The collision of gaming and blockchain tech has been one of the most discussed and highly anticipated intersections. Though Web3 gaming has incredible potential, attracting mainstream audiences hasn’t been an overnight venture. All that’s changed with a major breakthrough now that ‘Big Time’ has launched on the Epic Games Store. This event is much more than just the release of a new game. It represents an undeniable inflection point for Web3 gaming, bridging the gap between blockchain advocates and mainstream gamers. Marcin Kowalczyk, a blockchain regulatory analyst and writer, takes a look at what this launch means. He looks at how the technology could change the gaming world as we know it.
A Giant Leap for Web3 Gaming Adoption
The Epic Games Store, on the other hand, is a contender with deep pockets and an even bigger reach. By launching 'Big Time' on this platform, Web3 gaming gains access to a much broader audience than it has previously enjoyed. This kind of exposure is an important step towards broader adoption by the mainstream. It brings players into the thrilling arena of blockchain gaming, who otherwise might have been unaware or turned off by its concepts. The corollary being that millions of new gamers are about to feel the Web3 gaming difference for themselves. What’s more, this new opportunity comes through a familiar and trusted platform—the Epic Games Store.
Second, the Epic Games Store’s decision to host ‘Big Time’ increases the credibility of the Web3 gaming space. This process of legitimization is vital in order to lure more mainstream game developers and publishers to experiment with Web3 technologies. When one of the largest platforms in the world like Epic Games willingly hosts a Web3 game, it makes a strong statement to the rest of the industry. Blockchain gaming is more than a passing fad, it’s an exciting, viable, and transformative force. This can help create a positive feedback loop that incentivizes bigger, more established players to invest in and develop Web3 games, continuing to supercharge the adoption process.
In addition to that, ‘Big Time’ takes advantage of the Epic Games Store infrastructure to deliver a smoother, more accessible experience that players are used to getting. For web3 gaming, this was their biggest onboarding challenge. Just the onboarding process alone is cumbersome with most players struggling to understand how to set up wallets, purchase tokens and manage NFTs. By integrating these elements into a user-friendly platform, 'Big Time' can lower the barrier to entry and make Web3 gaming more appealing to a wider audience. This beautiful interface of user experience is a new benchmark for Web3 games. It will help them be more fun and accessible for traditional gamers.
Big Time: A Closer Look
What sets ‘Big Time’ apart is its unique combination of gameplay and blockchain integration. The behind-the-scenes game mechanics are meant to be inclusive and fun for players, regardless of their Web3 knowledge. It’s this kind of approach that will be critical to attracting a more mainstream audience. First and foremost it creates an exceptional gaming experience while subtly integrating blockchain elements in an intuitive manner.
NFT Integration and Token Economy
Through the integration of NFTs and a token-based economy, ‘Big Time’ aims to maximize the gaming experience while unlocking innovative opportunities for players. Players have the ability to earn and trade NFTs while playing the game on their own gameplay. This feature creates a layer of real ownership and investment that most games don’t offer. Beyond adventure gameplay, the game has a primary token of $BIGTIME, which players utilize to craft existing collectibles and upgrade them upon receiving duplicates.
While there’s so much to love about ‘Big Time’, one of its most essential features is the seamless integration with Open Loot. Under the hood, this platform handles everything NFT and token related to the game. This makes it an engaging, inviting, and player friendly experience. They’re free to have fun with the game without having to engage with the complicated blockchain infrastructure. Open Loot makes it easy to buy, sell and manage your NFTs. It’s this simplicity that helps players feel comfortable jumping into the game’s economy.
By December 2022, ‘Big Time’ wrapped its third NFT sale, dropping 4,500 playable NFT blind boxes. These blind boxes sold out in 5 minutes flat! This is indicative of just how hyped the world currently is for the upcoming game and its NFT exclusives. Players will be able to take $BIGTIME and other in-game resources to craft and upgrade a unique range of weapon collectibles. This brand new feature introduces amazing depth and customization to the game.
