In a strategic shift, Gabby Dizon, CEO, and co-founder of Yield Guild Games, predicts that the most successful Web3 games in the coming year will pivot from play-to-earn (P2E) to a completely free-to-play model. Unlike games like Axie Infinity, where players are required to purchase NFTs to participate, the new wave of Web3 games aims to eliminate financial and technical barriers, making gameplay accessible to a broader audience.
Dizon highlights the evolution of the business model, emphasizing that games will be free to play initially. Players can then engage in activities like minting NFTs or earning tokens as they progress in the game. This departure from requiring NFT ownership at the start is seen as a significant move towards putting gameplay first and tokenomics second, fostering a more engaging player experience.
The shift towards free-to-play is also viewed as a proactive measure against speculative Web3 gaming bubbles. By focusing on creating compelling games that encourage sustained player engagement, developers aim to build a player base that reinvests in the game, preventing the in-game economy from solely becoming a cash-generating machine.
Dizon sees this transformation as a response to past challenges faced by the industry, particularly the decline in crypto prices and the subsequent downturn in blockchain games. He acknowledges the exodus of players and revenues from the ecosystem, attributing it to issues such as over-financialization of gameplay, a lack of fun, and confusion around crypto wallet technology.
Anticipating a positive shift, Dizon emphasizes that experienced teams have spent the past 18 months developing new Web3 games. Notable among these is the blockchain-based trading card game, Parallel, set to launch on November 16. Dizon predicts a surge in high-quality games, backed by experienced teams, along with innovative experiments in tokenomics and earning models.
As the Web3 gaming landscape undergoes this transformative shift, the industry anticipates a resurgence in player interest and a more sustainable approach to game development and engagement.
