MFL's gamble with GenAI soccer players is fascinating, but let's be real: the Web3 space is littered with projects that promised the moon and delivered… well, dust. Is the Metaverse Football League’s (MFL) photorealistic renovation a real progress? Or is it just a bright and shiny object to keep us from focusing on the real problems we need to solve? I’m more on the side of cautiously optimistic, but with a large dose of skepticism.

Realistic Faces, Lasting Value?

The real question isn’t whether photorealistic players lead to short term engagement and value. NRFF CEO Mathurin Blouin discussing the role of immersion and unlocking future potential MFL immersion certainly helps, but it’s not a magic bullet that ensures success. Remember Second Life? Eyeball-searing graphics, mind-numbing hype, and in the end… a game for a small core.

This transition from caricature to life-like is remarkable, and provokes a number of thought-provoking queries. Will these AI-generated faces actually connect with players on any kind of emotional level? Or will they mistake it for bland design, devoid of the character and craft found in the original designs. In fact, I’d make the case that often, a more expressive and stylized approach can be more arresting and impactful than aiming for hyperrealism.

Consider the uncanny valley effect. The more real something gets, the more distracting even the tiniest glitches are. Will players lose themselves in idealistic fantasy over the AI’s failures, seizing on the negative as opposed to reveling in the world?

Let's be brutally honest: the appeal of NFTs often hinges on scarcity and collectibility. Similarly, if MFL can spit out millions of photorealistic generated players thanks to the wonders of GenAI, doesn’t that devalue its promise? What does it mean when AI is able to create immaculate players, optimized not only for performance but style? Does that subsequently make for an unfair advantage and spoil the trial-and-error natural evolution that lends gaming to being competitive yet fulfilling? It's a slippery slope.

Ethics of the Algorithm

Here's where things get really interesting. Fellow earthlings MFL likes to brag about their proprietary, home-grown, custom-built AI pipeline that gives them total control. Great! However, who gets to determine the algorithms that assign these player identities? Are they really random, or are there biases lurking in the background?

I don’t need to point out the many ways that AI has been shown to be racist, sexist, and biased against other marginalized communities. How is MFL working to be fair and representative in its AI-powered content creation. What systems are currently in place to ensure that discriminatory or racist player characteristics cannot be created?

It is not only a technical concern, rather it is a moral concern as well. As Web3 projects increasingly rely on AI, they have a responsibility to ensure that these technologies are used ethically and responsibly. Or we run the danger of replicating the same disparities in a different, more pernicious form.

And what about the authenticity? How can we insist that we are truly celebrating this idea of digital ownership when the assets that you own were created by an algorithm. It’s kind of like having the print of a great painting vs. having the real McCoy. As you might imagine, the perceived value is quite different, despite the fact that the aesthetic experience can be largely the same.

Web3 Sustainability, Beyond the Hype

We don’t do any Web3 tokens with MFL—NFT utility is how we roll. Smart move! From mass convenience to mass chaos The token craze largely ended up being a disaster, bringing in speculators and Ponzi schemers more than legitimate users. But just because someone “owns” a digital file through an NFT doesn’t mean that’s a sure ticket to sustainable future.

MFL’s business model depends on selling player and club NFTs. Sure that works today, but how about five years from now? Will there continue to be demand for these assets? Or will the market get flooded, leaving millions of other Web3 games fighting for scraps?

  • Sustainability Concerns:
    • Continued demand for NFTs
    • Competition from other Web3 games
    • Adaptation to changing technology

The wonderful thing about traditional gaming is that it’s all about gameplay, narrative, community. Players spend their time, money and energy because they fell in love with the game. Unlike private investors, they’re not simply in search of a quick asset flip return. Can MFL impute that same sense of intrinsic value to its work?

MFL is already profitable, and projects $2 million in revenue by the end of 2025. While that’s a laudable accomplishment, it’s a drop in the bucket compared to the titans of the gaming industry. To be able to catch on and really compete, MFL must do something that traddy games just won’t be able to. Is GenAI-powered photorealism enough? I'm not convinced.

Perhaps the answer is to look beyond design and style alone. What if instead MFL had harnessed AI to make deeply dynamic and personalized gameplay experiences? Think dynamic, AI-generated narratives that change depending on player decisions, or AI-enabled coaches who offer customized advice and direction. That would be a game-changer.

Ultimately, MFL's success will depend on its ability to build a sustainable business model, address the ethical implications of its AI-driven content, and offer a compelling gameplay experience that transcends the hype. That’s a big ask. If they do, they might just prove that GenAI is not just another buzzword taking over the Web3 hype cycle. They might actually create something that lasts. I’ll be cheering from the sidelines until then. Though my skepticism will be high, so too will be my flicker of hope.