Accessible Gameplay
‘Big Time’ is created with everyone in mind, whether you have decades of history playing Web3 gaming experiences or none at all. The game will be entirely free to all players with no paywall to access any extra new story content. This level of consideration goes a long way towards making the game accessible and inviting for all. It’s more than just serving the people who are prepared to spend money on NFTs or other tokens.
Open Loot takes care of all crypto, NFT and token stuff, providing a seamless, jargon-free experience that players expect. This enables gamers to concentrate on having fun with the sport, no matter whether or not they perceive the intricacies of blockchain know-how or not. ‘Big Time’ provides easy onboarding and makes the game enjoyable for all types of players. This unique approach draws a massive, diverse, and talented player base.
The Growing Significance of Blockchain Gaming
The release of ‘Big Time’ on the Epic Games Store underscores how important blockchain gaming is becoming. Blockchain technology introduces some incredibly appealing benefits to the gaming industry. It deepens player ownership, paves the way for innovative revenue models, and fosters open, decentralized ecosystems. As this technology matures, we’ll start to see a lot more games in the vein of ‘Big Time’ released. Such growth will ensure that blockchain gaming takes a more prominent place in the gaming industry’s future.
With Web3 gaming we have a novel concept where players can earn money through the act of gaming. The “play-to-earn” model has brought in crypto newcomers by the millions. It provides an exciting new replacement for existing gaming paradigms. In traditional gaming, players invest real money into the purchase of games and in-game assets, but get no quantitative return on investment. As an example, web3 gaming gives players greater control and the ability to earn tokens and NFTs. These digital assets are freely tradeable or even sellable, presenting thrilling and novel economic incentives to having fun with games.
Accessibility and Integration
Games like Off the Grid are accessible to a broader audience, including those on consoles like PS5 and Xbox Series X, making Web3 gaming more mainstream. Greater accessibility spurs broader adoption. It allows gamers to get a taste of what Web3 gaming is like on systems they’re already familiar with and enjoy. Like it or not, Web3 games attract players to their ecosystems. This strategy gives them the opportunity to tap into established gaming communities and bring blockchain tech to a more diverse audience.
That’s the key to how web3 games are reaching players—by meeting them where they already play. Not only are they pulling players from existing gaming communities, but bringing Web3 gaming to the forefront of mainstream conversations. It’s a much smarter approach than attempting to build brand new communities out of whole cloth. By integrating Web3 elements into existing games and platforms, developers can leverage the power of established communities to drive adoption and engagement.
Compelling Gameplay
Web3 games like Off the Grid have captivated gamers with their compelling mechanics and engaging gameplay, suggesting potential for mainstream success. The future of Web3 gaming will be determined by whether it can bring exciting and enjoyable experiences to players. The game needs to suck players in, whether it’s with blockchain or not. Only those Web3 games that create a better experience for players will be able to bring in masses of players and keep them engaged over time. This powerful engagement will catalyze widespread adoption.
New Revenue Streams and Business Models
Big Time’s token-based economy and NFT integration might open up many lucrative opportunities for both the game and its developers. We expect this innovation to open the floodgates of desirable new business models within the Web3 gaming ecosystem. In conventional gaming, developers always have sales of the game, in-app purchases, and advertising to turn to for profits just to name a few. Web3 gaming creates new opportunities to monetize games with NFTs, tokens, and decentralized marketplaces.
Players can purchase NFTs that provide them with exclusive in-game resources. These assets can either be traded on an open market or used to improve their gaming experience. Players will be able to earn tokens through a combination of skill and playtime through gameplay. They can then use these tokens to purchase in-game goods or participate in the game’s economy. Such decentralized marketplaces give players the agency to trade and sell NFTs and tokens peer-to-peer. This approach encourages a more competitive and accountable marketplace.
