The web has gone through various iterations and evolutions over the decades, and today we’re living in the web3 era, defined by blockchain technology.
While most of the focus falls on cryptocurrencies in this context, it’s also worth noting that web3 gaming is gaining traction, and might have a more significant impact on the industry in the long run.
So what is web3 gaming, and what explains the blossoming popularity that it has achieved in the past few years?
The basics
On the surface, web3 games are not radically different in their design or mechanics from earlier games. They’re intended to be fun, and interactive, and support multiplayer competition between players worldwide.
Where they differ is in how the ownership of in-game assets is handled. Players can purchase or earn NFTs (non-fungible tokens) that belong to them, rather than remaining the property of the game’s developer or publisher.
These NFTs can be sold or traded with other players, and even transferred outside of the game’s ecosystem for use elsewhere.
In this sense, web3 games are play-to-earn rather than paid-for or free-to-play. Users can grind out NFTs and associated digital tokens, which aren’t restricted to the world of the game but can have a life beyond it.
How to get more users for a web3 game
In terms of winning over new players for web3 gaming products, it’s necessary for developers to research their audience rigorously, as well as investigate competitors and see which models work well elsewhere, and which could do with being improved or expanded upon.
Good old-fashioned marketing is also a must. Web3 games won’t find an audience on their own but need to be promoted on different digital platforms to ensure that brand awareness grows and the player base increases in size over time.
Exploring the popularity of this niche
There are a few aspects of web3 gaming which are bringing more people on board by the day, including:
The rewards
The play-to-earn model isn’t an empty promise. These games genuinely reward persistent players with digital assets that have an innate value, and which can in turn be traded or sold to benefit them financially.
Traditionally, gaming has been seen as a pastime that you buy into. Now in the web3 epoch, it’s one that pays you back for your time and dedication.
The Prestige
Much of the rise of NFTs more generally can be put down to the way that they allow people to show off their wealth and represent the communities they care about online. Having a Bored Ape or Guilty Bunnies profile picture on social media has become a sign of being part of a movement, and web3 games piggyback on this same trend.
The gameplay
If a game isn’t enjoyable, then it doesn’t really matter how many crypto assets it can earn its players. Thankfully the majority of the biggest hitters on the web3 gaming scene are fundamentally fun experiences, and cover a lot of different genres, from shooters to dungeon crawlers to sci-fi sims and beyond.
The decentralization
The video games industry is often wracked by controversy, with big developers being slammed for everything from their treatment of the player bases to their workplace cultures.
Because web3 games are decentralized in nature, they don’t leave players as limited in what they can do and how they can play. And this is a refreshing change of pace for an industry that’s been in need of a shake-up for some time. So web3 gaming is very much here to stay.
