Is Play-To-Earn the Future of Video Games?
“How important will the concept of Play-to-Earn be for video games in the future?”
This is a question I was recently asked and my reaction was to really challenge the word ‘important’ — It’s much more useful to think of it as becoming ‘natural’ or ‘normal’.
Play to Earn is only possible thanks to the blockchain and the blockchain is fundamentally about ownership. Although game players as individuals spend thousands in/on games — they don’t own the ‘stuff’ in them. This is a shame and is actually really out of step with most other pastimes.
The analogy I find most useful comes from physical games and hobbies. I got into Warhammer a few years back and spent a lot of money on it, buying way more models and kit than I could ever hope to build, paint and utilize in battles.. So when I wanted to make some room in my life I decided to sell some of it and I could because it was ‘mine’. Monetarily I made nowhere near what I spent on it but that wasn’t the point, it felt good even though I was really only able to recoup a fraction of my spend. I was able to share some of the upside with the community and as a bonus I made some lovely connections with people.
From a commercial point of view this is all done through eBay and Games Workshop doesn’t get a cut. This activity is part of the ecosystem and creates a thriving community but none of it directly benefits the developers of the Warhammer IP. By using the unique capabilities of the blockchain, developers can continue their relationship with their creations and players through the entire user journey, through the entire economic system. This is good news for developers and good for players, as both parties can realize the potential of their investments in ways not possible before.
This is how we are approaching the possibilities the blockchain offers with our first title in the space: ‘Blast Royale’. We aim to keep the barrier to entry low, encourage players to trade with each other and ultimately focus on fun over earning. Earning is easily possible but enjoyment of the game is the ultimate test of the projects’ success.
If we frame digital ownership in this light I think we can cut through the hysteria and hype around blockchain, Play to Earn etc and build a future where digital ownership is a normal part of the whole gaming ecosystem.
— Neil McFarland, CEO & Co-Founder of First Light Games
If you’d like to stay up to date with our journey, you now can follow Blast Royale on the bellow channels:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlastRoyale
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3LHKlA4
Discord: https://discord.gg/blastroyale
Website: https://www.blastroyale.com
