What is a Node?
As Gala Games has burned blockchain rubber recently to become one of the fastest growing gaming companies in the world, you may have heard more people talking about nodes. First, let’s talk about what exactly a node is, then we’ll get into explaining what owning a license and operating a node for the Gala Games ecosystem can do for both Gala Games and you, the gamer.
The simplest way to define a node in terms of technology is a point at which lines or pathways intersect or branch. Even simpler: A connecting point. Because of the way blockchains work, sharing encrypted data across distributed networks in “blocks,” each computer in that distributed (or decentralized) network is called a node.
In blockchain, a node is a computer that is connected to other computers and shares information according to a certain set of rules. In terms of the most familiar blockchain to most, Bitcoin, a “full node” is a computer that hosts a copy of the entire Bitcoin blockchain. These nodes are imperative for keeping the peer to peer blockchain running properly, and the node operators or “miners” are rewarded for their efforts by earning varying amounts of Bitcoin.
Bitcoin (as with most blockchains) is a decentralized network, which means that it relies completely on the computers that make up its network of nodes. Blockchains can also exist in a more centralized way when the majority of the computing power for the network is provided by the central company that owns them.
Why Decentralize?
You are catching a glimpse of the dawn of the extremely bright and long day of Gala Games. Before you can understand the need for a wide and fully distributed ecosystem of nodes to shoulder all the hosting and computing power to keep the network running, you need to grasp the true magnitude of Gala’s plans and goals. By the time all Gala node licenses have been distributed, the company is expected to run multiple game studios, each producing multiple games. Because every one of these games will empower players by making them true owners of their assets, massive computing resources will be required to keep the network stable and running smoothly.
In fact, considering the paradigm shift underway in gaming toward play-to-earn and own-your-experience, the scope of Gala Games may very well eclipse the largest centralized game studios of today, with which many of us are already familiar. Because of the power and potential behind the ideas of cooperation and distribution, Gala is able to think bigger than game companies of the past. And with the help of an incentivized ecosystem of enthusiastic node operators, they can accomplish far greater things. So when asking yourself the question “Why should a company distribute their operations,” the simple answer becomes because together we can set incredible goals, and together we can reach them.
What is a Gala Node?
Gala nodes are now being distributed through the sales of node licenses by Gala Games. While the distributed network of nodes does not yet carry the full workload of powering the network, node operators are currently rewarded for running nodes in two main ways. First, operators receive daily distributions of GALA (the token of Gala Games). Second, they are rewarded with NFT drops based on a provably fair and random distribution method. As more players join Gala and the workload of the network continues to grow, more of that workload will be gradually shifted to the shoulders of the distributed network of node operators, whose computers will be happily prepared to handle it. It’s almost like Gala Games is in a massive hiring phase, but instead of hiring only people, they are hiring computers that can share the burden of growth in the operation of the network.
Gala nodes are simple to install and operate on any computer, not requiring any crypto mining hardware and only taking small amounts of a computer’s memory while running. All an operator must do after acquiring the license is download and install an executable file on their computer. Because this system has been designed for wide mainstream distribution, very little technical knowledge is required to own and operate a node. Still, for those who want it, the technical data is readily available in both official Gala releases and community-driven projects designed to boost the Gala Games ecosystem. More information about these details including links to more in-depth analyses can be found IN THIS POST.
Rewards and Costs
Gala node licenses are being sold at an increasing price model based on how few remain to be distributed. First, the total amount of nodes to be distributed is 50,000. For each 100 nodes sold, the price of the license increases by $100. This means that the final 100 licenses of the total 50,000 will be sold for $33,000 each.
Eventually, Gala nodes licenses will be made into NFTs that are easily tradable on secondary markets. Gala nodes should not be viewed as an investment, but as a way to support the Gala ecosystem for rewards. Rather than considering the node a token in which you have invested, think of it as an employment agreement for your computer. Your computer will contribute its resources to the distributed Gala network, and as a reward, you will receive GALA and various non-fungible tokens.
Distribution of GALA
GALA is distributed to node operators according to the following system using a provably fair method of distribution. The amount of rewards received per operator can be broken down into a sort of point system. For operating a licensed node, you would receive 1 point per day. For each node being operated by one of your direct referrals or one of your referrals’ direct referrals, you would receive .1 point. Finally, when a direct referral of yours purchases a node license, you would receive 10 points for that day, which would take the form of a GALA bonus in your rewards treasure chest.
The total amount of GALA that will ever be created and distributed to node operators is 50 billion. In the first year of operation (7/22/2019 - 7/21/2020), 25 billion GALA was distributed, which broke down to 68,493,150.68 per day.
Each subsequent year, the amount of GALA created is halved. This means that in the current year, 34,246,575 GALA is created per day, and so on. Using this pattern, the amounts of created and distributed GALA will become smaller and smaller.
This is where the long-term vision of Gala Games comes into play. By the time GALA rewards have dwindled from years of halving, there will be multiple game studios in the Gala ecosystem, each with multiple games, and all with assets that can be owned by players. So the Gala node reward structure is designed to shift over time from being rewarding in mostly GALA to being rewarded in mostly NFTs and in-game assets. There is no doubt that as the distributed ecosystem continues to grow, so will the various types of owned items that can be dropped to the operators of the 50,000 founder nodes as rewards.
Imagine
Imagine a company that puts the power of owning and earning truly into the players’ hands. Imagine a system that allows players to not only buy, but sell items as they see fit, giving them the freedom to explore an endless world of new games and new opportunities. Imagine a game studio that values the original and creative thoughts of its users as much as the game studios of the past have valued the thoughts of their owners. And finally, imagine that this ultimate company of games is powered by a decentralized network of you, the players. Gala Games is that company, and they’ve only just begun.
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