In the first quarter of 2023, according to the quarterly report of BGA (Blockchain Gaming Alliance) and DappRadar, investments of USD 739 million were made in blockchain games. As a result, it seems that there is an increasing interest in crypto gaming among investors. These are so-called play-to-earn games that are linked to a certain blockchain.
Alien Worlds dominant
Within the blockchain games, Alien Worlds has been dominant in the first quarter. This with an average of 223,945 UAW (Unique Active Wallets) or unique active wallets. Alien Worlds is a metaverse game where Syndicates (in-game DAOs) have been released. The second position was taken by Splinterlands with an average UAW of 127,242.
Splinterlands has been around for much longer, with over 12 million transactions taking place every day. In a broader perspective, however, a slight decrease can be observed in terms of UAW. A study showed that around 40% of Web3 accounts consisted of bots. In fact, there are a few games where 80% bot activity has been observed.
Crypto games for online gambling industry
Bitblox Games has announced that it is the first to bring crypto games based on the blockchain to the online gambling industry. This could have a major impact on both the Hxro network and the Solana ecosystem as well as the gambling industry. The series of on-chain games to be made, for example, will increase the number of players and also offer a new player experience. The website Onlinecasino.amsterdam (a leading online casino blog) recently wrote about the new investments in this niche.
Bitblox Games is going to make on-chain games
Bitblox Games will build on-chain games for the online gambling industry, using the Hxro network exclusively. This network is based on Solana for gambling applications. The game studio is registered in the Isle of Man and plans to bring crypto games to igaming.
Rapid growth Web3
Web3 is growing rapidly and there are several companies that focus on further development in this area. Microsoft is already driving metaverse development and has already announced its acquisition of Activision Blizzard in 2022 to do so. However, the acquisition ran into regulatory scrutiny, leaving Microsoft with a legal challenge. Ubisoft and Nvidia are also involved in metaverse developments.
Co2 emissions
CO2 emissions are one of the challenges that must be taken into account in the development of crypto games. Blockchain technology is used in these games and there is an enormous amount of energy consumption. Ethereum already recognized the seriousness of this and switched to a Proof of Stake blockchain in 2022 with the Merge.
Asia important
Out the DappRadar report further shows that Asia will play an important role in Web3. The dominance probably even reaches 80%. At the moment, Asia already represents a large majority of the global number of gamers. In addition, there are other indications that attention in Asia is increasing. This includes Square Enix and Nexon, who attract attention with Symbiogenesis and Maple Story respectively.
Metaverse games
Yuga Labs is known for the Bored Ape Yacht Club, but may also have plans to release Otherside as a metaverse game. This game is focused on the universe of Bored Ape Yacht Club. Furthermore, as a developer of video game software, Unity used Solana in early 2023, as well as Immutable X and MetaMask for Web 3 Developer Tools. For example, Sony Interactive Entertainment, known for the Playstation, also has plans in the world of crypto games. This is apparent from, among other things, the pending patent concerning non-fungible tokens to realize transfer between games and between consoles.