our ecosystem, and can be cross posted to any other launcher, including Steam.
Live developer dashboard at developer.flamestore.xyz
Do you have any comparable protocols within the Arbitrum ecosystem or other blockchains?
We have launched flamestore.xyz which is a multi-chain aggregator. We have only release an Arbitrum white-label launcher, but are planning to release other white-labels of other major ecosystems.
Live at flamestore.xyz:
How do you measure and think about retention internally? (metrics, target KPIs)
We measure the retention of our gamers on a per-game basis as well as a platform-wide basis. Ultimately our focus is retaining gamers on the Arbitrum launcher so that they stay in ecosystem.
Our developer dashboard allows game developers to easily see the retention of their game, both on-chain and off-chain retention.
Rewarded retention is one of the most powerful tools for increasing retention in Web2 gaming. We think of retention like game developers (D1, D3, D5, D7, D21, D30, D60, D90 and even D120). Each game will have its own retention based on the quality of the game and the fit of the audience.
Our in-game rewarded action system is not just built for grants like this, but also for game developers who find success with rewarded retention. Rewards on the Arbitrum launcher will always be funded with ARB. We set up our protocol’s economy to sustainably incentivize game developers rewarding retention with each ecosystem’s native currency, in this case ARB.
Do you agree to remove team-controlled wallets from all milestone metrics AND exclude team-controlled wallets from any incentives included in your plan: Yes
Did you utilize a grants consultant or other third party not named as a grantee to draft this proposal? If so, please disclose the details of that arrangement here, including conflicts of interest (Note: this does NOT disqualify an applicant): No
SECTION 2b: PROTOCOL DETAILS
Is the protocol native to Arbitrum?:
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Yes. The protocol is native to Arbitrum
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Yes. Our upcoming token will be launched on Arbitrum
On what other networks is the protocol deployed?:
None
What date did you deploy on Arbitrum mainnet?:
Live:
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Storefront reference product
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flamestore.xyz
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White label will be released as a part of the grant
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Developer dashboard for reference product
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Uploads builds, update metadata, etc.
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Developer tooling
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Partnered with ThirdWeb to deploy NFTs and tokens on Arbitrum, or walk through developers how to do it
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Unity, Unreal, Typescript SDK
On Testnet:
- Contract for claiming rewards (Will be deployed on mainnet as a part of the grant)
Do you have a native token?:
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Planned: Whitepaper
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As a part of this grant, the Arbitrum DAO will become a genesis partner and receive a large allocation of the upcoming token
Past Incentivization: What liquidity mining/incentive programs, if any, have you previously run? Please share results and dashboards, as applicable?
N/A
Current Incentivization: How are you currently incentivizing your protocol?
We launched the Arbitrum launcher today and as a part of this grant will be considering Arbitrum a genesis partner. On the Arbitrum launcher, the base currency is ARB. This means game developers fund reward campaigns with ARB, and users earn ARB.
Our protocol is set up not just for grants like this, but also for game developers who find success rewarding their users with rewarded retention. They will only be able to fund campaigns with ARB.
Have you received a grant from the DAO, Foundation, or any Arbitrum ecosystem related program?
No
Protocol Performance: [Detail the past performance of the protocol and relevance, including any key metrics or achievements, dashboards, etc.]
We have partnered with Treasure as a genesis partner, and released the Arbitrum launcher as a part of this grant, including the rewards protocol.
Protocol Roadmap:
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Next 3-6 months, curated partnerships with top ecosystems: Genesis, Second and Third generation partners
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In 18 months: Open partnerships: The Protocol opens up partnerships to any gaming ecosystem. We see a proliferation of launchers happening at this stage across platforms.
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36+ months: Fully decentralized: The Protocol becomes fully autonomous and decentralized
Audit History & Security Vendors:
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AuditBase Audit
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Open source contract at GitHub - DoG-Protocol/DoGClaim: Distribution of Games claim contract, uses OpenZeppelin for key logic, 100% code coverage
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Only limited amount of ARB loaded into contract at any given time to limit exposure to attack
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Bug bounty will be live by reward distribution
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Contract published via Thirdweb: thirdweb: The complete web3 development platform
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We’ll get a manual audit done before we receive grant funds
Security Incidents:
None
SECTION 3: GRANT INFORMATION
Detail the requested grant size, provide an overview of the budget breakdown, specify the funding and contract addresses, and describe any matching funds if relevant.
