Blockchain games were introduced in 2017 with CryptoKitties, but their popularity boomed four years later, along with projects like Decentraland, Axie Infinity, and The Sandbox. Since then, gamers, marketers, and tech evangelists alike have created a thriving blockchain community, and the industry keeps attracting increased attention.
There’s a lot of news in the crypto space about Bitcoin trending price now, as well as Ethereum’s next developments. But let’s not forget to turn our attention to the technology behind cryptocurrencies as well because this year seems promising for the blockchain gaming landscape, with many groundbreaking trends shaping it.
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What Is Blockchain Gaming Anyway?
Before we dive into the blockchain gaming trends of this year, we should first clarify the concept for those who aren’t familiar with it. Blockchain games are what you’d call a revolutionary concept, as they aim to redefine ownership of in-game assets, creating new dynamics that provide users with a real incentive to play.
In traditional games, players do their best to win in-game items – and may even spend thousands of dollars to buy those assets, but they never completely own them. Since you can’t take them to another platform or sell them to a gamer, the items don’t really have any value, which means you spend your money on them in vain.
On the other hand, blockchain games provide real ownership, allowing you to use the in-game items and recover their value through exchanges and marketplaces. This improves gamers’ experience considerably, but it’s by no means the only advantage. Due to the decentralized nature of blockchain technology, blockchain gaming encourages increased participation in the industry while also building user trust by providing transparency and immutability.
Blockchain Gaming Trends That Will Redefine The Industry
Increased use cases of NFTs
Skeptics see NFTs as just pictures lacking genuine utility, but 2024 will challenge this perspective, with the potential of non-fungible tokens becoming increasingly clearer. NFTs’ use cases aren’t only limited to art – they are also a critical component of play-to-earn economies.
In blockchain games, NFTs represent game items and characters, allowing developers and players alike to benefit from them. Not only that, but NFTs also give players access to airdrops, exclusive content, and real-life merchandise. Some NFTs use cases gaining traction in 2024 include tickets, books, domain names, and real estate.
The rise of DAOs
The implementation of DAOs in games is another trend that is set to reshape the industry in 2024. DAOs, or decentralized autonomous organizations, have been around for a long time, but they have emerged stronger during the blockchain gaming revolution, and they play a crucial role in the development of Web3 games. DAOs are structures that exist independently, without relying on a central authority, and can make all the decisions. These organizations are formed from members known as investors or token holders who share the same goal and participate in the decision-making process.
Implementing DAOs in P2E games would translate into a major shift, empowering players to contribute ideas, choose what projects they want to invest in, and even participate in game development. In other words, they turn from mere customers to active community members. Top P2E games like Alien Worlds have already incorporated DAOs; more are expected to do the same in 2024.
Improved AAA Games
Although blockchain games are incredible in terms of what they offer, traditional games are the ones that win in terms of number. There are just around 2,000 games that are based on the blockchain, and some of the P2E games can’t even be called games in the literal sense of the word because they lack playability, focusing instead on the earnings.
But 2024 could change that. Not only fun blockchain games have started to emerge, but there are also more AAA-type games in the GameFI market, such as Guild of Guardians, Big Time, Illuvium, and Sidus Heroes, which promise to offer incredible experiences to players, potentially rivaling traditional games.
Community-Building As The Foundation Of Blockchain Gaming
This major trend has emerged in the past years, and it’s becoming even more critical in 2024: community-building. In the blockchain space, the people make a blockchain game successful, whether Alien Worlds or Axie Infinity.
By supporting, playing, and investing in the projects, they help the blockchain gaming industry grow. The community spreads the word about a specific game and believes in its potential. So, unsurprisingly, the most popular blockchain games in 2024 will be those with the most loyal communities of members.
The Popularity Of Virtual Estate
There are many interesting things about blockchain games, and one of them is that players can’t just own game items and characters but also land. In 2022, virtual real estate saw a boom due to the high demand for land in the metaverse and blockchain. That was when the notion of property ownership also changed for many people because virtual land plots gained immense value and succeeded in being sold for millions of dollars. The market is projected to grow even more in the future, reaching $5.95 billion by 2028. This growth is associated with the development of VR, AR, and metaverse.
Virtual land isn’t just about owning a piece of land and making a profit from it. Landowners can also gather resources, decorate their land, build on it, battle on it, and so on – otherwise put, they can enjoy a playing experience instead of just making money from the games. Axie Infinity is a great example to this end, as it successfully launched Homeland, which was long awaited by players.
Last Words
The blockchain gaming industry hasn’t had a smooth journey so far, but that’s not surprising for such a young market. Even if skeptics don’t believe in its potential, blockchain has proven that it can indeed transform many industries, and as it continues to mature, its impact could be greater than imagined in the future.
2024 brings many exciting trends into the blockchain gaming landscape, from new NFT use cases to virtual real estate growth, DAOs, and so on. It’s worth keeping an eye on these trends and see how they will create a far better experience than one would have ever expected to get from a game.