How to become an NFT Game Developer? A Complete Guide!
In the new era of Web 3.0, NFTs (Non-Fungible Assets) are fundamentally changing the digital economy. They are catapulting blockchain technology to new heights and prominence.
The gaming industry is witnessing a paradigm shift with the introduction of blockchain games. NFT-based play-to-earn (P2E) games are gaining popularity by replacing traditional mobile phone gaming. These games belong to the new era of Web 3.0 games. In addition, you can earn by playing games.
Some of the significant and successful P2E NFT games are:
● Sandbox
● Decentraland
● CryptoKitties
● Axie Infinity, and many more
In the case of web 3.0 games, the users get liquidity from the NFT marketplace because they get rewarded for playing games. Besides the earning feature, NFT P2E games provide you with the following:
● Transparency
● Interoperability (not being limited to just one game)
● Uniqueness
● Safety
If you think that the popularity of NFT games is only about earning money, you are entirely wrong. One of the major attractions for the NFT-based P2E game players is the in-game assets that can be transformed into an NFT. If you are a Web 3.0 gamer, you can sell NFT-based in-game assets on NFT marketplaces.
The day is close when a person can claim himself or herself as a full-time professional playing P2E NFT games. So, the next time your mom asks you to stop playing games and concentrate on your studies, tell her you are monetizing your effort and time and getting paid to play games.
NFT Games: Prospects and Statistics
- In 2022, the NFT gaming market will be US$ 4.6 billion.
- According to Mordor Intelligence, the global NFT gaming market is expected to grow at 32.56% CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) in the next five years (2022–2027).
- ResearchAndMarkets states that the global blockchain gaming market will grow at a CAGR of 70.3% from 2022–2027. During this projected period, it will jump from US$4.6 billion in 2022 to US$65.7 billion in 2027.
- If you consider the type of games, then Role Playing Games (RPGs) are expected to have the highest share of the market.
- The most popular web3.0 RPG games are:
- Axie Infinity
- Lost Relics
- My Crypto Heroes
- Blankos Block Party
- Binemon
With the global demand picking up world over and the projected prospects, there is considerable scope for NFT game developers in the future. Do you want to become an NFT game developer? If yes, you must clearly understand the prerequisites, common terms, and an easy-to-understand example.
Prerequisites and Terms to know as an NFT Game Developer
Suppose you want to become an NFT game developer. In that case, you must have a theoretical and working knowledge of certain concepts such as:
● Blockchain
● Smart Contracts
● Ethereum blockchain
● ERC & EIP
● Standards of NFT
● NFT marketplaces such as OpenSea
● NFT Operations
● NFT Supporting Technologies, and many more
Top 5 Concepts and Prerequisites to know for NFT Game Development
Let’s take a quick look at these terms and prerequisites before getting into details about becoming an NFT game developer.
1. Blockchain Technology
This technology is a digital ledger, which is decentralized among a wide range of authorized users or computers (called nodes) across the world. Therefore, it is also called Decentralized Ledger Technology (DLT).
Any asset transaction or information on this technology gets recorded on the distributed ledger. Once registered, no one can change an entry, not even the administrator. This is because the information is distributed across many computers. Transparency is the best thing about blockchain technology. Anyone can check transactions on the distributed ledger.
How does Blockchain Work?
The working of a blockchain is given below with the help of an example:
Step #1: Request
Suppose you request information or a transaction.
Step #2: Broadcast
The information or transaction you requested is broadcast on a peer-to-peer network. This network consists of computers (also called nodes) across the world.
Step #3: Validation
The network of nodes uses known algorithms worldwide to validate the transaction and the user’s status.
Verification of information can be anything:
● Cryptocurrency
● Records
● Contracts
● Other information
Step #4: Block Creation
When the nodes verify a transaction, it is added with other transactions of the ledger to create a new data block. Every blockchain has its block size. In the case of Bitcoin, the size of a block is 1 megabyte (MB).
Step #5: Blockchain Formation
Once a block is formed, it is added to the existing blockchain. Once added, it is unaltered and permanent.
Step #6: Transaction Complete
Once all the steps (mentioned above) are complete, the transaction is complete.
2. Smart Contracts
These transaction protocols or computer programs help you automate actions based on certain preset conditions. A smart contract executes, documents, and controls actions/events automatically as per preset agreement/contract. These protocols help in:
● Minimizing the role of intermediaries
● Reducing costs (enforcement, fraud losses, and arbitration)
Smart contracts are most commonly used in cryptocurrencies and NFTs.