Requested Grant Size: 75k ARB
Justification for the size of the grant:
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Bootstrap Arbitrum launcher while driving meaningful traffic to early Arbitrum games
a. Currently at launch of Arbitrum-specific game launcher, Arbitrum would be a genesis partner.
b. Targeting 8k unique users playing Arbitrum games weekly by the end of the campaign
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We are working on a one-by-one basis with each game developer to incentivize one of two things
a. Simple retention of the game. (For example: Come back 3 days in a row, earn rewards).
b. Custom in-game actions that are either on or off chain. (For example: Reach level 13, get 4 headshots).
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In order to drive 8k unique users playing Arbitrum games, we can compare comps in Web2 and Web3 for rewarded user acquisition and retention.
a. Mistplay — Web2 comp: One of the largest rewarded gameplay services is able to retain users at a payout of roughly $0.50 / day of gameplay (capped at 2 hr). The key point about Mistplay that we are uniquely bringing to Arbitrum is the ability to reward users for in-game actions that are custom to the game.
b. Web3 comp: Rabbit hole was able to achieve a cost per action on Optimism of 0.33 ARB at the time of their Arbitrum application. While they focus on on chain only and agnostic to the protocol, they are similar
Therefore we are targeting the cost to retain a user at 0.25 ARB per full day of gameplay.
Industry-wide according to a Dapp Radar report from this month, “blockchain gaming has reached nearly 2 million daily Unique Active Wallets (dUAW), accounting for a 28% dominance in the industry”. With the growing interest in web3 gaming, it’s critical to have a place users can go to actually play the games. A desktop launcher exclusively for Arbitrum ensures they stay inside the ecosystem when they play.
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To achieve 8k unique users playing Arbitrum games on the Arbitrum-specific launcher by the end of the campaign, it requires the following:
a. USD equivalent = 8,000 * $0.50 = $4K at peak usage per day. Gradual ramp up = $150k total
b. ARB amount = Arb at $2 = 75,000
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Our goal is to enable every DAO with a cryptocurrency and gaming community to gain market share from Steam ($6B+ in revenue). With a unique angle and dedicated, incentivized user base, over time we believe cryptocurrencies like Arbitrum are well positioned to make this a core part of their revenue.
a. Arbitrum joining as the second of three Genesis partners
b. 8k user growth
c. 21+ titles added to protocol
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Gaming is sticky, with well understood retention metrics. Having a number of games on Arbitrum ensures that users who churn from one game end up landing on a different game on the same launcher and stay with Arbitrum users.
a. Developers are incentivized to spend on rewards. The Arbitrum white label launcher only allows devs to fund reward campaigns with Arbitrum.
b. Through our native DAO token, we will reward gamers who participate in our rewarded campaigns with points that will convert to a token post TGE.
Total games: 21
Up to: 3.4k ARB per game
- Ai Arena
- BattleFly
- BattlePlan!
- Bitmates
- Bridgeworld
- Cosmik Battle
- Dininho
- Forgotten Runiverse
- Kaiju Cards
- Knights of the Ether
- Kuroro Beasts
- Lost Donkeys
- Mighty Action Heroes
- Minters World
- Pirate Nation
- Realm
- SankoGameCorp
- Tales of Elleria
- The Beacon
- Zeeverse
- ZTX
Grant Matching:
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We will be matching 10% (up to 7.5k ARB) back into the reward pool
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Our protocol takes 20% of rewards similar to other task completion protocols. We will be giving 50% of that back to the reward pool.
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We are giving ARB holders a large allocation of our upcoming token as a part of this grant.
Grant Breakdown:
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Gamer Rewards (100%)
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Rewards will be available to earn by completing tasks in games in the Arbitrum launcher in the curated list of 21 games.
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There will be clearly stated rewards for each task on a per game basis
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There will be limits on how much each individual user can earn on any given day on any given game, calculated in order to acheive our stated user targets with the grant size we are given.
