The opportunity in Web3 gaming is quickly evolving.

Games like Star Atlas are pushing the boundaries of digital commerce, exploring whether in-game transactions could include real-world products and services.

Roundtable anchor Rob Nelson and Michael Wagner, CEO of Star Atlas, discussed the future of retail in the metaverse, including the possibility of selling both virtual and physical items, as well as offering content like webinars and media within the game.

Addressing Nelson's question about setting up a retail shop in Star Atlas, Wagner explained, "It's fully within the vision that we enable physical product sales within the game as well, even using the game's currency. Now, does that exist today? The answer is no... But the first phase of this would be having a retail storefront in-game and using resources from the game to produce digital assets like NFTs, collectibles, and cosmetic skins."

Nelson further inquired about selling content or even physical goods within games. Wagner confirmed, "It's a perfectly viable option... Imagine you've purchased a university asset in the game and you're hosting classes within that university, and perhaps you sell an NFT that grants access through the doors into the university."

Wagner emphasized the potential for immersive experiences in Star Atlas, pointing to the game's massive scale. "Some of the largest assets in our game are effectively larger than most complete video game maps that exist out there... If you're the owner of that Titan-class ship, you can host either a conference or say a concert on your ship itself."

Citing examples like Travis Scott’s Fortnite concert, Wagner suggested Star Atlas could offer similar large-scale events. "We've already seen this executed in games like Fortnite... The same concept could apply to Star Atlas, a Titan ship, and the person that owns it contracts with an artist to come perform a performance on ship."