For blockchain games, the main approval is necessary – game executives

Web3 game developers have struggled for years to gain the attention of a mainstream audience, and three former game executives say this market is important to the industry's future.

Video games have become a popular pastime for many people around the world and have even turned into a sport. Overall, there are more than three billion Web2 players worldwide as of 2023, according to Blast Topics. Most of them are considered casual players who play regularly but don't contribute often.

Jennifer Paulson, who has worked in the gaming industry for 18 years at Web2 gaming companies including Bandai Namco (Tek, Elden Ring, Pacman) and Riot Games (League of Legends), believes that mainstream audiences are “absolutely” important to the future. Web 3 games.

Paulson, currently vice president of game partnerships at Immutable Games, told Cointelegraph that she thinks “bringing major players into the Web3 space will be important in the coming years.”

“However, that's not all we need to entice major players to jump into Web3. Instead, we need to build games that are fun to play and appeal to all players,” she added.

Major players don't particularly like cryptos, especially when non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are involved.

Blockchain entertainment company Coda Labs released a global Web3 player survey in 2022 and found that traditional players are not fans of crypt or NFT. Respondents rated their feelings about them at 4.5 and 4.3 out of 10, respectively.

Paulson believes that working with major publishers and studios will be crucial to the future of Web3 games.

Because “it's less about attracting a mainstream audience, and more about working with publishers and studios to understand how and why they integrate Web3 components into their games.”

Related: Grinding a Livelihood: Can Blockchain Games Really Provide Sustainable Income?

“The truth is, these are all just games. Some have Web3 elements, and some don't; As long as they're fun to play, that's basically what determines whether a game is successful or not,” Paulson added.

Web2 game companies have been reluctant to embrace Web3. According to a November 13 Web3 Gaming report released by Game7 – a decentralized independent organization dedicated to accelerating the adoption of blockchain technology in gaming – six out of 10 Web3 games are being excluded from mainstream distribution platforms.

However, the report found some progress in marrying the core with Web3 and blockchain games. Video game digital distribution service Epic Games Store is listing more Web3 games each year, reaching an all-time high of 69 in October 2023.

Can Web3 games survive without a mainstream audience?

Core audiences are important to the future of Web3 and blockchain games, but if the majority of players never make the switch, Paulson believes they will survive and “continue as they are today.”

Related: Web3 gaming investors more ‘chosen' in crypto winter – Animoca's Robbie Yung

But, eventually, all games will have Web3 components, she thinks, whether players know it or not.

“More than likely, the core technology will shift in the core gaming world where the average player can finally realize the benefits it offers, especially when it comes to owning in-game digital assets,” Paulson said.

“Ultimately, players don't know they're playing a blockchain game. Web3 components will be seamlessly integrated into gameplay, making it a similar experience to playing games today.

Daniel Paez, a former senior manager at the major game company Blizzard (Warcraft, Diablo, Starcraft), thinks that the future of Web3 games is important because the main audience is large based on the player.

According to a report from CoinGecko on October 9, regardless of market conditions, more than 800,000 people play Web3 games every day. However, on average, the Web2 game Minecraft has over 11.9 million daily players.

Paez, current vice president and general manager of Web3 card game Gods Unchained, told Cointelegraph that while mainstream audiences are important for Web3 and blockchain games to thrive, he doesn't believe they're needed to survive.

According to Paez, the key to the longevity of Web 3 games is focusing on the player experience rather than blockchain elements.

“This will certainly put them in direct competition with thousands of other games, but the benefits far outweigh the harms,” ​​he said.

“The player market is huge, and you start building communities of players who share the experience of the game.

Paez said that Web3 games need a long-term mainstream audience to find “longevity” because selling content and experiences to players is the foundation of the gaming industry.

“The challenge of blockchain games is figuring out how the blockchain element can improve a player's experience of the game,” Pease said.

“The benefit of knowing this is great!” He added.

According to online data gathering platform Statista, the traditional gaming market is predicted to generate more than $400 billion in 2023. It is expected to grow and reach $584 billion in 2027.

In contrast, the Web3 and Blockchain gaming market has yet to approach such lofty heights. According to data from market intelligence firm Grand View Research, it was estimated at just over $4.8 billion by 2022, a forecast that predicts growth in the coming years.

Ultimately, Paez believes that there will be room for more “Game Fi-esque type games”, however, they will be at the mercy of the notoriously volatile crypto markets.

GameFi, short for game finance, allows players to earn rewards in the form of tokens or NFTs. Players can redeem these rewards to purchase in-game assets and cash for fiat currency.

A discovery app will be all that is needed.

Michael Rubinelli, who previously worked at Disney, THQ, and Electronic Arts, told Cointelegraph that he thinks mass market adoption is important for the future of Web3 games.

Rubinelli, who is currently chief gaming officer at Web3 gaming platform WAX, said there must be a “guiding principle” that clearly shows the benefits of Web3 to both Web2 developers and gamers to attract players.

This “discovery application” is what Rubinelli says Web3 games are looking for now.

“Until such a killer app comes out, traditional game companies will remain observant, waiting for guidance from the pioneers,” Rubinelli said.

Related: Free-to-Play Web3 Games Hold the Key to Mass Adoption – YGG Co-Founder

It's anyone's guess if the major gaming companies come up with Web3 games. In the year A Coda Labs survey of Web2 game developers by 2022 found that three out of four expect to be working on Web3 games in the future, but did not provide a firm timeline.

Overall, Rubinelli thinks Web2 players are important, but he feels a key indicator of whether Web3 games will stand the test of time is whether the industry can achieve certain goals.

“It's not about whether or not the audience is drawn in. Rather, it is about reaching a critical juncture that allows all stakeholders to achieve their production and business objectives,” he said.

“Even if audiences aren't real, the enduring concept remains: gamers want ownership and control over their digital assets.