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Rewards that go unclaimed by users will be rolled over to the next week
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Any remaining rewards at the end of the campaign will be returned to the Arbitrum DAO
Funding Address:
0x4B670B1dbd49bD980B5BdF31090CAA37E6dfc0df
Funding Address Characteristics:
2/3 gnosis safe on arb1
Treasury Address:
N/A
Contract Address:
Arbitrum One: 0xb0EF4c362d0455a161Bf63d433CAd1f0ab47853d
Arbitrum Sepolia : 0x35c8BA3F0050cFd672AbE54e9a2D49De762ba9e3
SECTION 4: GRANT OBJECTIVES, EXECUTION AND MILESTONES
Objectives:
| Objective | Description | KPI |
|---|---|---|
| Objective #1 | Drive new users to Arbitrum games with sustainable growth | 4k new wallets |
| Objective #2 | Engaging existing Arbitrum users | 8k unique wallets, 150K actions driven to Arbitrum games |
| Objective #3 | Home for Arbitrum games | Launch of Arbitrum Launcher |
Execution Strategy:
Each of the 21 curated games will be able to set custom rewarded in-game actions. That can be different for each game. For example “reach level 14” or “execute 3 transactions”.
Games can also simply reward retention. For example “come back everyday for 7 days”. Gamers will be able to claim their rewards through the protocol, driving transactions on-chain.
What mechanisms within the incentive design will you implement to incentivize “stickiness” whether it be users, liquidity or some other targeted metric?
Rewarded retention is one of the most powerful gaming techniques to increase retention in Web2 gaming, and we are bringing that to Arbitrum. Game developers will have the option to load their account with Arbitrum after this campaign at any point to keep the rewarded retention live. This is a sustainable way to continue to retain gamers in the Arbtirum ecosystem.
Rewarding in-game actions is fun, engaging and aligns the game design with player incentives.
Specify the KPIs that will be used to measure success in achieving the grant objectives and designate a source of truth for governance to use to verify accuracy.
- 4k new wallets
- 4k unique wallets
- 150k actions driven to Arbitrum games
- Launch of Arbitrum Launcher
Grant Timeline and Milestones:
| Phase | % of Funds | Description | Target platform D7 retention |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before Release | Drive new users to Arbitrum games with sustainable growth | 4k new wallets | - |
| Weeks 1-4 | 16.67% | Deploy rewarded in-game actions | 50% |
| Week 5-8 | 33.33% | Iterate | 60% |
| Week 9-12 | 50% | Scale | 70% |
How will receiving a grant enable you to foster growth or innovation within the Arbitrum ecosystem?
The Arbitrum game launcher will be the streamlined, publicly available way to play Arbitrum games. We provide a simple mechanism for game developers to drive retention by rewarding in-game actions with Arbitrum. In addition, our tooling makes it incredibly easy to turn any game into an Arbitrum game, attracting game developers.
Do you accept the funding of your grant streamed linearly for the duration of your grant proposal, and that the multisig holds the power to halt your stream?
Yes
SECTION 5: Data and Reporting
OpenBlock Labs has developed a comprehensive data and reporting checklist for tracking essential metrics across participating protocols. Teams must adhere to the specifications outlined in the provided link here: Onboarding Checklist from OBL . Along with this list, please answer the following:
Is your team prepared to comply with OBL’s data requirements for the entire life of the program and three months following and then handoff to the Arbitrum DAO? Are there any special requests/considerations that should be considered?
Yes
Does your team agree to provide bi-weekly program updates on the Arbitrum Forum thread that reference your OBL dashboard?
Yes
First Offense: In the event that a project does not provide a bi-weekly update, they will be reminded by an involved party (council, advisor, or program manager). Upon this reminder, the project is given 72 hours to complete the requirement or their funding will be halted.
Second Offense: Discussion with an involved party (advisor, pm, council member) that will lead to understanding if funds should keep flowing or not.
Third Offense: Funding is halted permanently
Does your team agree to provide a final closeout report not later than two weeks from the ending date of your program? This report should include summaries of work completed, final cost structure, whether any funds were returned, and any lessons the grantee feels came out of this grant. Where applicable, be sure to include final estimates of acquisition costs of any users, developers, or assets onboarded to Arbitrum chains. (NOTE: No future grants from this program can be given until a closeout report is provided.)
Yes
Does your team acknowledge that failure to comply with any of the above requests can result in the halting of the program’s funding stream?:
Yes