3. NFTs
NFT is the short form for Non-Fungible Tokens. These digital files can be a jpeg image, a video, a real estate document, or any other asset. Blockchain technology allows you to convert any digital file into an NFT. When a digital file is converted to an NFT, it consists of a digital signature. It is this cryptographic signature that makes an NFT unique.
Examples of NFTs
● A game
● A virtual collectable
● Domain name
● Nike’s latest shoe model
● An essay, and many more
Explanation with an Example
You can find many jpeg images of ‘The Merge’ photos when you Google. However, Pak’s original ‘The Merge’ NFT was sold at around US$91.8 million.
What’s so special about it? This NFT comes with a digital signature, which makes this art unique. You can’t replace this NFT or interchange it with another jpeg image of The Merge. This is because the latter doesn’t have the same digital signature, which makes it unique.
What makes an NFT Valuable?
The unique data that an NFT contains makes it valuable. In fact, this unique data makes it easy to validate and verify an NFT’s ownership. You can also know the details of the past owners of that NFT.
The price of an NFT is determined by its demand in the market. You can buy and sell NFTs at different NFT marketplaces such as OpenSea, Rarible, Foundation, and many more. The higher the demand for an NFT, the higher the price.
How to Buy NFTs?
You can buy NFTs from any leading marketplace in exchange for cryptocurrencies. As most of the NFT projects are created on the Ethereum blockchain, you can use ETH to buy NFTs. You can buy ETH by exchanging USD or other fiat currency by opening an account on a cryptocurrency exchange. Once you have ETH, you can open an account on OpenSea, Rarible, or other NFT exchanges to buy NFTs by exchanging ETH.
4. NFT Games
What are NFT Games?
NFT games are online games where NFTs constitute vital elements. In these games, non-fungible tokens are used in player interactions, various mechanisms, and rules. For example, your avatar or unique character in the game could be represented as an NFT. While playing such a game, you may find certain digital items. They could also be in the form of NFTs. An NFT game usually enables you to trade or swap these NFT collectibles with other players to make a profit.
Types of NFT Games
These games are mainly available in two types:
- Play-To-Earn (P2E) NFT Games
P2E games enable you to generate an income stream while playing. Most of the time, you are rewarded with tokens in such games. However, sometimes you are also rewarded with NFTs. The longer you play a Play-To-Earn NFT game, the more you can earn. One of the most popular P2E NFT games is Axie Infinity. Some players make anything from US$200 to US$1,000 in a month.
- Free-To-Play (F2P) NFT Games
One of the most popular F2P games is Gods Unchained. This is an NFT based digital card game. You, as a player, can battle in the game to collect and buy/sell cards on the Ethereum blockchain.
5. Which Blockchains Support NFT Game Development?
Currently, four major blockchains support developers in creating an NFT game. They are:
- Ethereum
- Solana
- Tezos
- Flow
Let’s explore each of these blockchains:
1. Ethereum
Among the developers, Ethereum is the most popular blockchain for NFT game development. It is a secure decentralized platform that is based on blockchain technology.
Ether or ETH is the cryptocurrency of the Ethereum blockchain. The best thing about Ethereum is that it provides you with a smart contract facility. You can also use it to transfer NFT assets between different accounts compatible with Ethereum.
Many NFT game developers are looking for other blockchains for building their NFT games because the gas fee on Ethereum is very high. However, Ethereum remains the top choice for most game developers because of its security features. In addition, this blockchain remains the most secure one for game and dApp (decentralized application) developers.
2. Solana
This is a similar blockchain to Ethereum using smart contracts. SOL is the cryptocurrency of this platform.
Solana is a high-speed network that can process transactions around 200 times faster than Ethereum. While you can process 3,400 transactions per second on Solana, just 15 transactions can be done on the Ethereum blockchain. This is also one of the significant reasons why Solana’s cost of creating dApps or NFT games is very low. Many call it the “Ethereum Killer.”
The Solana blockchain platform has fast become a popular choice for blockchain game developers and dApp creators. You can host dApps and NFT games on Solana at an affordable cost. Games like SolaJump and Defi Land have already become popular among users.
3. Tezos
Tezos is an open-source blockchain that provides you with the smart contract feature. Tez is this platform’s cryptocurrency. This smart contract platform has a secure code. It allows game developers like you to develop Web 3.0 games, arts, NFTs, and other assets.
4. Flow
You can use this easy-to-use blockchain to develop NFT games or other Web 3.0 assets. This blockchain platform has been created mainly to help developers create NFT-based Play-to-Earn games. It is the best platform for game developers, especially during testing and deployment.
