P2E? We Would Rather P&E!
Gamestarter has announced an upcoming release of their first pfp (picture for proof/profile pic) NFT collection: this batch of NFTs is set to improve the quality of ‘play to earn’ (P2E) blockchain gaming by assigning its owners a first-row seat in the development of Gamestarter’s ecosystem.
The NFTs will provide gamers with massive utility, including participation in exclusive Gamestarter events, airdrops, and future white-lists. Holders will also have access to an exclusive group, where they will be provided with alpha on other upcoming NFT collections.
If this isn’t enough, GS NFTs will provide holders of the collection with more game-related perks: these will include early access to GS games, the chance to participate in the decision-making process where GS Originals games are concerned, and a powerful say with regards to Gamestarter’s IGOs (Initial Game Offerings) and INOs (Initial NFT Offerings).
This NFT is a way for Gamestarter to differentiate itself from the rest of the blockchain gaming developers out there with a strong focus on community building and an advanced enhanced element of P2E.
There has been a notable problem since the inception of blockchain gaming: the ‘earn’ aspect has been constantly dangled in front of the gamer as the major stimulus to leave traditional gaming in favor of blockchain gaming. For a while, it seems to have paid off. But will this last long?
In order to analyze the problem that Gamestarter is solving, it will be easier to go back to the birth of blockchain gaming and trace its meteoric rise. Only then it will be possible to highlight the inherent problems that this system carries within itself.
In March 2018, a game, developed by Vietnamese studio Sky Mavis, made its appearance as one of the very first P2E games, and its success in the following years has been remarkable: this Pokémon knock-off, despite its clunky mechanics and underwhelming graphics, allowed its players to gain in-game objects, and resell them in exchange for fiat currency.
The game was a major hit in South-East Asia, as most players in this region could earn more than a median salary just by ‘grinding’ the game: as of September 2021, most players were located in the Philippines, and other countries in the same region.
However, with earnings fluctuating and ultimately diminishing since December 2021, the game has entered into a steady decline both in the number of players and in the revenue made from playing.
Even though there are P2E games that are shaping up to be successful, it is understandable that the general idea of P2E games is that ‘Nobody thinks of P2E games as games’ yet. Yes, you’ve read that right: the vast majority of people playing the few fully functioning P2E games out there aren’t doing it for the pleasure of gaming, in the same way they would kick off their shoes after work and submerge themselves for a couple of hours into GTAV or WoW.
It is clear, then, that P2E has a problem: notably, the many companies developing games right now are skimping out on the ‘play’ aspect and focusing on the ‘earn’. The response from the player base is virtually unanimous.
Since the lack of any interest in gameplay whatsoever, most developers create games that focus primarily on the earning aspect. And lazy developers get away with offering mediocre games because this is exactly the community that they are appealing to, motivated by profits, and not by the will to have a good ol’ time playing a video game.
This is exactly where Gamestarter’s vision comes into play.
Gamestarter is dedicated to creating gaming experiences that may parallel those of AAA games, thus enticing players who have never had an introduction to crypto and NFTs, and who would be interested in a game because of its gameplay, setting, lore, and overall quality.
That is why, instead of focusing on the P2E acronym, Gamestarter developers prefer to work on P&E titles, where playing games is extremely important as earning from playing.
Blockchain gaming will only succeed when a large chunk of off-chain gamers will try out the products being released on-chain or barriers to entry change. The reticence traditional gamers have toward NFTs and blockchain gaming, which has been abundantly documented in more than one instance, will only be overcome if the product that is offered to them on a P2E is as good, if not better, as the titles they are currently playing.
According to recent polls, almost 70% of traditional gamers dislike NFTs and their possible presence in online gaming. One way of turning the tide around is to offer games that do not focus exclusively on earning crypto. A good game is a good game, and just like many players adapted to online gaming because of the quality community that was being offered (see 1999’s fps Counterstrike and mmos Everquest, and 2004’s World of Warcraft), the same will happen once great games are developed on the blockchain.
What we have seen until now, for the most part, are games that a very low percentage of players get involved with because of the ludic aspect, comparable to the very early online MUD experiences. There is no incentive for the average Xbox player to take a leap of faith into blockchain gaming. Once the quality of games will have increased, it will be a natural transition.
With Gamestarter focusing massively on the ‘play’ element and the release of their pfp collection, which will allow players to voice their concerns and delineate the direction in which the development will go, more gamers will definitely be attracted by the P&E model, with gameplay and tight-knit community being the core aspects GS will focus on.
About Gamestarter
Gamestarter is a complete gaming ecosystem that brings a new standard for blockchain gaming by building a multichain launchpad & NFT marketplace.
Gamestarter also has an in-house game studio focused on building high-quality blockchain games (Gamestarter Originals) like Dark Frontiers & Pixel Pix. Gamestarter Accelerator acts as an investor and advisor to promising games like Souni and Crypto Fight Club.
Gamestarter adds liquidity, player-ownership, and new funding resources to the largest entertainment industry in the world.
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