By Iskander Khabibrakhmanov
The hype around P2E has caused an influx of new builders and games to rush into the market. Most of the mechanics used in these games have simple mechanics. They focus on “grinding” – simple, repetitive, boring tasks that are necessary to earn money. Higher-quality games that focus on competitive, skill-based mechanics may take longer to build, but the dominance of the easier-to-build, simple mechanics in P2E games won’t be sustainable over the long term – and here’s why.
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If you want to know the future of Web3 games, take a look at Web2. Gamers in Web2 care about one thing above all others – fun. They will not play games if they’re boring. In order to attract more players – those that stick around for the long term – a game must be entertaining and engaging enough that people still want to play even if they don’t earn money.
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What makes a game fun? Skill-based mechanics – for instance, 7 out of the 10 most-watched games on Twitch are competitive skill-based titles. Such games have genuine ‘stickiness’ and allow players to have deep and meaningful interactions with the gaming world while they improve their skills.
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For somebody to want to spend money on in-game items, the game should be fun and engaging enough to spend months playing it so that players perceive a particular value around what they have bought.
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Play-and-earn existed long before Web3, mostly in MMO titles. While Web3 games have codified these types of economies with smart contracts, this dichotomy between players and earners is nothing new. The truth is that while P2E is a new concept in the blockchain world, people have been selling in-game currency on the “grey market” for years.
Over time, the growth of games with skill-based mechanics and the entry of more players who use them to have fun will lead to a shift in the P2E economy. Some players will be there to play a game for fun, and others will be there to earn money. Players who are there for fun can employ the players who want to earn by hiring them to complete tasks, earn rewards, find special artifacts, and earn skills.
