GameFi and User Monetization
Current monetization features
- Play-to-Earn (P2E) model: Gamers can earn rewards by participating in games and completing missions or tasks. These rewards can be traded or sold on various marketplaces.
- In-game purchases: Gamers can buy virtual items, weapons, armor, and other assets using in-game tokens or cryptocurrencies. These items can be used to enhance gameplay or traded with other players.
- NFTs: Unique digital assets, such as virtual lands, costumes, and weapons, can be bought, sold, or traded on NFT marketplaces. These assets can be used to diversify user experiences and create value within the game.
- Integration with traditional gaming: As the GameFi market matures, we can expect more traditional games to integrate GameFi features, allowing gamers to earn rewards and invest in their favorite games, even if they are not blockchain-based.
- Gaming investment funds: New business models, such as gaming investment funds, may emerge, allowing investors to invest in the success of popular games and platforms.
Monetization in popular GameFi projects
Metacade
Metacade’s Create2Earn feature incentivizes content creators by rewarding them with MCADE tokens for their contributions to the community. These contributions can range from posting game reviews and sharing alpha and in-game assets to engaging with other members’ posts.
Game of Silks
Game of Silks is a collectible NFT game based on thoroughbred horse racing. In this game, players have the opportunity to purchase NFTs that resemble genuine horses and manage their own stables to breed new generations of thoroughbreds. The game effectively simulates the intricacies of real-world horse breeding, where significant risks can impact a horse’s ability to succeed in races. By acquiring horses as NFTs, players receive real-time updates on their condition.
However, many thoroughbred horses do not participate in races, and most of them are not winners. Even if a player acquires an NFT representing a horse with a successful racing record, there is no guarantee that the horse will be suitable for breeding purposes. When a player purchases a breeding NFT, the NFT accrues points and token incentives.
Otherside (Ape)
A major open-world metaverse widely considered to be one of the best GameFi projects currently under development. The game is a virtual reality world filled with exciting quests and stunning scenery, allowing players to earn cryptocurrency rewards for their in-game achievements.
Decentraland
Decentraland leverages gaming NFTs to provide ownership rights over in-game assets, including land parcels and other ownable items such as buildings, artwork, clothing, and accessories created by Decentraland’s users.
Knights of the Ether
This is one of the first Web3 deck-building roguelikes. Spanning across two chains, the game offers players a gaming experience that integrates on-chain and off-chain elements. Players who possess a Knight character can engage in ranked play and compete on leaderboards to earn in-game currency. The in-game tokens can be used for purchasing virtual assets, including weapons, armor, and other items.
Axie Infinity
During gameplay in Axie Infinity, gamers have the opportunity to enhance their Axies’ power level by acquiring and trading additional NFTs. This can provide players with an edge in battles and help them to earn in-game rewards in the form of AXS tokens.
The Sandbox
A community-driven platform where creators can monetize voxel assets and gaming experiences on the blockchain. The platform has its own currency, SAND, which can be traded on various exchanges.
Yield Guild Games
As a DAO, this project focuses on gathering in-game NFTs with the aim of optimizing their value within the in-game economy and generating profits for shareholders. YGG collects virtual land parcels, rare collectible artifacts, and other in-game assets. Subsequently, these assets are rented out to gamers, who utilize them in exchange for the native tokens of the relevant GameFi projects.
My Neighbour Alice
My Neighbour Alice is a blockchain gaming platform where players can collaborate and create their own virtual worlds. By leveraging blockchain technology, digital asset management, and smart contracts, the project empowers its customers to enjoy a complete gaming experience.
Potential Monetization Features
Integrating SocialFi mechanics into GameFi platforms is a recent trend in the crypto world that combines the decentralized nature of Web3 with a new generation of social networks. In SocialFi networks, users have control over community management, and their personal information is stored by them rather than on company servers. The value of content and trust within the community determine content rankings, and users can be rewarded for various activities such as commenting, content moderation, and NFT creation. These platforms utilize blockchain-based tokens to reward users for creating content, engaging with others, and contributing to the platform’s growth. This integration can allow gamers to monetize their social interactions and content within the gaming ecosystem.
GameFi projects can host e-sports competitions with substantial prize pools, attracting more players and enhancing the value of in-game tokens. Additionally, technology can be used to organize and manage tournaments, ensuring transparency, fairness, and the secure distribution of prizes. For instance, Ultra Arena is a blockchain-based tournament system designed to bring transparency and fairness to the realm of e-sports. Another example is W3E, a Web3 e-sports organizer that successfully hosted the world’s first live Web3 e-sports tournament during Istanbul Blockchain Week in 2022. Platforms like Community Gaming empower tournament organizers to host grassroots competitions, enabling gamers to compete and instantly receive rewards in both traditional currencies and tokens.
Blockchain gaming has the potential to revolutionize education and training by addressing issues present in traditional educational models, such as lack of student engagement and impersonality. Through blockchain gaming, we can accurately track and reward progress and achievements, thereby fostering the development of decentralized learning platforms. These games can also provide simulations of real-life scenarios, aiding students in honing essential skills like problem-solving and collaboration. Moreover, blockchain gaming simplifies the certification process, allowing employers and educational institutions to easily verify students’ acquired knowledge. Examples like the NEM Blockchain Academy, the IOTA Academy, and CryptoZombies showcase how blockchain games can enhance the learning experience. As blockchain technology continues to advance, it has the potential to completely transform the way we learn, facilitating increased interaction, transparency, and robust record-keeping. Monetization is possible through game sales, subscriptions, certification services, and partnerships, with these opportunities expanding as more individuals embrace blockchain gaming for educational purposes.
Advantages of TON & Telegram
TON’s payment solutions offer a unique feature that allows for smooth cross-country transactions, eliminating the need for multiple payment systems across different regions. This seamless transactional experience, coupled with minimal compliance constraints, greatly enhances the user experience. The integration process of TON’s payment system is remarkably efficient, requiring just one day for initial setup and the subsequent installation of a digital assets API, which greatly improves game revenue. The ease and effectiveness of integration is a significant advantage for blockchain gaming initiatives, facilitating efficient monetization and revenue generation.
TON’s main differentiating factor is its native access to the Telegram audience. The ability to seamlessly exchange Web3 assets, including NFTs or tokens, with friends in chats is something completely unique to TON.
While the idea of exchanging digital assets is already prevalent in numerous games as part of a metagame, creating a marketplace for users can be a complicated and expensive task from a development standpoint. TON and Telegram provide a ready-made infrastructure for such metagaming, making it easy for even less sophisticated indie games to incorporate these mechanics into their game design.
Michael Gavrilov, Founder at TON Play
SocialFi is considered one of the major advantages of TON due to its seamless integration with Telegram, granting it access to a large and established user base. However, in order for the ecosystem to unlock its complete potential, it becomes essential to introduce additional tools that facilitate the convergence of Telegram and GameFi projects.
Are you developing GameFi dApps? Do you want to unlock a realm of possibilities for user engagement and monetization on TON and Telegram? DM us on Twitter. Visit our official website: https://top.co.
