From Madden to Solana: How Ian Cummings is Revolutionizing Horse Racing Gaming

In the rapidly evolving world of blockchain gaming, few projects have managed to capture the essence of traditional sports while leveraging the power of Web3 technology quite like Photo Finish. At the helm of this innovative horse racing game is Ian Cummings, a veteran game developer with over 23 years of experience in the industry. Cummings, best known for creating the iconic "hit stick" feature in Madden NFL while working at EA Sports, has brought his expertise to the Solana blockchain, crafting a unique gaming experience that blends the excitement of horse racing with the potential of cryptocurrency and NFTs.

The Journey from EA Sports to Solana

Ian Cummings' journey in the gaming industry began in 1999 when a chance encounter with EA Sports recruiters at the University of Tennessee set him on a path that would shape his career. Starting as a tester for Madden 2000 PC, Cummings quickly fell in love with game development, working his way up through the ranks at EA Sports over the course of a decade.

During his time at EA, Cummings made significant contributions to the Madden NFL franchise, most notably creating the "hit stick" feature in Madden 05. This innovative gameplay mechanic, which allowed players to execute powerful tackles with a flick of the right analog stick, became an iconic part of the series and even entered the sports vernacular.

The Birth of the Hit Stick

The story behind the hit stick is a testament to Cummings' creativity and the collaborative nature of game development. The idea came about as EA Sports was looking for ways to utilize the right analog stick in their games. Cummings, who had recently started working with motion capture technology, proposed the concept of using the stick to trigger massive hits on the field.

To bring this idea to life, Cummings recruited his best friend, Ted Welch, a former collegiate football player, to serve as the tackling dummy for the motion capture shoot. The result was a series of bone-crushing animations that would become a staple of the Madden series for years to come.

Cummings reflects on the impact of the hit stick: "We contributed to the national conversation with this just like random idea. But yeah, I had a Twitter thread I did like maybe a couple of years ago. I was actually going to re-bring it up. And just because I sent Ted some emails of like, you know, could you respond back? And like, what were you thinking? What happened?"

Transitioning to Mobile and Free-to-Play

After leaving EA Sports, Cummings ventured into the world of mobile and free-to-play gaming, working at companies like Zynga and FanDuel. This experience exposed him to new business models and game design philosophies, but it also left him feeling unfulfilled creatively.

"I thought, well, free to play is really kind of the future here. I got to learn it," Cummings explains. "So I went to Zynga after that thinking they are going to be the best, you know, chance to learn like the sort of science of free to play."

However, Cummings soon found himself yearning to build his own projects. The rise of the App Store presented an opportunity to release games to a global audience, and Cummings seized it by creating the first version of Photo Finish, originally called Derby King.

The Birth of Photo Finish

Cummings' decision to focus on horse racing was not driven by a personal passion for the sport, but rather by a calculated assessment of market opportunities. "I googled top sports in the world. And I love sports. I love sports games," he recalls. "You're going down. Okay, there's soccer, football, there's NFL, there's tennis. They're like, oh, maybe I can make tennis. Not bad. I'm like moving my way down and cricket. I don't know how cricket works. You know, and the number five is horse racing."

Recognizing the lack of quality horse racing games in the market, Cummings saw an opportunity to fill a niche. "This feels like a sport that is under sheriff," he explains. "That was the first sort of thesis. And then as I'm looking at it, I'm like, well, this is pretty easy to make."

Entering the World of Crypto Gaming

As Photo Finish gained traction in the mobile gaming space, Cummings began to explore the potential of blockchain technology and NFTs. The success of NBA Top Shot in early 2021 caught his attention, prompting him to consider how crypto could be integrated into his horse racing game.

"Start of 2021 is when I saw a top shot, finally kind of lift off. And that was like, oh, crypto's now here," Cummings recalls. "You know, people can now accept this. I'd seen and tried crypto kitties and other stuff early on, but thought, well, this doesn't work. These gas fees and all this stuff is insane."

The Unique Approach of Photo Finish

What sets Photo Finish apart from other crypto games is its innovative approach to game design and tokenomics. Unlike many projects that rely on inflationary supply and constant power creep, Photo Finish introduces a natural lifecycle for its digital assets.

Cummings explains the core concept: "Whatever you buy is gonna die. You know, that was really a different, like everyone in 2021 in NFTs, they're immutable, they're gonna last forever. I'm gonna take this and give it to my grandkids. I'm gonna use this thing that I bought here in Fortnite 10 years from now."

