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Web3 Games won’t be using Discord channels forever, says Sky Mavis co-founder.
Discord community groups for blockchain games can be overwhelming and frustrating to navigate, but don’t worry. According to the co-founder of the company that created the hit game Axie Infinity, they won’t be around forever.
“The reason these games use Discord and Telegram to build their communities is because of gatekeeping by these publishers or app stores, because blockchain games can’t be distributed on regular channels like iOS the same way other games can. .” Sky Mavis Chief Operating Officer Aleksander Larsen told Web3 Gamer.
This puts blockchain games at a disadvantage compared to traditional games from the start, and developers have essentially had to find other ways to get the word out without relying on mailbox flyers.
“So you have to build your own distribution channels, basically Discord or mailing lists, so that you can reach your players in a noble way.”
Video game company Valve has long made clear that it will not allow content related to cryptocurrencies or non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on Steam, its online retail platform.
However, Larsen believes that as blockchain gaming becomes more widely adopted and more popular titles emerge, harsh anti-cryptocurrency statements from game publishers will fade. When that happens, it will be easier to rally the community and reach your target audience than relying on Discord, as many developers currently do.
“I think we’re going to see somewhat more of that in terms of having a distribution platform that game studios can leverage to help them get their first 1,000 true fans and their first 10,000 users through traditional means. ” he says.
Larsen knows his stuff pretty well. He is one of the co-creators of Sky Mavis’ blockchain-based game metaverse Axie Infinity, which has 2.8 million daily active users.
Now, with the release of Ronin Forge, he’s using his knowledge of creating successful games to help developers create the next big hit.
This is an early access program for experimental Web3 games that provides approved game developers with a $50,000 grant, technical infrastructure, and access to building the Ronin Network, the Ethereum sidechain that hosts Axie Infinity.
He’s looking for games that have the potential for mass adoption and that will stand the test of time.
“What we’re looking for now is to make these games more sustainable so that these economies last longer. This can only happen as the games become richer from a metagame perspective,” explains Larsen.
He also doesn’t like mediocre games with flashy graphics.
“I would say we need higher quality games, not just higher quality in terms of graphics, but higher quality in terms of storytelling,” he says.
“I’m more interested in that than fancy graphics,” he laughed.
Ronin Forge is currently accepting applications from up to six teams. Ideally, applicants should have a game in late alpha or early beta stage and aiming for a global release within 3-6 months.
SocialFi’s “emotional” connection is key to big spenders.
Allen Ng, co-founder of OpenSocial Protocol, says SocialFi could be the key to keeping Web3 gamers addicted for longer and spending more cash.
“We tend to spend more time and money when we are not alone. The average time and money spent on mobile games is much higher than on consoles.” Ng told Web3 Gamer: He has repeatedly said that SocialFi, a mix of social media and decentralized finance (DeFi), could be the key to revitalizing blockchain-based gaming. It achieved the same level of success as Niantic’s Pokemon Go and Supercell’s Clash of Clans.
“From Clash of Clans to Pokemon Go, the most successful mobile games all have a strong social layer that improves user retention, gaming experience, and ARPU (average revenue per user),” he says.
Ng explains that the social aspect increases competition between users and, in some ways, provides bragging rights, which is a big aspect of social media. He cited platforms like X as prime examples.
“X is essentially a game of social status: who will get the most retweets and ridicule or ridicule ‘the other’ who has a different opinion than you,” he says.
“We need Web3 Social to help games conduct transactions not only between gamers and the game, but also with each other,” he adds.
Ng reiterates that ultimately, when it comes to the fundamentals of gaming, people play online games to hang out with friends.
“It builds emotions and bonds between players and teams. It won’t be just you and “The Matrix” anymore,” he adds.
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Sure, it’s fun to see weird usernames floating around, but what really matters is the camaraderie.
“Social is an important aspect of gaming. “I play online games because I have friends,” he says.
OpenSocial recently launched a $15 million ecosystem fund to “power” the next generation of Web3 social apps.
Ng explains that SoMon (aka “Social Monster”), the first decentralized application (DApp), is a Reddit-like forum with true community ownership, UI layer configurability, and financial incentive layers.
“We expect strong adoption of SoMon by gamers, not only because of the rewards and monetization mechanisms, but also because it is a fun experience to talk about the games we love and connect with like-minded people,” explains Ng. .
MetaRun, a play-to-earn blockchain arcade runner game built on Epic Games’ game engine Unreal Engine 5 and powered by the BNB chain, is a very simple runner game. Run as far as you can, avoid and collect enemies and objects. compensation.
It’s actually one of my favorite games of all time. Because for some reason I’m stuck with a disappointing game that never satisfies me…
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This game looks easy, but you can see how it’s played. If you fall over a stick, start again. If you collide with an enemy, start over. Achieve a new high score, spend the next time trying to beat it, fall on another stick and repeat.
If you like popular arcade games like Temple Run, Jetpack Joyride, or Subway Surfers, this game is worth a try if you want to invest your time to earn some cryptocurrency.
You can collect Opal (OPAL) cryptocurrency tokens to win runner battles. You can also build character NFTs by participating in battles and then sell or hold your NFTs on the MetaRun Marketplace.
There are a variety of maps to explore, which adds a lot more to the game compared to the same old maps found in other arcade runner games.
This map is much more detailed than the maps in other runner games.
Sometimes it feels like I’m racing through Europe. Other times through the jungle.
The audio and style are reminiscent of Crash Bandicoot. Fans of the ’96 classic might feel a little bit of mom’s basement nostalgia.
The graphics are sharper than Crash Bandicoot, but let’s be honest – these arcade runner games don’t need amazing graphics to be fun.
Other news
— Sky Mavis announced that it recovered $5.7 million from the infamous Ronin Bridge hack in 2022 with the help of Norwegian authorities.
— The Sandbox, a Metaverse company, just secured $20 million in a funding round at a $1 billion valuation.
— The Arbitrum Foundation, the team responsible for Arbitrum, the Ethereum Rollup-based layer 2 network, has secured 225 million Arbitrum (ARB) tokens, worth approximately $215 million, to be distributed over three years through the newly established Gaming Catalyst program. I promised to do it. .
— American fast food chain McDonald’s has launched the “My Happy Place” metaverse in Singapore, where locals can create virtual burgers and participate in other activities.
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Ciaran Lyon
Ciaran Lyons is an Australian cryptocurrency journalist. He is also a stand-up comedian and radio and TV presenter for Triple J, SBS and The Project.