The gaming industry finds itself at an exciting crossroads. AAA Developers seem unable to retain players for more extended periods, whereas play-to-earn games captivate global audiences through monetary incentives. The role of blockchain in the gaming industry will only become more apparent, as there are numerous benefits to unlock.
2021 Was A Good Year For Gaming
A recent report on Newzoo confirms the gaming market has not suffered from the global pandemic in 2021. if anything, it has noted strong resilience and even growth in certain areas. That trend continues the 2020 growth, although many people expected a dropoff in revenue for 2021. Instead, consumers spent more on games than before, creating an industry worth over $180 billion.
Even though numerous AAA games faced delays and incomplete launches, and supply shortages affected new game hardware deliveries, gaming remains as popular as before. It is no longer a “seasonal” industry where numbers pick up during highly anticipated release windows. Instead, the new era of gaming content can continually attract users, spending, and growth.
One of the crucial growth trends in the mobile space. It is – by far – the most prominent aspect of the gaming industry today, yielding over $93 billion in revenue. That is almost twice the revenue of console gaming and nearly three times that of the PC games market. Additionally, browser PC games and tablet games note strong growth, creating new and exciting opportunities.
Blockchain Is Disruptive, But The Current Model Isn’t Enough
One emerging trend in the gaming industry is the involvement of blockchain technology. More specifically, a new trend in the space is called play-to-earn gaming. It revolves around tokenizing all in-game assets and giving players true ownership of whatever they earn in the game. They can then trade or sell these assets, creating real money-making opportunities.
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However, one has to wonder if the concept of “making real money” can affect the overall gaming experience. Depending on whether an upfront investment is required to play the game – acquiring character NFTs, for example – it may put a strain on how much “fun” one can have. The main objective, for many, is to recuperate their initial investment and then try to make a profit from the game. That can only work if there is a long-term business model for the game and its economy.
Moreover, one must acknowledge that play-to-earn – while a disruptive concept – may not necessarily be correct. Under a play-to-earn banner, every player would extract value from their gaming experience. Unlike traditional games, the value in a blockchain-based environment is monetary rather than “fun.” Instead, most games in this industry fall under the play-and-earn banner, where some people can extract value, but not everyone will.
One way to counter that aspect is by joining a crypto gaming guild. These guilds consist of players across various games to collect as many NFTs as possible. Moreover, guilds will provide players with the necessary tools – NFTs or other assets – to explore play-to-earn titles through a revenue split. That “grindy” aspect of P2E gaming may turn off some people, although the crypto gaming guild concept makes sense. Unfortunately, it prioritizes grinding over fun, not the best outcome.
Building Sustainable NFT-based Gaming Ecosystem
Although blockchain technology in gaming creates new opportunities, paying attention to the potential shortcomings remains crucial. New projects entering the space need to improve rather than use the model the first generation of blockchain games embraced. Battle Drones, a Solana-based game, introduces new concepts to alleviate the concerns above.
The team’s first objective is to create a sustainable, multi-stage project embracing a short- and long-term use case. More specifically, Battle Drones: Red Rock Resistance is the play-to-earn browser-based version of the game. The 3D isometric shooter will test players’ skills through the Onslaught game mode. Picking the right weapon to take down hordes of enemies is essential. As players progress, they unlock in-game achievements, get on the leaderboard, and earn rewards. Battle Drones: Red Rock Resistance will also receive updates featuring more weapons, enemies, and game modes.
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Most blockchain games would stop there and stick with their browser-based offering. The Battle Drones team goes much further and will bring an AAA PvP Battle royale shooter competing with Fortnite and Call of Duty to PC and consoles. Battle Drones: The Game features three-axis drone control and play-to-earn incentives for NFT holders and introduces a new shooter game dynamic. Furthermore, a drone racing mode will cater to other users, allowing for fully-customizable 3D Battle Drones.
This dual-game approach caters to those who prefer paying short-term attention to games and provides long-term and sustainable gaming opportunities. Initially, Battle Drones is an NFT artwork collection of 10,000 pieces, but these non-fungible tokens will serve purposes across the different games. Moreover, the team looks beyond introducing mere monetary rewards, as they have a multi-year vision for Battle Drones. Money-making opportunities and having fun while gaming should never be mutually exclusive.
