marcio
rafaelbrandao
Section
Product & Architecture
What the product is:
RETROBLOCK is a GameFi project that aims at transforming retro-style gaming communities by supporting competitions with Web3 technologies. Our platform will offer end-to-end transparency, autonomous award distribution, targeting vibrant community engagement. We plan to work with the Stellar network to leverage advanced features, including the creation of smart contracts in Soroban for tournament and score management, and automatic prize distribution. In addition, we will integrate the Stellar Wallet for user authentication to ensure secure and transparent transactions. A 3D NFT marketplace is also part of the integration between the RETROBLOCK platform and the Stellar network. The idea of creating an integrated NFT marketplace is to enhance in-game experience and social engagement.
We currently have a prototype running on https://retroblock.gg
See pitch video at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nSD8zf_EP9xQch9ZA2c2G-rQemKuuGQQ/view?usp=share_link
See demo video at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G8dULkq_K6BcNKy5isDPEb0SNGSXmkrW/view?usp=share_link
To test the project's feasibility, we deployed preliminary smart contracts on Base Sepolia at: https://sepolia.basescan.org/address/0xa01eA6570672ebEf823F6709772543e8A090e243
Currently, the currency used to buy arcade tokens is USDC. If you want to test the prototype, please send us your account address to faucet@retroblock.gg to receive some USDC. ETH will also be necessary to pay gas fees for each transaction. You can get ETH from Base Sepolia faucets like https://faucet.triangleplatform.com/base/sepolia
Currently, the RETROBLOCK prototype requires Google Chrome browser and supports Coinbase and Metamask wallets.
What problems it solves and how it solves:
RETROBLOCK addresses key problems in the retro gaming communities. Firstly, it provides a seamless platform for organizing and participating in retro game competitions, solving the challenge of autonomous prize distribution using Web3 technology. Additionally, it fosters community engagement by offering a space for players, content creators, and enthusiasts to connect and collaborate. RETROBLOCK's integration of NFTs will add value by allowing users to buy, sell, and trade unique in-game assets, creating a vibrant economy within the platform.
What audience it solves them for:
RETROBLOCK targets a diverse audience of gamers who appreciate retro-style gaming and are looking for a twist of modern, and engaging experience. It appeals to both casual players and competitive gamers who enjoy participating in tournaments and earning rewards. Additionally, RETROBLOCK attracts content creators, tournament organizers, and gaming enthusiasts who seek a collaborative and immersive environment.
Explain the benefits:
The main benefits will include a unified platform, which provides a harmonic experience for retro-style gaming competitions. The platform will provide different flavors of competing experiences. With embedded games that are managed and adapted to RETROBLOCK, we eliminate the need for gamers to manually create tournaments and handle all entry fees and prize distribution. This autonomous prize management will ensure a fair and transparent distribution in tournaments. The integration of NFTs in RETROBLOCK will create a vibrant economy within the platform, allowing users to buy, sell, and trade unique in-game assets. This provides opportunities for gamers and content creators to monetize their skills and assets, enhancing their overall experience. Through its features like achievements, rankings, rewards, and personalized avatars, RETROBLOCK will offer a sense of progress and rewarding experience for users. This encourages continued engagement and loyalty among the community.
How it works and utilizes Stellar and/or Soroban:
RETROBLOCK will leverage the capabilities of Stellar and Soroban. It will utilize Stellar and Soroban for implementing smart contracts, ensuring secure and transparent transactions within the platform, including prize distribution, score registration, tournament management, and NFT operations (i.e., minting, ownership transfer, verification and authentication)
Project URL
Code URL
Video URL
Pitch Deck URL
Project Categories
Project Type [If End-User Applications]
Other Chain Description
Section
Requested Budget in USD ($)
Total Expected Roadmap
Total Expected Roadmap
1. Current Phase:
Budget Allocation: The total budget required for the current phase with the deliverables mentioned in this grant application is estimated at $50,000. This includes expenses for development, testing, integration, and deployment.
Funding Sources: In addition to potential funding from the SCF Awards, we will seek funding from strategic partnerships within the gaming and blockchain communities.
2. Expansion Phase:
Metaverse Integration: Expand RETROBLOCK's capabilities by creating and integrating a metaverse, allowing users to explore a virtual world, interact with other players, and participate in more immersive experiences. This phase will require additional funding of approximately $50,000 for design, development, and integration.
Governance Implementation: Implement governance support mechanisms to empower the RETROBLOCK community with decision-making and incentivize participation. Approximately $40,000 will be needed for the development and implementation of governance structures.
DAO and AI Integration: Deploy RETROBLOCK as a DAO, integrated with artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to enhance UX. The goal is to develop predictive models to analyze player behavior and improve engagement by personalizing gaming experiences, with tailored rewards and optimizing matchmaking. This phase will require an additional investment of $50,000 for R&D, and integration.
Total Budget Required:
The total budget required to complete the entire roadmap, including the two phases (metaverse, governance, DAO, and AI integration), is estimated at $190,000.
Funding Sources:
Besides SCF grants, we intend to explore strategic partnerships within the gaming and blockchain communities to secure additional funding and resources for project expansion.
Section
Public Entity Name
Technical Architecture Doc
Deliverables List
[Deliverable 1]
Development of Smart Contracts
Brief description: Implement smart contracts in Soroban for tournament management, score registration, and prize distribution.
How to measure completion: Successful implementation and passing tests for functionality
Estimated date of completion: week 1 (1 week of work)
Budget: $10,000
[Deliverable 2]
Platform Development
Brief description: Develop RETROBLOCK platform with 3D environment and basic functionalities like game selection and tournament registration. Integrate Stellar wallet to interact with the blockchain.
How to measure completion: Full integration of functionalities, successful testing of each feature, and demonstration of the platform.
Estimated date of completion: week 3 (2 weeks of work)
Budget: $18,000
[Deliverable 3]
NFT Marketplace Integration
Brief description: Develop and integrate a 3D NFT marketplace within RETROBLOCK for buying, selling, and trading in-game assets using Stellar wallet.
How to measure completion: Seamless integration of NFT marketplace with the platform, successful execution of transactions using Stellar wallet, and testing of marketplace functionalities.
Estimated date of completion: week 5 (2 weeks of work)
Budget: $17,000
[Deliverable 4]
Test, Refine and Deploy
Brief description: Test platform, refine features, and launch RetroBlock on Stellar.
How to measure completion: Successful completion of testing, identification and resolution of any issues or bugs, and successful deployment on Stellar with demonstrated features.
Estimated date of completion: week 6 (1 week of work)
Budget: $5,000
Entity Description
Team bio
Dr. Marcio Moreno was a postdoctoral researcher at CWI (Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica) in the Netherlands. He has a PhD from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) in Brazil.
In the past year, he co-founded a tech startup called MOBR Systems, with co-founder Dr. Rafael Brandao. They both graduated in Computer Science and worked as Research Scientists at IBM Research for 7 years, where they co-authored multiple papers and patents together.
Their background includes Web3, AI, Knowledge Engineering, Distributed and Decentralized Systems, Multimedia and Hypermedia Systems, Human-Centered Computing, among other research topics.
Dr. Moreno LinkedIn Profile: https://linkedin.com/in/marcio-moreno-phd-598a459a/
Dr. Moreno Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=PfdmrPUAAAAJ
Dr. Brandao LinkedIn Profile: https://linkedin.com/in/rafaelrmb/
Dr. Brandao Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=3ta0InEAAAAJ