The Future of Gaming With Ryan Wyatt

March 31, 2022

AI Summary

5 min read

Ryan Wyatt, the former head of gaming at YouTube who now runs Polygon Studios, describes his journey from competitive Counter-Strike in the early 2000s to becoming a senior executive at one of the world's largest tech companies, and then leaving it all to go all-in on web3. He frames his career as a series of bets on things that sounded insane at the time—first that people would watch other people play video games, and now that blockchain-based digital ownership will transform gaming and eventually all digital experiences. The conversation covers Stripe's re-entry into crypto, Yuga Labs' acquisition of CryptoPunks, the mechanics of NFT IP rights, and the long road ahead for blockchain gaming.

The Stripe and Yuga Labs Moves

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What you'll learn

1 (02:13) **Opening Banter & Haircut Economics** - Hosts discuss haircut costs and the price difference between the US and Canada.
2 (03:28) **Pre-Interview: Stripe's Crypto Pivot** - Hosts analyze Stripe's full-suite crypto API rollout as a major validation for web3.
3 (12:00) **Pre-Interview: Yuga Labs Acquires Larva Labs IP** - Discussion of the Bored Ape Yacht Club creators buying CryptoPunks and Meebits.
4 (24:20) **Interview Begins: Ryan's Background & Esports Origins** - Ryan Wyatt's early life in Ohio, competitive Counter-Strike, and the dawn of esports.
5 (33:30) **The Polygon Founding Story & The "Chip on the Shoulder"** - Why Ryan joined Polygon, the underdog story of its Indian founders, and his own blue-collar upbringing.
6 (49:36) **The "Red Pill" Moment: From YouTube to Polygon** - The specific triggers that led Ryan to leave a top role at YouTube for web3.
7 (57:34) **Polygon Studios' Role & Onboarding Developers** - How Polygon Studios acts as a "devrel" conduit to onboard web2 and web3 developers.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

What does the future of gaming look like on the blockchain? We’re joined by a leader in the space Ryan Wyatt (@Fwiz). He’s the former global head of gaming partnerships at Google and head of gaming at YouTube, where he also led their virtual and augmented reality business. Wyatt now serves as the CEO of Polygon Studios. In this episode of Where It Happens, Ryan discusses his path from high school gamer to successful businessman, the future of blockchain gaming, and the power behind play-to-earn.

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Ryan Wyatt: https://twitter.com/Fwiz

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Greg Isenberg: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg

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