What is web3 or blockchain gaming?
Web3 gaming, gamefi, or blockchain gaming -- all synonymous concepts that describe the integration of blockchain elements in game development. This is seen when games use the immutable properties of the blockchain to store data and verify player activity in a decentralized manner. The use of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) has also risen to augment in-game assets; this indeed is to accentuate player ownership of in-game assets.
The idea behind the fusion of blockchain and games is thought to strengthen player-centric economics by allowing gamers to play fun games with the additional possibility of owning their in-game assets and trading them freely on a secondary market.
Where can I find games building on the blockchain?
The label "web3 games" is almost ubiquitous, and this is something to reckon with given that the niche is less than a decade old. However, even though there are that many blockchain games, only a handful of games are making a sizeable impact. The reason has mostly been due to how player economies can be balanced along with the go-to-market strategies of these games -- something not entirely exclusive to blockchain gaming.
One of the places to quickly find web3 games is on the Beam Hub. It features live and upcoming games that are curated by gamers in the Beam Gamers community.
Do I need a wallet to play blockchain games?
Early on, most games required a wallet of some sort, and before venturing into the world of blockchain gaming, one would need to have an understanding of the basics: blockchain, crypto tokens, NFTs, wallets, and how to access these games built on the blockchain. These challenges posed a significant threat to onboarding traditional gamers.
However, there are newer approaches to making the onboarding process rather seamless for gamers -- some of which include account abstraction.
Overall, The learning curve for blockchain gaming is not as terrifying as the other verticals in blockchain such as DeFi, as you would mostly spend time playing the game unless you are more interested in the economic/incentive design of the game.
There is so much to talk about when it comes to blockchain gaming, however, we have only scratched the surface here by providing a condensed overview of what blockchain gaming is. If you are interested in an intensive study of what web3 games are and how it all started, the Beam Hub Academy is rich with information to guide users on their journey through Web 3.0.
Begin your journey into Web3 gaming in the Beam Hub Academy.