By Larry Wright
Introduction
Web3 has brought revolutionary change to many different businesses, particularly the gaming industry. Web3-based games represent a significant departure from conventional gaming ecosystems as it provides players with the opportunity to interact in a new, decentralized, and definitely innovative method.
People are able to “play to earn” via the use of digital currencies and NFTs. This opens up gamers to a more democratic process and provides the primary control of the midfield at her disposal, as opposed to relegating it to a single centralized authority within the context of the game.
In spite of the fact that in conventional gaming, in-game material and virtual investments may be acquired via the use of real-world money or can be earned as prizes, game administrators continue to maintain their ownership of the copyrights to this kind of subject matter.
To put it another way, gamers do not have ownership over the crypto assets that are included inside the game. However, with respect to decentralized gaming servers like web3, any and all data relevant to the game is saved on server farms, which are entirely controlled and operated by the game operators or players. The makers of video games do not have access to the services or expertise to track and moderate trades in any way.
However, it should be noted that grey markets have emerged as a result of the inefficiencies of centralized servers and conventional games, which has provided an opportunity for cybercriminals to intrude and attack.
This puts virtual currencies in significant danger of being lost, fraudulently acquired, or stolen due to the fact that they are stored on a centralized server, which is inefficient when it comes to protecting oneself from being hacked.
Web3 gaming provides cutting-edge solutions to solve all of these issues, including the employment of DAOs, also known as Decentralized Autonomous Organizations, with decentralized gaming environments; blockchain-based exclusive ownership rights; play-to-earn; crypto-protected gameplay wallets; and metaverse gaming.
Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the idea behind web3-based gaming is rather distinct from those of traditional gaming platforms.
This article will shed light on the many facets of Web3 gaming as well as the alluring characteristics of these games. Let’s move ahead with it!
What is Web3 Gaming?
The emergence of new technological developments has traditionally been accompanied by the beginning of fresh waves of change across a variety of different sectors. No one could have ever envisioned how the most successful companies in Silicon Valley could revolutionize businesses for all of us when the internet first became available. The world is getting ready for the web3 boom, and for all good reasons.
When having a conversation on “What is Web3 Gaming?” the first thing that should be addressed is, of course, what is meant by “web3-based gaming.” The concept refers to a fresh approach to gaming that is conducted in a decentralized manner. Any and all actions that take place inside web3 games or gameplay communities, including the exclusive ownership of in-game resources and sensations, are far beyond the reach of any centralized authority, and there’s no solitary owner of it.
Within the decentralized environment of the web3 gaming ecosystem, participants retain full control over all of their interactions, including their virtual assets and every valuable they earn online. Indeed, the introduction of blockchain-based technology, the concept of decentralization, into the gaming industry is one of the most significant new features employed by web3 gaming.
You may uncover a beneficial link between the challenges that have plagued the traditional gaming industry and the features of web3 games if you look carefully enough at both sets of facts.
For instance, the advantage of decentralization in the web3 games permits teams to have their voices heard and truly provides them the option to speak out regarding their point of view as it comes to expecting the results of the games they play.
Moreover, in contrast to the pay-to-play paradigm utilized in traditional games, play-to-earn esports, which are accessible on web3 platforms, present unique benefits. Features and functionality that allow for the exchange of assets or transferable gaming tokens are some of the most eye-catching characteristics that can be found in web3 games.
The provision of trustworthy digital marketplaces is a significant driving force behind the growing significance of web3 games in the cryptocurrency industry. Gamers of Web3 games may have easy accessibility to all in-game crypto assets as well as complete control of those elements. In addition to providing compatibility and interoperability, the videogames make it possible to store in-game virtual currencies using non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
Through the use of cross-chain connections, contemporary blockchain networks like Polkadot are able to provide users with the benefits of interoperability too. Hence, so many benefits come alongside Web3 gaming; you just have to dive into it and explore more.
What Are the Most Distinguishing Characteristics of Web3 Gaming?
