Metaverse Games and the Play-to-Earn Economy

By  //  October 11, 2022

When Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook was changing its name to “Meta” back in 2021, the whole world was introduced to the concept of the metaverse.

While virtual worlds and digital universes are not overtly new concepts, there is much to be said about how much having as big a company as Facebook pushing for its inception in terms of its overall success.

Surely, Facebook’s decision to rebrand into Meta gives the metaverse a much-needed boost in terms of success, as we have started to see other companies following suit in investing in the digital universe.

One aspect of the metaverse that is undoubtedly benefitting from this is the area of “metaverse games.” But what exactly are metaverse games in the first place?

But before we take on metaverse games, be sure to check out joystickgames.com for all the best updates on the metaverse and crypto gaming right as they happen.

Now, let’s deep dive into metaverse gaming!

Bringing gaming to new heights

Metaverse games, simply put, is gaming that happens within a virtual universe (i.e. the metaverse) without players having to be on one particular game’s server. This may be through the use of virtual and augmented reality technology, cryptocurrencies, or both! One could describe this as being in an old-fashioned arcade where people can play different games but are all in the same room — which is basically what metaverse games allow!

This expands the number of players in the gaming space and would create a number of possibilities for new gameplay and how both games and gamers alike could interact with one another in one shared space or, yes, metaverse.

The other most salient feature of metaverse games is their integration with cryptocurrencies. As many of us know, the whole metaverse movement is built upon blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies, which are essentially decentralized forms of digital currency that have allowed people to build a virtual marketplace and a robust digital community in the metaverse.

This has translated into a more diverse online marketplace in games, the buying and selling of Non-Fungible Tokens or NFTs, and the emergence of play-to-earn games in the metaverse, which is definitely a topic that must be delved into more deeply.

What are play-to-earn games?

Play-to-earn games are, as the name suggests, games that allow their players to receive and earn real-world money.

Traditional video games would have players purchase a game, often for a certain value, in order to gain entertainment. On the other hand, play-to-earn games essentially allow players to not only get the fun out of gaming but also to recoup the value that they first gave up for purchasing a particular game.

Now, this is all done within the backdrop of the crypto world. Gamers who play play-to-earn games are often rewarded through digital assets such as NFTs, crypto coins, player clothing, in-game art, skills. These assets, under the system of crypto, all hold a certain monetary value that players can exchange in the blockchain.

Here, players are not only rewarded for completing a particular level or finishing a certain mission in a game by levelling up, but they are now able to receive real-life benefits from their gameplay. Indeed, the play-to-earn system injects a new kind of dimension and perspective to how games can be played because games can no longer be considered as just something done for leisure but are now a real-life opportunity for money.

Building the play-to-earn economy

Because play-to-earn games have enabled gamers to earn some real cash, there has been a growing play-to-earn economy that has come up with it. From gaming tips to Youtube guides, influencers and experts, to daily and weekly updates on the rise and fall of each game’s in-game value, the play-to-earn scene is growing by the day.

There is also the matter of the online marketplace that play-to-earn games have built. Because NFTs and in-game items can be exchanged for real value, the crypto gaming community has given community to a sector of gaming unlike ever before.

And one cannot ignore the prospect of metaverse games becoming actual full-time jobs for gamers. As the genre continues to grow, the possibility of play-to-earn games as a viable avenue for earning a living is no small thing. The fact that such games are so easily accessible, as almost everyone now has access to smartphones or computers, makes play-to-earn games an attractive path to take for sure.

And with Facebook’s rebrand to Meta in 2021 and the continued success of play-to-earn games, there’s no disputing that the metaverse game genre will be the future of how games are played. Now, it’s all a matter of time before all gamers jump and play in the metaverse themselves!