The Power Law and Sustainable Game Design

One of the key innovations in Photo Finish is the implementation of what Cummings calls the "power law" or "power curve." This concept addresses a common problem in free-to-play and crypto games: the ever-increasing power creep that can make games unsustainable in the long term.

"If you continually increasingly add assets, like you've got to chase it," Cummings explains. "You know, so if some user is getting better and better and better and better, what does the new user do? Not like he's never going to catch up. And so you have to keep creating assets up at the top of the curve. And then you end up creating this game that's like only for the top 1% of the people that are playing."

To combat this issue, Photo Finish introduces a natural lifecycle for its digital horses. Each horse ages and eventually retires, creating a more dynamic and sustainable ecosystem. This approach not only mirrors real-world horse racing but also ensures that new players always have a chance to compete and succeed.

The Genetics System: A Game Within a Game

At the heart of Photo Finish's gameplay is a sophisticated genetics system that adds depth and strategy to horse breeding and racing. Cummings describes it as "a full genome" for each horse, with breeding mechanics that simulate real genetic inheritance.

"Even their coat colors are 100% accurate to real life coat color genetics," Cummings proudly states. "And so every bit of the detail is there. So you get this kind of Jurassic Park thing where you're trying to mutate, you're trying to push him out of his normal."

This intricate system creates a metagame where players can analyze bloodlines, study racing histories, and make strategic breeding decisions to create the next generation of champion racehorses. The depth of this system has fostered a passionate community of players who dive deep into the genetics and strategy of the game.

Community Engagement and User-Generated Content

One of the most striking aspects of Photo Finish is the level of community engagement it has fostered. Players have taken ownership of various aspects of the game, creating their own content, strategies, and even in-game economies.

Cummings shares an example: "Big Brain, he owns a large majority share of a track in the game. It's called Big Brain Fairgrounds. You know, he branded it with his own logos. And what that means is he's also getting some of that derby, the in-game currency, that's flowing through that track that's helping him empower his stable."

This level of player involvement creates a self-sustaining ecosystem where community members are incentivized to promote and improve the game. Cummings sees this as a key advantage of the Web3 model over traditional gaming: "I think that's where I really am stoked to see what Web3 can do, because that is the part, the ethos of just really like giving people an aligned ownership with you and them, which was so opposite of how mobile was."

Partnerships with Real-World Horse Racing

Photo Finish has secured partnerships with major players in the horse racing industry, including NBC and the Kentucky Derby. These collaborations not only add legitimacy to the project but also create unique opportunities for cross-promotion and engagement.

The partnership with the Kentucky Derby is particularly significant. "We are the, you know, proud official partner, official game of the Kentucky Derby," Cummings explains. "And so getting that license took years. A lot of discussion, very painful. But for me, that was how I thought we should absolutely be in business with a company like this and form our moat."

This partnership allows Photo Finish to host virtual Kentucky Derby events within the game, complete with official branding and tracks. It also creates a bridge between the virtual and real-world horse racing communities, with Photo Finish players traveling from around the world to attend the actual Kentucky Derby.

The Future of Photo Finish and Web3 Gaming

Looking ahead, Cummings envisions a future where Photo Finish becomes increasingly decentralized, with players taking on more ownership and control over various aspects of the game. He sees potential for track owners to determine race schedules, entry fees, and other parameters, creating a truly player-driven economy.

"We could hypothetically leave the game entirely. We could get out of the way entirely. The entire schedule, all of the races could be determined by the track owners," Cummings muses. "They could decide who's racing there, how much it costs to enter, which races they host. And we're just sort of like, well, and then they, what's cool about that is like, right now we're trying to attack it very much from a design standpoint. We're trying to say, okay, this is the population, forces, you know, we're trying to like really get it dialed in."

Challenges and Opportunities in the Crypto Gaming Space

While Photo Finish has achieved significant success, Cummings acknowledges the challenges facing the crypto gaming industry. He notes that the space is still relatively small and that bringing in mainstream users remains a challenge.

"I was definitely tricked at the beginning by feeling like it was on fire and there was going to be a million users here when in reality, there's not that many like players in the space for sure," Cummings admits.

However, he remains optimistic about the potential for growth and innovation in the space. The aligned incentives between developers and players, the ability to create truly open economies, and the potential for real ownership of digital assets all point to a bright future for Web3 gaming.

Conclusion: A New Paradigm for Sports Gaming

Ian Cummings' journey from creating the hit stick in Madden NFL to pioneering a new model of horse racing game on the Solana blockchain is a testament to the evolving nature of the gaming industry. Photo Finish represents a bold step forward in sports gaming, combining deep gameplay mechanics with the innovative potential of blockchain technology.