People are able to own and sell in-game assets and treasures in the form of one-of-a-kind non-fungible tokens (NFTs) utilizing bitcoins and other forms of cryptocurrencies under the value-exchange gaming paradigm known as web3 gaming.
Web3 gaming is an open-source game platform that provides players with gaming options that include self-sovereignty and decentralization. The following is a list of essential characteristics shared by Web3 gaming platforms:
Interoperability and Exclusive Ownership of the Gaming Framework
Self-sovereignty is an option made available by Web3 gaming, in which the user is able to fully control in-game assets, including artifacts in the type of electronic NFTs. In conventional gaming, individuals have ownership over in-game properties and ornaments, but if they want to switch gaming platforms, they will lose the whole of their properties.
This issue may be remedied with Web3 gaming, thanks to its provision of genuine ownership and compatibility across several platforms. Based on a single gaming console, gamers may acquire in-game valuables and then take those assets with them to another game system they participate in. Hence, you can swap platforms as per your preference without worrying about any of your assets, as they can always be transferred!
Transparent Operating Mechanisms
Web3 game ecosystems are self-sustaining, requiring just a small amount of upkeep, and there is no meddling whatsoever from any government. Because it uses block minting and a substantial game data storage capacity, Web3 gaming has almost no downtime and is very expandable.
Moreover, web3 gaming is a decentralized system in which games are housed on a network, rendering them invulnerable to hacking attempts. The game built on blockchain technology does not have a central point of failure; instead, it depends on voter consent to change the gaming procedure, and it’s openly applicable to all gamers that can use the application. Web3 gaming maintains a high degree of openness and transparency because of this feature.
Integration of Classic Games
Another interesting aspect of the Web3 gaming world is that it adds a lot of traditional game concepts into the metaverse or blockchain technologies, so giving these types of games a transparent way of operation. The act of gaming is unique to every individual, and each player has a gaming aspect that attracts more than others.
Web3 offers the opportunity for players to increase their experience by expanding the videogames into a whole new game zone, the metaverse. Here, users may create their own personas and involve in in-game commodity and collectable trading with other colleagues. Hence, web3 is a perfect amalgamation of conventional and the latest gaming infrastructure; it has the perfect crunch of both!
Player-driven Gaming
The Web3 game ecology is customized for each user depending on their preferences. Players stand to gain in different ways by participating in Web3-based games. One of them would be the play-to-earn component, in which they improve profitability via their own in-game components, and the other is old-game assimilation, which satisfies the participants’ interest in the game their favorite series on the metaverse.
Both of these aspects take very good care of the participants’ hope of making revenue through their possessions. Self-sovereignty is supported in Web3 gameplay, which is yet another facet of player-driven gameplay that works to the players’ advantage.
Role of DAOs in Web3 Gaming
As understood earlier, web3 is capable of spawning an entirely new world of gaming, where both the player and producer are at a high advantage. Let’s talk about the Decentralized Autonomous Organization, often known as the DAO, which constitutes an important in we3 gaming.
DAOs are corporations that are able to operate without the need for a central authority figure. These organizations are regulated by digital computers and smart contracts according to parameters primarily fixed in them.
These regulations are openly recorded on a blockchain, thereby allowing a DAO system to carry out orders automatically by using data from the outside world. With DAOs, gaming ecosystems have the opportunity to exercise their own agency and choose the direction the project will take. There is a multitude of instances of DAOs in which portfolio managers may vote and govern the initiative.
This is a new type of administration, which replaces the corporation’s secretive decision-making procedure with a technology hub, where every choice is open to the public and can be accessed by the entire population. Again, possession is the key to unlocking the doors to this building.
Therefore, it is considered a twofold involvement. This is because with DAOs, one owns a phase of the work, and one has the right to determine how the project will eventually happen.
The purpose of gaming DAOs is to serve as gaming networks built on open-source software. They are not associated with any of the game administrators or operators in any way, and developing player-driven gameplay is their primary and foremost goal.
