Web3 Gamer – Cointelegraph Magazine

Farmville creators say the beta phase isn’t about delaying the game, it’s about making it better. Amit Mahajan.

It can be frustrating to see your favorite blockchain game being released in stages when you just wanted a finished product. But according to Mahajan, creator of hit games like Farmville and Pirate Nation, it’s worth it in the end because it leads to much better games.

“I actually like this whole build publicly and it always moves the game forward. It’s like launch and iteration.” Mahajan told Cointelegraph.

He explains that while this may feel like a tease to gamers and a cheap tactic to generate more excitement, it is incredibly helpful to developers.

“We need feedback. Your feedback is very valuable to us. So I like the early release and iteration model,” said the founder of blockchain gaming company Proof of Play, referring to the common practice in the blockchain gaming industry where games are released incrementally, sometimes over several years, with continuous additions before final release. He says.

Before transitioning to Web3 games, Mahajan co-created FarmVille, one of the most popular Facebook games of all time. FarmVille has had over 700 million downloads since its launch in 2009.

He admitted that the game didn’t receive a lot of love and affection before it was first released. The game was created and released in “just five weeks.”

“We released an update and things got better, and then we released another update and things got better again,” he says.

“We kept doing that and I think we eventually got to the point where literally everyone on Facebook had seen at least one Farmville post and 32 million of them started playing every day.”

Mahajan believes that 90% of what he learned came from releasing live games and receiving feedback from the community.

“Everything up to that point was only about 10% of what we had learned,” he adds. But he admires companies that can launch a perfect finished product right away.

“Maybe you have a company that releases a triple-A level game, expects everything to work fine once it launches, and then everything stops when the game drops,” he said. Laugh.

Moreover, he believes it is important to build a community as well as get feedback during the long wait ahead of launch.

“As we were building the game between 2022 and 2024, most people in our community were there because they thought what we were doing was really cool using technology, right?” He adds:

Mahajan’s latest gaming hit, the fully on-chain free-to-play pirate-themed role-playing game (RPG) Pirate Nation, has just launched its native token, $PIRATE.

“This community-driven launch is designed to fairly reward loyal players, Founder’s Pirates holders and supporters,” a recent statement reads.

Cryptocurrency rewards are not ‘important’ in blockchain games

Blockchain gaming companies should rethink how they market their products to gamers, suggested Sam Saliba, former vice president of global marketing at gaming giant Activision Blizzard.

“One big issue I have noticed is how blockchain games are presented and marketed to players,” Saliba told Cointelegraph, with whether the game is based on Ethereum, Polygon, or another blockchain becoming a key marketing point. insisted that it should not be done. Because no one cares.

“Most gamers don’t care what chain the game is on, they just want a compelling and fun experience,” he said, explaining that blockchain games “should be sold like entertainment products, not technology products.”

“Instead of focusing on the technical aspects of blockchain, developers and marketers should emphasize the compelling stories, exciting gameplay, and unique experiences their games offer.”

“Blockchain games can really shine if they make similar investments in storytelling and character development,” he asserts.

He also believes that there is no need to pay in cryptocurrency for games as long as they are good.

“I don’t think it’s important to include cryptocurrency rewards and earnings as part of blockchain games,” he says, claiming that only a small number of gamers are prioritizing cryptocurrency acquisition.

“While these rewards appeal to a niche market focused on financial incentives, most players are drawn to the fun and engaging aspects of the game itself,” he says.

Players must be incentivized through other means.

Saliba believes players still need to be incentivized, but the best way to do this is through a “strong player progression system” and rewarding gameplay design that makes players want to come back and keep playing.

“I want to see Web3 games succeed and attract more players. This will happen when the game itself is enjoyable and accessible,” he says.

When asked whether he thought his former colleagues and others in the traditional gaming industry were considering jumping to Web3, he said it was a no-brainer.

Saliba explains that the traditional gaming industry has seen the most talent layoffs and investment declines over the past two years.

“Furthermore, growth is expected to be flat or negligible in the coming years. In contrast, Web3 games appear to be growing at a better rate and many projects in Web3 games appear to be securing investment more easily,” he added.

“This dynamic creates a situation where game developers looking for work can more easily find opportunities in the Web3 space,” he says.

As for whether the pay is better, Saliba says Web3 isn’t always “more lucrative,” but it can be more satisfying because it allows for more creative freedom and “allows developers to focus on what they want rather than doing the same thing.” . Mega franchise with sequels every year.”

Hot Take: Arc8

If you have a cocktail arcade machine stacked with tons of games, you should consider adding Polygon blockchain-based gaming platform Arc8 to your mobile game collection.

Developed by GAMEE, a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, the app has 16 games to choose from, all of which can be played online with other gamers.

Matchmaking is very fast in all games. We tried to test which games were less popular, but found matches with players across the board in seconds.

It might seem pretty simple, but personally I only manage around 1 goal per 15 shots, so it’s definitely worth trying to see if you can beat my embarrassing ratio.

The latest game on the list is One Football Striker. As someone who loves soccer and is a decent player (despite my unrealized dream of becoming a professional), I find playing online really enjoyable.

The goal added on June 21st is simple. Compete with your opponents for points by adding spin and aiming for the circle in the goal.

There’s a wide variety of games to choose from, from soccer and card games to car racing and fighting, to a frustratingly addictive game called Hoops Shot.

Hoops Shot is a game where you throw a ball into a hoop shape as you move across the screen. Each successful shot leads to aiming for the next hoop, which is harder than it sounds when the hoops are underneath each other.

There’s a wide range of games to choose from, but you’ll probably find two or three favorites that you’ll keep playing.

Even better, you can earn GAMEE tokens (GMEE) just by playing. And the token’s performance is not bad either. The token has surged 173% over the past year and currently sits at around $0.02, according to CoinMarketCap data.

Other news

— Cult favorite Solo Leveling is set to debut a “Web3-enhanced version” of the franchise in Avalanche. It’s currently available in closed beta, and gamers can get an early access code by visiting the Otherworld community Discord channel.

— The highly anticipated sci-fi MMO MetalCore closed beta 3 release date is June 27th. Gamers can pre-register for private beta invites on the MetalCore website.

— Sky Mavis has put down its roots “deep” across Asia with the launch of its MMORPG game Lumiterra on the Ronin Network.

— Gaming investment giant Animoca Brands invested in UK-based Web3 gaming company Saltwater Games to develop an XR token that will power all games on the XR Network.

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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.