With these new revenue streams comes the opportunity for a more sustainable and player-centric business model within the gaming industry. Web3 gaming enables players to gain wealth through gameplay while giving them true ownership of in-game assets. This ensures a much more equitable, inclusive, and rewarding experience for all participants. This player-fuelling loyalty metric can make or break the player experience. Invested players are impassioned players, and invested players don’t just want to see a game succeed.
Actionable Insights for Game Developers
So how can game developers bridge Web2 and Web3 gaming audiences successfully? These strategies are integral to deepening player experiences and widening their audiences on an increasingly competitive gaming playing field. These strategies aim to deliver an entertainment-first game experience that maximizes the advantages of blockchain technology. By prioritizing player experience and focusing on sustainable ecosystems, developers can create Web3 games that appeal to both traditional gamers and blockchain enthusiasts.
Prioritize Engaging Gameplay
Prioritize making compelling and enjoyable games first, then bring blockchain features in organically. The central consideration is still how to deliver the most engaging game experience. Blockchain features should be integrated in a way that enhances the gameplay and adds value for players, rather than being the primary focus of the game.
Player ownership is one of the major benefits of Web3 gaming, providing players the ability to actually own their in-game assets. Together, transparency and decentralized ecosystems can lead to a more fair and equitable gaming experience for all players.
Build Sustainable Ecosystems
Forward-looking developers emphasize balanced ecosystems that don’t rely on endlessly rising token values, providing a more sustainable gaming experience for traditional audiences. A fun and sustainable ecosystem with real-world value is key to the long-term success of any Web3 game. What developers should be doing is building a new economy that is sustainable and equitable—not one that depends on the boom-and-bust cycle of a speculative token.
Community Engagement and Partnerships
Partner with highly credible, relevant influencers that are already engaging audiences in Web3 communities and established gaming audiences. This strategy is going to better position you to serve both of those groups. If done well, influencer marketing is still one of the biggest channels to reach Web3 savvy gamers as well as traditional gaming audiences. Developers should work hand-in-hand with influencers that are trusted and well-versed in both communities.
Develop multi-year relationships and build ongoing engagement with community stakeholders. Creating a thriving community around a game will be key to the success of any Web3 game looking to make it big. We recommend developers commit to supporting long-term, two-way channels of communication with community members, including maintenance and sustained engagement.
Product Quality and Simplification
Create something that has the quality and impact, and the hype will take care of itself. At the end of the day, whether a Web3 game is a success all comes down to creating a quality gaming experience. Instead, developers should focus on creating the best possible product, something that is really fun and engaging, well-crafted.
Reduce friction of onboarding Support solution Interoperable wallets with wallet-supported single sign-on solutions (e.g. A more straightforward onboarding experience is key to luring in the mainstream gamer. In practice, developers need to use tools that make wallets easy for players to create. This is going to get them immersed in the game faster and with less friction.
The Future of Web3 Gaming
The release of ‘Big Time’ on the Epic Games Store marks an important milestone in the evolution of Web3 gaming. Blockchain technology has the immense potential to completely reshape the gaming industry. It creates avenues for exciting innovation for players and developers alike. As more games like 'Big Time' emerge and the technology continues to mature, Web3 gaming is expected to play an increasingly important role in the future of gaming.
The real important ingredient to success, we think, will not be the excitement around these innovations but on creating games that are fun and inclusive that have widespread appeal. By prioritizing player experience, building sustainable ecosystems, and fostering strong communities, developers can create Web3 games that are both fun and rewarding. We believe the future of Web3 gaming is incredibly bright! This very successful launch on the Epic Games Store bodes very well for future development.
Marcin Kowalczyk, Head of Game Operations at Immutable, thinks bringing more Web3 functionality to traditional gaming platforms is the key. This will incentive further adoption of these promising technologies. The next major blockchain gaming developers should—and will—unlock this experience by deeply understanding the user experience. By emphasizing sustainable economic and community development, they are able to provide a more equitable and fulfilling experience for players. It’s the beginning of a whole new chapter with the launch of ‘Big Time’. It’s proof that Web3 gaming is finally poised to take center stage!
