Igor Tanzil, the Chief Creative Officer (CCO) at Confiction Labs, is a key figure behind Riftstorm and the broader Occultical universe. He plays a critical role in the company's efforts to redefine the gaming and entertainment industries through Collaborative Entertainment (CE), a new model that leverages player input to shape game narratives. In this interview summary, Tanzil discusses his journey, the transition from traditional game development to the web3 space, and how Collaborative Entertainment could change the future of the industry.

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The Journey to Confiction Labs

Tanzil’s creative journey began in filmmaking. While studying film in the United States, he discovered his natural writing talent in a college copywriting class. Encouraged by a professor, he expanded his skill set, exploring other creative fields and connecting with like-minded individuals. However, personal circumstances led him to return to Indonesia, where he shifted his focus to the gaming industry, initially as a marketer.

This experience reignited his passion for storytelling, and he eventually co-founded a studio. His efforts were instrumental in putting Indonesia on the map in the gaming development scene. Today, at Confiction Labs, Tanzil is using his diverse experience to push the boundaries of game development, leveraging the power of web3 technologies like blockchain and NFTs.

Igor Tanzil, the Chief Creative Officer (CCO) at Confiction Labs

Transitioning from Web2 to Web3

When Tanzil first encountered web3, he, like many others, was skeptical, viewing it as a passing trend. However, the rapid rise of NFTs and blockchain-based games like Axie Infinity caught his attention. Confiction Labs began receiving pitches from web3 teams looking for game developers, but many of these projects lacked long-term vision, focusing solely on quick releases rather than creating sustainable and enjoyable gaming experiences.

 "Before we got into web3, all we saw from the game developer side was Axie Infinity and how they were making in a day what we were targeting annually. Our team was working on mobile games with projections that weren’t even close to all these web3 games. Truthfully, initially, we all thought it was just going to be a fad that’s going to pass."

This shift in the industry inspired Tanzil and his team to dive deeper into web3 technologies. They saw an opportunity to use blockchain not just for financial gains but to preserve player legacies, enabling assets and characters to have real, long-term value. This idea of "legacy" became the foundation for Riftstorm and led to the broader development of Collaborative Entertainment.

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Introducing CE: A New Paradigm

At its core, Collaborative Entertainment (CE) is about empowering players and creators to have meaningful input in the games they play and the IPs they interact with. Tanzil explains that the concept allows for varying levels of involvement. Players can directly influence game narratives through their actions, while creators can contribute ideas that shape the evolution of game worlds.

The ideal vision of Collaborative Entertainment is that anyone can have the agency to choose how they interact with an IP. If they want to create, they can have their input. If they just want to be consumers, then maybe that consumption itself can have a direct impact on the IP. That’s definitely that bigger vision: empowering as many people as possible to have a choice in how an IP grows and evolves over time.

In Riftstorm, for example, player decisions impact story arcs, game outcomes, and even the world itself. Tanzil cites games like Eve Online, where player-driven stories and conflicts emerge organically, as a significant inspiration for CE. He envisions this approach extending beyond gaming, giving players and creators alike the power to impact intellectual properties (IPs) across different media.

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Impact on Creatives and the Industry

For creatives, Collaborative Entertainment offers a new way to contribute to franchise building. Tanzil, who originally aspired to be a filmmaker, sees CE as a way to break down the barriers that traditionally limit creative input to a select few. He draws inspiration from collaborative writing platforms like the SCP Foundation Wiki but acknowledges that even these communities can be difficult to break into.

"This is the part that really excites me. Before entering the gaming industry, I wanted to be a Hollywood filmmaker and write films, but my circumstances hindered that. It was already difficult to get into Hollywood, and when I was working as a copywriter for an advertising firm, I wasn’t able to secure a work visa. Despite that, my writing experience would be what helped me land a bigger opportunity in Indonesia, where I joined the gaming industry. When we started Confiction Labs and began conceptualizing Collaborative Entertainment, I realized its potential to empower a new generation of creatives."\

What is Collaborative Entertainment 

Confiction Labs aims to simplify the process for creators by introducing repositories where ideas for characters, stories, and monsters can be submitted and built upon by others. Tanzil sees this as a game-changer for writers, artists, and designers who might not have the resources to develop full-fledged projects but can still make meaningful contributions to an IP.

He stresses that the future of entertainment shouldn’t be limited to a small group of decision-makers in Hollywood or any other industry hub. By democratizing input and allowing creators to build on each other’s ideas, CE has the potential to revitalize stagnating franchises and inject new life into the broader entertainment industry.

"How does this change the experience for creatives? As franchise builders, we need to have the willingness to accept input from creators at any scale. The big studios can come and say they want to take our concept and build a game. A writer could have an idea for this monster but they don’t have the time to draw concept art. Even then, they can spend a day writing an entry, submit it, have it reviewed by the market and then potentially have it canonized down the line."

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A Vision for the Future

Looking ahead, Tanzil believes that the next 12 months will be crucial for Confiction Labs as it tests the core principles of Collaborative Entertainment with Riftstorm. The ultimate goal is to prove that CE can work not just for one game or IP but for a wide array of franchises. Over the next five to ten years, Tanzil hopes that CE will fundamentally shift how society values creativity, allowing ideas to be shared, built upon, and equitably rewarded on a global scale. 

The long-term vision is clear: to create a system where millions of creators can have a voice in the development of IPs, breaking the traditional barriers of the entertainment industry. You can read the original article here. In Tanzil's closing words words, “What Collaborative Entertainment has the potential to do is put value on ideas. Ideas can be shared and everybody can build on top of them, and they are equitably rewarded.”