On today's episode of Empire, Santiago Roel Santos is joined by Kieran Warwick, co-founder of Illuvium. Illuvium is an open-world, collector and auto battler game with high-res graphics and dynamic gameplay mechanics. Illuvium focuses on bringing both entertainment and earning into the core gameplay. It might just be the Pokémon of Web3. We discuss the inspiration behind Illuvium, how to build a AAA studio-level game, how NFTs empower gameplay and the key to Illuvium's success. Links: Kieran's Twitter: https://twitter.com/KieranWarwick Illuvium: https://www.illuvium.io/ Illuvium Gameplay Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzT88eN4gts&t=120s&ab_channel=Illuvium Live Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KeNzTaJhmQ&ab_channel=Illuvium -- Follow me and Santiago on Twitter, @JasonYanowitz and @santiagoroel; let us know what you thought of the show! Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UTePv1CR3APdKOiosR3Iq?si=41bc452345b649f9 Subscribe to the podcast on Apple: https://apple.co/3srZf7M -- Timestamps (00:00) Introduction (01:10) Creating A Passionate Community  (04:43) Launching A Token (10:22) Inspiration Behind Illuvium (15:10) What's It Mean To Build a Good Game? (19:01) Utilizing Capital Formation (23:51) Scaling Illuvium  (25:42)Playing For The Entertainment Value  (30:49) How Do You Think About Competition? (33:12) Will Traditional Gaming Studios Use Crypto? (34:54) Building On Top Of Illuvium (36:45) Pokemon, NFTs, and Interoperability (44:35) Scarcity vs Utility (52:35) ETH Lizaards  (55:49) Investing In Illuvium  (1:01:50) How To Get Involved -- Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.