Bitcoin Halving Expels Games, Shrapnel’s ‘Easy’ Secret Revealed: Web3 Gamer

This time double bitcoin for web 3 games

Junmo Kwon, founder and CEO of Web3 gaming platform DeLabs Games, predicts that this week's Bitcoin halving will see money flowing into the Web3 gaming industry.

“Increased market enthusiasm and capital flow into the cryptocurrency space as a result of the halving event could translate into more significant funding and growth for Web3 gaming startups,” Kwon told Web3 Gamer.

“As an altcoin's market dominance and market capitalization increases, there is typically increased demand and capital flows into gaming tokens,” he says.

Kwon pointed out that the blockchain game is in a different state this cycle than in previous halves.

“While previously dominated by casual and puzzle games, recent developments have expanded into genres such as FPS, MMO and RPGs. Compared to previous semi-events, the gaming sector has seen significant growth.

With bitcoin soaring to new all-time highs recently, Kwon hopes the spotlight may be shining on the blockchain game, but adds that the correlation between the two is only modest. Yet general bullishness and optimism is a tide that lifts all boats.

It will come at an opportune time. The blockchain game received $288 million in investment in the first quarter of this year, a 57 percent drop compared to the previous quarter, according to a recent Dapradar report.

But some projects still managed to get big money to start the year.

Gunzilla Games has secured a $30 million investment round from OffGrid for its upcoming project. Parallel Studios, the team behind the Ethereum NFT card fighting game Parallel, has completed a successful funding round, raising $35 million.

The ‘easy' secret of the Shrapnel game

Don Norbury, studio head of the much-anticipated AAA first-person shooter game Shrapnel, says game developers need to cut through the noise and remember one thing if they want to put out a winning game.

“Gamers play video games to escape the real world and shoot things, it's that simple,” Norbury told Web3Gamer wistfully.

“The good developers at Web3 Game Projects have now discovered that and are working to create blockchain games that are easy to use and fun to play,” he explained.

Many web3 game developers are not impressed with the overly complex mechanics used in their games.

“Stupidly complex in-game mechanics and the generally boring gameplay of Web3 games until now have led mainstream gamers to reject the genre,” he said.

It's been a long time coming with both developers and players complaining about the lack of fun in blockchain games to date.

Because of this, the game industry at Web 3 is not worried about Shrapnel's competition and hopes for success for everyone and anyone.

“I really feel like we're too early to have any competitors in this space, and I'm working for everybody,” he said.

Two games of particular interest are Gunzilla's cyberpunk battle royale shooter Off The Grid, as well as the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) and collectible card game Wildcard.

“A room with a Blomkamp vibe and a stylish third-person MOBA with a pro team behind it? That's why I'm here,” says Norbury.

But Shrapnel definitely seems to have the edge on most titles, it's been adding up for a while now.

It was awarded the title of “Most Anticipated Game” in December 2022 at the GAM3 Awards thrown by Polkastarter Gaming.

The fictional “future” setting of 2044 is moving closer to the “present” because the game has been running for so long.

Luckily, they're planning a full launch in 2025, and they've started releasing the game's early access, so players who can't wait can get a sneak peek at what's in store.

The team didn't sit around twiddling their thumbs, but quite the opposite.

“It's hard to shut down because our team is constantly on fire. We love what we do and we believe in what we build.”

“Our core team is about 70 people, mostly in our studio in Seattle. We have a similar size in the form of development partners around the world,” Norbury explained.

“Regardless of the day or time, I get calls, messages and ideas, and it's always overwhelming,” he says, before adding a rider from the HR department: “We have great flexibility given to the team. Personal life, family, leisure time and space are important.

Hot Take: Rumble Racing Star

Fed up with the same old Ferraris and Lamborghinis in racing games?

Have you ever wanted to tear up a track like a lawnmower?

Thanks to DeLabs Games Rumble Racing Star. It's a polygon-based blockchain game where you compete with others online, level up, and become the best lawnmower.

It's fun zooming around on a lawnmower faster than my uncle can do on the farm.

As I zipped around on my iPhone, I couldn't help but crash. Entertainment aside, the game is also good where it counts.

There are different game modes, but the best is definitely the online mode.

You can compete with up to 10 players online, and when everyone squeezes into the cowboy rally track, it gets pretty cool.

There are also practice modes for those who want to hone their lawnmower driving skills.

The graphics are fairly sharp and crisp, making rounds in your typical Western festival. And with the sound of country music in the background, you'll feel like you're in the middle of a cowboy show.

You can also choose your cowboy-style character, and while you're waiting for the game to start, you'll throw in some funny pranks, adding a little extra flair compared to your usual boring driverless car racing games.

It's like Mario Kart meets the Wild West, where you can throw everything from hammers to bowling balls to purple cans at your opponents. You can also use “Special Skills” to outperform other players on the track.

On top of that, you have elements from Excite Car and Red Steel that refine the look and feel of the game.

Overall, it is a fun and extremely funny game. If you're into standard car racing games and want to try something a little different, this might be just the game for you.

Other news

– AAA game studio Ubisoft is close to releasing its first blockchain-based game after releasing the first gameplay trailer for Champion Tactics Grimoria at Blockchain Week in Paris.

– Web3 Gaming Studio Gunzilla Games has announced a partnership with NFT marketplace OpenSea.

– Myston Labs announced the SuiPlay0X1, powered by PLAYTR0N, which it claims is the first handheld gaming device with Web3 capabilities.

— StepN is airdropping 100 million FSL points to its users this month, worth about $30 million, to access the Solana blockchain-based lifestyle.

– Invariable, Polygon Labs and King River Capital Group to form Inevitable Games Fund, a $100 million seed round of funding aimed at supporting founders in the Web3 gaming industry.

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Ciaran Lyon

Ciaran Lyons is an Australian crypto journalist. He is also a freelance comedian and has been a radio and TV presenter on Triple J, SBS and The Project.