Gaming has been a hobby for many since its advent in the early seventies. It has been evolving from then, with improvements in devices, game graphics, and creative aspects to provide immersive entertainment to players. Although such developments excited gamers, opposers’ words have always been along the lines of changes in health, behavior, and wastage of time. Gamers have also felt the need for some form of real-world incentives for a long time as gaming industry giants have reaped a lot over the years. Blockchain technology has brought a revolution to the gaming industry (and yes, pretty much everywhere) with the Play-to-Earn (P2E) gaming model, which we will see in detail.
Play-to-Earn (P2E) Games: An Introduction
Play-to-Earn (P2E) gaming platforms are where players can earn rewards that can be used in the real world by playing games. The rewards earned will be in the form of in-game items registered as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) or in-game native tokens Players can sell in-game assets secondarily and exchange native tokens for other crypto or fiat tender.
While the gaming platforms look the same as their earlier Web2 counterparts (unless one is playing a P2E VR game), the incentivizing mechanism runs on the blockchain, which brings the differential factor. The fact that all in-game items and tokens a gamer earns truly belong to them for usage offers a whole new perspective to the gaming industry.
Popular Play-to-Earn Games in the Current Web3 Landscape
Axie Infinity
Axie Infinity is a popular Play-to-Earn game developed by the Vietnamese gaming studio, Sky Mavis. The game is based on battles (both versus players and the environment) using little digital monsters known as “Axies,” which are registered as NFTs. The game runs on Ethereum and Ronin, a side-chain on the Ethereum blockchain. Players earn SLP (Smooth Love Potion) tokens on battling and breeding, which can be used to acquire in-game items. AXS tokens are the governance tokens that are used for voting on proposals. The game is planning to delve into a totally player-run ecosystem without third-party intervention.
The Sandbox
The Sandbox is a metaverse platform based on voxels similar to Minecraft but with blockchain intervention. The platform developed by the popular Web3 gaming firm Animoca Brands runs on Ethereum and Polygon networks, appealing to huge volumes of gamers and NFT enthusiasts. Here, gamers can build their own games and other spaces inside The Sandbox’s environment through which they can yield benefits. SAND is the in-game cryptocurrency, which is required for every transaction inside the platform. Apart from gaming, it has also seen social events such as concerts by popular artists, which have been received well among gamers.
Decentraland
Decentraland is a metaverse P2E platform built on the Ethereum network. Here, gamers can buy LAND parcels using MANA crypto tokens and create their spaces (games, art galleries, and even mazes) in them. The platform is mostly run by users, and it is continuously evolving. Gamers can engage in activities with NFT avatars and even buy accessories for their avatars on the in-game marketplace. Decentraland’s early entry into the P2E metaverse space meant it had seen multiple social events over the years. Experts say that Decentraland could become the first full-fledged metaverse with support for VR and AR devices.
Splinterlands
Splinterlands is a P2E trading card-based game similar to Pokemon and Magic: The Gathering. It is built on the Hive blockchain network with support to Ethereum, TRON, and WAX. The NFT character cards can be used to win tournaments, ranked play, and quests. These cards can also be sold secondarily on external NFT marketplace platforms such as OpenSea, Monster Market, and Peak Monsters. Gamers earn rewards in the form of Dark Energy Crystals, the in-game crypto tokens, and other assets such as cards with varying rarity, card packs, and magic potions. The game has become popular recently for its gameplay.
Meta Cricket League
Developed by GuardianLink on the Polygon network, Meta Cricket League is the world’s first P2E cricket game that launched recently. Within a short time, the game has earned popularity among gamers due to its gameplay and rewarding mechanism. Gamers need to have NFTs of batsmen and bowlers to participate in competitions. On winning matches and earning ranks in the in-game leaderboard, players are rewarded with Jump Trade (JT) points, which can be used to level up and buy NFTs or exchange them into fiat tender. The game is still evolving with some promising features mentioned in its roadmap, which excites gamers.
What Does the Future Hold for P2E NFT Games?
While the Play-to-Earn model has attracted concerns from dedicated game devs for focusing too much on financialization (which looked obvious in some previous P2E games), it has been receiving praises for the most part. Today’s P2E games concentrate on providing immersive experiences like in the olden days, with new genre-based games released often. The P2E revolution also paved the way for other game-based earning mechanisms such as Move-to-Earn (M2E) and NFT rentals. While M2E focuses on players’ well-being by incentivizing healthy lifestyles, NFT rental schemes are useful for gamers to earn passive income even if they do not play the game.
P2E Game as a Venture
Play-to-Earn games have become a ladder for many Web3 gaming studios, and yours can be another soon if you have the idea. Good games are always welcomed by the community, and realizing your thoughts is as important as the idea itself. To build a quality P2E game, consider working with an experienced P2E game development firm that can offer all its support to bring your NFT gaming ideas to life.