Gaming decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) have the ability to share the copyright of a product among multiple game communities; thereby, they allow gamers, game creators, speculators, and dealers to participate in this process of distribution.
In Web3 gaming, as pretty evident, gaming DAOs are a powerful play-to-earn mechanism. These ground-breaking ideas for video games provide players rewards in exchange for their playing engagement and achievements inside certain gameplay. The old gaming methods of playing do not have access to the same advantages, and this is precisely what differentiates DAO from the rest.
DAO voting is much more democratic than traditional shareholder voting since there are almost no territorial restrictions on who may vote in a DAO. Additionally, shareholder voting cannot be conducted on the blockchain; instead, they need the participation of human mediators, thus, making the whole consensus process even more reliable. All that is required to create a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) is a well-built collection of smart contracts, in which the coding is completely open and foreseeable, as previously discussed.
One of the most important aspects of Web3 is the requirement to purchase assets, which may be rather expensive given that there is currently no actual game being developed. Participants in Web3 have expressed a great deal of concern over this matter, and it is accurate that a number of the initiatives have successfully raised funding despite turning out to be little more than schemes to take money away.
Everyone else, however, provided an edge in the form of early admission and proceeded on to construct a sophisticated and visually appealing center of value and enjoyment. The initial investors were compensated fairly for their insight, perseverance, and—of course—their willingness to take a risk that had the opportunity for a large payout.
Lastly, it should be noted that participating in a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) does not necessarily need an expensive NFT. Sometimes just owning the token is sufficient. Participants have the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to the platform by holding or voting whenever they earn NFT or cryptocurrencies as a result of their games.
Drawbacks of Play-to-Earn Games
Play-to-earn is, without any doubt, an innovative and exciting model to work with. During the initial months of its introduction into the gameplay market, it received substantial support for all good reasons. The concept seemed to be extremely advantageous and inspired a tremendous deal of interest, particularly around the game Axie Infinity.
Nevertheless, this resulted in the quick emergence of a few issues. Players received their winnings in the form of cryptographic tokens when playing on the web3, but to use the money, they were required to transform the tokens into fiat currency.
However, as a result of all of the selling, the price of the tokens dropped, which ruined the economic framework that was planned. So, the users were expecting that they would make more, but due to the rising inflation and dropping crypto prices, pretty often, they made way lesser money than what they primarily anticipated, which was really disappointing.
The second issue is that players who are used to more conventional forms of gaming are often reluctant to use digital money. Even in the perfect case situation, it may be difficult for them to come up to speed on using cryptocurrencies due to the high learning curve involved.
Instead of putting their prospective customers through the arduous process of studying cryptography before coming back for the playoffs, organizations need to take an active role in developing user nurturing. This was again a major drawback, yet, luckily, there have been numerous interventions in order to combat this issue.
A type of streamlined enrolling has already been available in initiatives such as EVOS.gg; the player is provided with a unique wallet in which to store any cryptocurrencies and NFT awards that they earn. There is no requirement to visit a cryptocurrency exchange, acquire any prior knowledge about networking and charges, or make any purchases.
However, the most crucial challenge to note here is how play-to-earn gaming is changing people’s attitudes towards gaming. It is no more fun and games and is something way more serious. Participants of the web3 play only for the purpose of earning as many tokens as they can, completely ignoring how they can by exploiting the game’s system this way.
The purpose of Web3 should have been to add value rather than to take away all of its worth. This has been so intense that games are no longer a fun, relaxing activity to do. It’s more of a “money” thing, and that’s where the whole idea of web3 is going wrong.
Conclusion
The incorporation of blockchain and related technologies into the gaming business was a game-changer for the whole videogame industry, and Web3 gaming was responsible for this transformation. The elimination of centralized game managers or proprietors of popular games has resulted in the democratization of the gaming community. As a result, the transition to gaming on Web3 is a golden step in the gold run towards a more revolutionized, innovative digital game sector.