Tezos Commons :: Gaming on Tezos: Reaping What We Sow
March 18, 2022A fertile ground
According to Accenture’s “Gaming: the new superplatform” report, the true value of the global gaming industry is now higher than that of the worldwide music and movie industries combined.
Drill down a little bit into the revenue-driving touchpoints gaming has to offer, and it’s easy to understand why:
Combine this with massive gaming community growth (the total number of active gamers worldwide is expected to eclipse 3 billion by 2023) and an impending global shift toward NFT-serviced metaverse-based gaming, and you’ve got the makings of one of the most lucrative marketplaces the world has ever seen.
The race to stake a meaningful claim in the metaverse of tomorrow is on. The juggernauts of Web 2.0 — brands like Meta (formerly Facebook), Google, Apple, and Amazon — have all made moves in recent months to pivot toward the metaverse and Web 3.0 as their combined game-changing potential has become more widely understood.
Exactly what this shift from tech’s biggest names means for the blockchain mavericks that have led the charge thus far remains a bit unclear. What is clear, however, is that to realize its true potential, the metaverse will need to be built upon a Web 3.0 framework using Web 3.0 thinking. Those who fail to recalibrate their approach to reflect this important reality could quickly fall behind.
This gives those in the blockchain space a leg up as the early-stage metaverse takes shape, and many in the crypto realm are already moving in to capitalize. Here in the Tezos ecosystem, the first pieces in the crucial battle for a seat at the metaverse-based gaming table are already in motion.
Here’s what we’ve seen so far…
Sowing the seeds
2022 has brought with it many exciting developments in the Tezos ecosystem, but nowhere more so than in the promising realm of blockchain-based gaming. The announcements have been coming hot and heavy so far in Q1, with more expected as time rolls on.
Here are just a few that have caught my attention of late:
Ubisoft-backed “petaverse” project Dogami recently rolled out its initial Tezos NFT drop to great fanfare, selling out its initial offerings almost instantly. It appears that the timeless trope of internet denizens loving cats and dogs above all else will transcend to Web 3.0 as well, and Dogami has positioned itself well to cash in.
The impending launch of the hotly anticipated NFT-based collectible card game Emergents from Interpop, meanwhile, is expected very soon. With a global CCG market that’s expected to reach $27 billion by 2026 (according to market research), and some of the most influential personalities in the CCG industry already on board, the disruptive potential of NFT-based CCGs like Emergents should not be underestimated and Interpop’s play in this lucrative niche could pay off in a big way.
Just this month, Tezos NFT Play-to-earn game Teztopia announced that it has teamed up with established Las Vegas entrepreneur Gavin Maloof to build “Metzopia” — which they’re billing as “The Virtual Vegas”. This ambitious and extremely interesting Tezos-based project seeks to become a key digital destination, with no less of an ultimate goal than to become “the entertainment capital of the metaverse”.
With exciting concepts like these taking shape on the Tezos blockchain as we speak, it’s less of a question of if Tezos will be a key player in the Web 3.0 landscape of the future, so much as it is a question of exactly when and what that means for the Tezos ecosystem itself.
Seasons change
As has been true of so many tech/gaming developments, historically, Asia has been first to post explosive growth in terms of fostering gaming adoption.
Source: Newzoo
It’s an important trend. One which holds important insights into the quest to onboard the blockchain gamers who will drive the blockchain-based games of Web 3.0 forward.
Play-to-earn game Axie Infinity grabbed headlines in 2021, as people struggling to make ends meet in the Philippines found an innovative solution in Axie’s PTE model. This fascinating case study showed the massive potential of word-of-mouth marketing and blockchain-based innovation not only in Asia, but in the West as well.
As other global markets begin to catch up to Asia, as they have time and time again throughout gaming’s history, those endeavoring to build userbases for their blockchain-based gaming platforms should be keeping a close eye on Asia as an important trendsetter.
Harvest moon
So, what does this all mean for Tezos and the Tezos ecosystem?
It means opportunity.
The potential for Tezos to carve out a space as a leader in the blockchain-based gaming ecosystem is big. Web 3.0, the metaverse, and on-chain gaming are inextricably linked, and those working on Tezos are well positioned to make the most of this unprecedented opportunity.
Exactly what the web 3.0 future will look like, and which gaming platforms will be its harbingers remains to be seen, but one way or another, it’s happening. Tezos-based gaming concepts like Dogami, Emergents, and Tezotopia represent the tip of this crucial spear, but more are on the way.
I, for one, look forward to the further developments of Web 3.0 and on.
Gaming on Tezos: Reaping What We Sow was originally published in Tezos Commons on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
