In a recently published article, two esports gamers expressed interest in blockchain gaming, indicating that using Web3 technologies in games could become popular among professional players, bucking a trend that has seen most novice gamers criticize the use of NFTs and other features of Web3 in titles.
Erik Engel, a professional Dota 2 player for the Gaimin Gladiators team, said in a statement that blockchain gaming is something he wants to explore in the future, and that he is excited to see what companies will produce with Web3 technology. In his view, if the tech improves games and makes them more rewarding for players, that is something to look forward to.
In addition, Max Ng, a Rocket League professional gamer, said the idea of adding new features to games is something any game can benefit from, especially if they reward the time and expenditure that gamers make when playing. While he has not dived deep into Web3 gaming, he plans to do so at the end of the esports season.
The statements from both gamers may come as a surprise to some. The average gamer has criticized the use of Web3 technology in games for nearly two years, with common complaints being that the tech doesn’t add much to gameplay and that the addition of NFTs, in particular, create a system where players can ‘pay to win.’
Both Engel and Ng have won significant amounts of money as professional gamers, with Engel earning over $400,000 from various competitions as part of the Gaiman Gladiators team. CoinTelegraph, another Web3 publication, solicited the quotes from both players. Rarity Sniper has followed up with Engel for further comment.
Will blockchain games be the next innovation in Web3?
There are many who believe Web3 gaming is the next big thing in the space, and the one innovation that can onboard billions of users. The bullishness comes from two factors: the growing popularity of video games and the ability for Web3 tech to create a new type of game that gives players ownership of in-game items.
According to recent statistics, there are approximately 3.09 billion video gamers worldwide. That’s around 39% of the population of the entire human race, representing a huge chunk. In addition, that number has risen over 1 billion in just seven years, a 32% increase. The entire market for video games is nearing $200 billion.
Web3 games briefly had a hey-day before the bear market. Titles like Axie Infinity took over different parts of the world, with many players able to earn an income greater than minimum wage just by playing the game. But ultimately, these titles did not catch on with the mainstream gamer, in part because the games offered little more than an ability to earn money.
Many Web3 gaming studios are now focusing on a more crucial aspect of games and eschewing the ‘play-to-earn’ motto that turned off many gamers. Instead, the goal is to make the blockchain games fun to play, with good graphics and sterling gameplay. Then, these studios believe, the mainstream gamers will come.
Of course, Web3 tech changes gameplay inherently. The ability to turn items into non-fungible tokens, which the players own and can trade, would create in-game economies that generate players income. Eventually, players may be able to take items in-between games, creating interoperability between universes.
Those are just some of the developments ahead in Web3 gaming, and why it may change the world.
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