Game developers’ role in elevating Web3 gaming — Breaking the stigma

Since its inception in 2017, Web3 gaming (a.k.a. blockchain gaming) has faced significant hurdles, leaving the industry at a critical crossroads — adapt or perish (as some believe). But others, including myself, are confident that the world of Web3 games is merely undergoing a much-needed transformation, having only recently shed the hype-driven mentality that marked its infancy. 

To put this into context, one must remember that mobile games had similar challenges. The quality of the first games, created primarily by enthusiasts and indie studios, was noticeably poor. The infrastructure needed for developing and delivering high-quality games was absent. Fast forward to today, the global mobile gaming market has increased from $118.34 billion in 2022 to $138.63 billion in 2023, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.1%. 

For Web3 games to reap the same rewards, game quality, sustainable economies, engagement and fun must be a top priority. Here’s a deeper look at each.

Enhancing game quality

In the gaming industry, quality is a multifaceted concept comprising tangible and intangible elements — all of which contribute to the player’s overall experience. And the seven areas game developers should focus on to improve game quality are as follows:

• Gameplay: Quality gameplay is characterized by well-designed game mechanics, logical rules and a balanced system that promotes fair play.
• Visual aesthetics: High-quality graphics, animations and design elements significantly contribute to a game’s appeal.
• Story and narrative: A compelling storyline and captivating characters can turn a good game into a great one. 
• User interface and user experience (UI/UX): A high-quality game offers a smooth, intuitive and easily navigable interface. 
• Performance and stability: A good game performs reliably across various devices and platforms and is free from glitches, bugs and crashes that can disrupt gameplay and frustrate players.
• Sound design: Quality sound effects, background music and voice acting enhance immersion and give depth to the gameplay. 
• Replayability: This involves elements like varied gameplay, unlockable content, difficulty levels and multiplayer options.

Developers must create high-quality games with captivating gameplay, aesthetically pleasing visuals, compelling narratives, intuitive UI/UX and outstanding performance. 

Building sustainable economies

A sustainable economy refers to a well-balanced and self-perpetuating in-game financial system that is driven by the players’ actions, remains viable over the long term and contributes to the overall health and longevity of the game. Unfortunately, many of the early Web3 games were missing this. But here’s how developers can avoid this.

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• Focus on tokenomics: A sustainable Web3 game will have a well-thought-out tokenomics model that encourages balanced player participation, stimulates in-game trading and avoids inflation or deflation scenarios.
• Create a fair and balanced earning model: Play-to-earn was a fundamental aspect of early Web3 games and it’s still relevant. The only difference is that a sustainable economy will have a fair and balanced earning model that rewards players on their effort, skills and time spent in the game — not the money they spent.
• Enable true asset ownership: A sustainable economy will manage a player’s assets — including in-game items, characters, land, resources and weapons — in a manner that maintains their value over time, preventing oversupply or saturation that could devalue these assets. 
• Incorporate decentralized governance: This allows for the incorporation of player feedback into economic decisions. Governance prerogatives should be gained by players based on the value they provide for the game’s overall ecosystem.
• Ensure scalability as security: As the game grows and attracts more players, the underlying blockchain infrastructure must be able to scale to handle increasing transaction volume while maintaining low fees and fast transaction times. The game’s economy must also be secure. 

In summary, a sustainable economy balances supply and demand, incentivizes player participation and ensures the fair distribution of resources and rewards.

Increasing engagement

Engagement can be understood as the level of player’s involvement, interaction and commitment to the game. It’s an amalgamation of a player’s interest, enjoyment and overall satisfaction that influences the time and effort they’re willing to invest in the game. Here are some key elements that lead to a more engaging experience. 

• Intriguing gameplay: The fundamental element of engagement is gameplay that captivates the player. This means well-structured mechanics, unique features and clear progression systems that provide a sense of achievement.
• Social…