The Key to Widespread NFT Gaming Acceptance is Play-and-Earn

5 min readAug 6, 2021

Several blockchain games are being produced and pushed as blockchain games, rather than excellent games in which decentralized technology is only one component.

Hundreds of projects have produced games that leverage blockchain and (NFT) technologies since 2017. The entire idea is inspirational, and it has gained a strong following from both fans and investors. However, the business is still in its infancy, and we have a long way to go before it becomes widely adopted.

There are several stumbling blocks on the way to this promised paradise. Some of the major hurdles are that NFT games rely too much on their money-making characteristics as a selling factor and lag behind traditional games in compelling game mechanics. But this isn’t going to last.

NFT gaming’s current state

To comprehend NFT games, we must first comprehend NFTs. NFTs are digital things that are indivisible, rare, and one-of-a-kind. Recently, they’ve been almost inextricably linked to the news, as many artists and celebrities have issued and sold them as uncommon collectibles. While this does get into one of the technology’s natural use cases, it is only the beginning.

Games can take NFTs and turn them into a big part of their economy, which may give players a lot of power back because in-game purchases will be “owned.” These things, as NFTs, may be resold on secondary marketplaces, lent out, moved outside of the game, and so constitute a tangible investment. Developers have the opportunity to be even more inventive. Items, for example, can be fractionalized, aggregated into an index fund, exist in several games, develop with each trade, and so on.

Several video games go wrong

A key issue with many currently available blockchain games is that they are being produced and pushed as blockchain games instead of excellent games in which blockchain is only one component. Companies concentrate on the ownability, traceability, and monetization elements, integrating fundamental gaming mechanics with Unity Asset Store components or pixel artwork graphics. It may entice those looking to make money, but many gamers take one glance and return to their favorite titles.

It’s not only that blockchain game creators are struggling to attract players. These titles are frequently unsustainable by definition. Consider this: If the main appeal is the prospect of generating money, these platforms will automatically attract people who prioritize money above other parts of the game. That implies that their primary objective is to derive as much value from the platform while giving as few as possible. Rather than typical games, we’re talking about trading and gambling games.

Underneath this arrangement, more experienced players frequently profit off novice players, while those who are “poor” at making money will quit the ecosystem. With no genuine gaming appeal, the tide of eager new players will rapidly dry up. As once the price of native assets or money has been debased as a result of this process, the originating profiteers will almost probably move on to a newer game where they can do it all over again, leaving the last title in a state of limbo. These gaming paradigms must alter if we are to see broader interest or significant developer support.

Taking down the disruptors

We’ve previously discussed some of the potentials that decentralization innovation may provide, but as we’ve seen, this doesn’t necessarily convert into a fantastic product. For starters, game makers aiming for a broad audience must discover methods to include blockchain advantages into their games without making it the critical selling point. They must determine how genuine ownership of in-game assets improves gameplay. Any focus on playing the game to generate money, even if technically correct, is hazardous since it will attract the wrong crowd and come across as frivolous or unmanageable.

Developers must strike an appropriate balance between NFT assets and regular in-game assets. Everything does not have to be an NFT or a cryptocurrency. Making every item tradeable and purchasable risks exacerbating the issues with the “pay-to-win” paradigm that has afflicted far too many current titles. Users with sufficient resources may bypass key gaming features, while less fortunate players would be outnumbered entirely, degrading the encounter for both.

That will be up to the developers to strike a balance, however having multiple levels of goods, some on-chain and others not, may assist with this problem. High-level NFTs may be freely exchanged, but only high-level characters who have put in the effort may use them. There are several potential answers, but more than likely will require some talent to keep both the game and the developing market in check.

Furthermore, the method in which players interact with blockchain objects is not yet intuitive or smooth. Many decentralized systems still require some expertise to operate correctly, but this is too much friction for most players. When a consumer buys, sells, or transfers something, the transaction must be dependable, fast, and need a few clicks as feasible, which is already the sort of interface that gamers anticipate, so blockchain should ideally not interfere with it.

Play-and-earn rather than play-to-earn

The NFT videogames of the future must be enjoyable. Users should be saying things like, “Truly, I’d play it anyhow, but the fact that I own what I earn makes it even better!” Anything less than this reaction would have difficulty retaining gamers in an era when there are already so many entertainment alternatives. The key selling point here is allowing gamers to make money while doing something they like doing for fun, not a digital alternative for a day job.

The fact is that NFT gameplay is a no-brainer; we’re simply waiting for more developers to figure out the right formula, which is not a simple process. A great game requires an experienced crew, resources, and a lot of time, and most companies are probably too afraid to include NFTs in their games for fear of customer reaction. Furthermore, once it occurs, we will witness a significant industry movement toward NFT gaming, even among the most prominent brands.

While not every game requires NFTs, blockchain technology may one day be as prevalent in gaming as internet access has become over the previous 20 years. Developers need to ensure that new games are at least as entertaining as the ones that players are now enjoying, if not more so.

Source: Cointelegraph news