By addressing common issues in free-to-play and crypto games, such as inflationary economies and power creep, Photo Finish offers a sustainable model for long-term engagement. Its partnerships with real-world horse racing entities and its community-driven approach create a unique ecosystem that bridges the gap between virtual and physical sports.

As the Web3 gaming space continues to mature, projects like Photo Finish are leading the way in demonstrating how blockchain technology can create more engaging, fair, and sustainable gaming experiences. With its innovative approach to game design and its commitment to community ownership, Photo Finish is not just a game about horse racing – it's a glimpse into the future of sports gaming and digital entertainment.

Facts + Figures

• Ian Cummings has over 23 years of experience in the gaming industry, including a decade at EA Sports working on the Madden NFL franchise.

• Cummings created the iconic "hit stick" feature for Madden NFL 05, which became a staple of the series and entered sports vernacular.

• Photo Finish, Cummings' horse racing game on Solana, implements a unique "power law" system to ensure long-term sustainability and fairness.

• Each horse in Photo Finish ages in real-time, with one year passing every four weeks, creating a dynamic ecosystem.

• The game features a sophisticated genetics system that simulates real-life horse breeding, including accurate coat color inheritance.

• Photo Finish has partnered with NBC and is the official game of the Kentucky Derby, bridging the gap between virtual and real-world horse racing.

• The top 10 horses in Photo Finish combined made over $75,000 in the last 30 days, demonstrating the game's economic potential.

• Photo Finish allows players to own virtual racetracks, creating opportunities for player-driven economies and content creation.

• The game's community has shown deep engagement, with players writing obituaries for their retired virtual horses.

• Photo Finish's initial NFT launch, the Stylish Studs collection, sold out quickly and attracted 15,000 new Discord members in 10 minutes.

• The game implements a token called "crown" as a form of user acquisition and marketing, rewarding players for racing.

• Cummings envisions a future where Photo Finish could become fully decentralized, with players controlling all aspects of the game economy.

• The Kentucky Derby partnership has led to over 40 Photo Finish players planning to attend the real-world event in May 2024.

• A community-created video of a virtual Kentucky Derby in Photo Finish garnered 1.5 million views on Twitter, surpassing the official Kentucky Derby video.

Questions Answered

What is the "hit stick" in Madden NFL and who created it?

The "hit stick" is an iconic gameplay feature in the Madden NFL video game series that allows players to execute powerful tackles using the right analog stick. It was created by Ian Cummings while working at EA Sports for Madden NFL 05. The feature became so popular that it entered sports vernacular, with commentators and fans using the term "hit stick" to describe big tackles in real football games.

How does Photo Finish's approach to NFTs differ from other crypto games?

Photo Finish takes a unique approach to NFTs by implementing a natural lifecycle for its digital assets. Unlike many crypto games where NFTs are permanent and unchanging, horses in Photo Finish age and eventually retire or "die." This system creates a more dynamic economy and prevents power creep, ensuring that new players always have a chance to compete. The game also features a sophisticated genetics system that simulates real-life horse breeding, adding depth to the gameplay and collectible aspects.

What partnerships has Photo Finish secured with real-world horse racing entities?

Photo Finish has secured partnerships with major players in the horse racing industry, including NBC and the Kentucky Derby. The game is the official partner and game of the Kentucky Derby, allowing it to host virtual Kentucky Derby events with official branding and tracks. These partnerships add legitimacy to the project and create unique opportunities for cross-promotion between the virtual and real-world horse racing communities.

How does Photo Finish implement player ownership and community engagement?

Photo Finish allows players to own virtual racetracks within the game, creating opportunities for player-driven economies and content creation. Track owners can host races, set entry fees, and earn in-game currency from events held at their tracks. This level of ownership aligns player incentives with the game's success, fostering a highly engaged community. Players have even taken to writing obituaries for their retired virtual horses, demonstrating the deep emotional connection they form with their digital assets.

What is the "power law" system in Photo Finish and how does it ensure game sustainability?

The "power law" or "power curve" system in Photo Finish is designed to address common issues in free-to-play and crypto games, such as inflationary economies and power creep. By implementing a natural lifecycle for digital horses, where they age and eventually retire, the game prevents the continuous accumulation of overpowered assets. This system ensures that new players always have a chance to compete and succeed, creating a more balanced and sustainable game economy over the long term.