Back to the basics: Strong IPs are the endgame for blockchain gaming

Web3 gaming is quick, chaotic, and filled with adrenaline—fast wins, viral mints, and meme battles. It thrives on hype cycles that come and go instantly. However as soon as the thrill fades, what’s left? If all web3 gaming has to supply is short-lived thrills, it’s working on borrowed time.

You may also like: The web3 gaming data hole and bridge it | Opinion

It’s time to return to the fundamentals. Web3 gaming isn’t nearly layering blockchain and crypto onto video games. At its core, gaming is about enjoyable—the joys of the chase and the experiences that preserve gamers engaged lengthy after the preliminary hype fades. And what fuels that lasting engagement? The power of its mental property, or IP.

Some may even see IP as merely a monetization technique related solely to publishers and studios. Nonetheless, after 20 years of engaged on a number of sport titles, it’s evident that IP is way over that. It’s what retains gamers coming again, investing their time, and forming lasting reminiscences. Whereas perfecting that have isn’t any straightforward feat, it’s not not possible—and it’s the important thing to the way forward for blockchain gaming.

IP is extra than simply aesthetics

For years, conversations about IP have revolved round characters and world-building. Iconic franchises like Marvel are immediately identifiable attributable to their compelling tales and memorable heroes. Nonetheless, gaming follows a distinct blueprint. Not like movies or comics, video games are interactive, with mechanics, development, and in-game economies shaping participant engagement. In gaming, IP isn’t nearly visuals; it’s concerning the core components that make a sport really immersive and rewarding to its viewers.

For a sport to have long-term worth, whether or not in web2 or web3, builders should first acknowledge what units it aside. What retains gamers engaged over time? Which points of the expertise maintain probably the most worth for them? That is the place worth creation begins. The strongest IPs are constructed on the distinctive in-game experiences that preserve gamers engaged.

Take into account Gran Turismo. Whereas the IP of automobiles featured within the sport belong to their respective producers, Gran Turismo’s identification is constructed round precision driving mechanics and realism. Equally, Counter-Strike has remained dominant for many years—not due to deep lore however due to its high-stakes competitors and skill-based economic system. Gamers don’t return for the story; they return for the problem of enhancing, competing, and mastering the sport.

If a sport’s true worth lies in its aggressive depth, development, or merchandise economic system, then its mass adoption technique and expertise ought to improve these components. As soon as builders determine what makes their sport really compelling, the following query is: How can blockchain elevate that have?

Attaining true utility

Web3 gaming has usually adopted a predictable cycle: token launches, NFT drops, speculative pumps, and sudden crashes. However blockchain shouldn’t exchange good sport design. As a substitute, it ought to reinforce the core strengths of a sport—its IP, economic system, and player-driven methods.

For video games the place merchandise assortment and development are central, blockchain can assist protect merchandise worth, implement shortage, and forestall inflation. If a sport has an lively player-driven economic system, blockchain can introduce possession mechanics, real-world asset integration, and open market tradability. The secret’s making use of blockchain in ways in which improve what already works reasonably than forcing new monetization fashions only for the sake of web3 integration.

A few of the longest-running video games in historical past, like MapleStory, have item-based development loops at their core. Gamers grind for higher weapons, armor, and kit—gadgets that symbolize ability, effort, and dedication. By tokenizing sport gadgets, blockchain introduces a brand new layer of worth and interoperability. Gadgets are now not static, locked right into a single server, or weak to developer resets. As a substitute, they turn out to be persistent, tradable property that retain worth throughout the ecosystem.

Likewise, by implementing capped provide fashions with tailor-made gaming protocols, blockchain can stop unchecked inflation in gaming economies. As a substitute of things changing into out of date with each replace, their worth grows alongside the sport and ecosystem, making each grind a worthwhile journey for gamers. Gaming protocols can additional energy player-driven economies, the place merchandise demand, shortage, and upgrades are dictated by actual market interactions reasonably than a single entity.

This mannequin has been working for MapleStory Universe (MSU), a web3 adaptation of MapleStory. In keeping with Helika’s onchain knowledge, MSU has seen greater than 17M onchain transactions, i.e. in-game merchandise buying and selling and minting, throughout its current consumer checks, with one in 5 (25,685) customers enjoying the sport for greater than 5 hours each day. Gamers minted 85,957 gadgets throughout this era, proving that when an IP is well-defined and aligns with participant engagement, gamers are engaged even with out crypto buying and selling driving participation. Once we harness the true energy of blockchain in video games, the business can transfer away from extractive monetization and towards sustainability ecosystems, the place worth creation is tied to actual engagement and energy, not speculative pumps.

Blockchain gaming at its crossroads

To unlock blockchain gaming’s potential, we should return to the fundamentals: constructing gaming IPs that create lasting experiences whereas leveraging blockchain’s transformative energy.

Crypto is usually related to earning profits, however its true energy lies in reworking whole methods. Monetary methods have been decentralized, and gaming ecosystems are subsequent. We want greater than fleeting meme pushes. Blockchain video games needs to be constructed on a basis the place each grind, each transaction, and each enlargement strengthen the ecosystem.

That’s what’s going to separate the following technology of web3 video games from the hype cycles of the previous. Not simply speculative property however a thriving, player-driven economic system that rewards ability, effort, and technique. A sport the place gamers aren’t simply customers however lively members in an ecosystem that grows with them.

As a result of, ultimately, hype fades. However a robust IP lasts.

Learn extra: From Hollywood to web3: The way forward for gaming lies in IP licensing | Opinion