Also Check: Top Play To Earn Tokens by Market Capitalization
What are NFT Standards? Why is it Important for NFT Game Developers?
A token standard defines a smart contract. This standard defines the features that an issued token has. Basically, there are two token standards:
● Fungible Token Standard
● Non-Fungible Token Standard
Fungible Token Standard
Ethereum was the first blockchain to provide smart contracts to developers. Over time, Ethereum has become the preferred choice for most dApp and NFT developers. ERC is the token standard on the Ethereum blockchain. It stands for “Ethereum Request for Comments.”
The ERC standard defines a set of rules. It, in turn, helps improve the process of creating a standard token based on the Ethereum blockchain. As a result, ERC-20 is one of the most popular standards for fungible tokens on Ethereum. You can use ERC20 tokens as currency, utility, and financial assets.
Also Read: What Are ERC-20 Tokens on the Ethereum Network?
Non-Fungible Token Standard
Like fungible assets, you will find different standards defining features of processes associated with non-fungible tokens. The two most popular NFT standards are ERC-721 and ERC-1155. Both standards belong to the Ethereum blockchain.
● ERC-721: Using this standard, you can create NFTs for single assets.
● ERC-1155: By using this standard, you can create NFTs for fungible, as well as, non-fungible assets. The best thing about this standard is that you can create/manage different standards of tokens in a single transaction.
Besides these two, you can find many other NFT standards on the Ethereum blockchain, such as ERC-875 and ERC-998. These standards are essential for learning because you can create various NFTs for different purposes. For example, using the ERC-998 standard, you can develop a smart contract to enable your users to merge multiple NFTs into one. Likewise, you can use the ERC-875 standard for transferring multiple NFTs in a single transaction.
Which Skills Do You Need to Become an NFT Game Developer?
The demand for NFT game developers is increasing. It has grown gradually over the years. However, analysts and experts believe their demand will increase significantly in the near future.
Rising Demand for NFT Game Developers
According to a research report, “Play-to-Earn NFT Games Market” by Absolute Reports Pvt Ltd, the global worth of P2E NFT games in 2021 was US$776.9 million. According to estimates, the market size of NFT games will increase at 20.4% CAGR (Compound annual growth rate) during 2022–28. By 2028, the P2E NFT game’s market size will be US$ 2,845.1 million.
Skills Needed for Different Blockchains
If you want to become an NFT game developer, you should have the skills to use multiple blockchains.
Ethereum is the most popular blockchain for NFT game developers. However, web 3.0 game development is witnessing a significant shift away from Ethereum, mainly because of high gas fees. This is the reason Solana is becoming so popular among game developers. However, another blockchain that is becoming a favorite among NFT game developers is FLOW. This is because it provides better testing and deployment features.
Skills to Learn for Ethereum
Ethereum is the most popular blockchain for NFT game development. That’s why learning NFT developer skills in Ethereum can help you become an NFT game developer.
Cryptography Fundamentals
You must have a comprehensive understanding and hands-on experience in cryptography to become a successful NFT game developer.
● This knowledge will help you create and support digital signature verification.
● You can also facilitate securing NFT transactions if you have a basic understanding of cryptography.
It would help if you learned about:
● Encrypted storage
● Private key encryption
● Zero-knowledge proofs
● Hash functions
● Ring signatures
Solidity Programming Language
To become an expert on blockchain, cryptocurrency, and NFT gaming, you should learn Solidity programming language. Learning Solidity development along with Truffle-like tools for workflow optimization is very important.
Web Development
On the Ethereum platform, most of the traffic of dApps (decentralized applications) comes from browsers. That’s why NFT game developers have to work for a long time on web browsers. Therefore, if you want to become an NFT developer, you should have a working knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Their knowledge will help you to implement the necessary functionalities in NFTs.
ERC-721 Token Standard
The foundation of NFTs is the ERC-721 token standard. Suppose you want to become an NFT game developer. In that case, you must familiarize yourself with ERC-721 and its use cases.
Skills to Learn for FLOW
FLOW is a Proof of Stake (PoS) consensus blockchain launched in 2020. It is known for:
● Crypto/NFT game or app development
● NFT minting
For its NFT development use cases, this blockchain has gained huge popularity.
Cadence
To become an NFT game developer on the FLOW blockchain, you must learn its proprietary programming language. It is known as Cadence. A proper understanding of Cadence will help you develop digital assets, NFT games, and dApps.
Contracts
You should be able to create basic programs to execute the NFT logic. Contracts help in accessing a token’s various capabilities and resources. Interfaces and resources are a contract’s common highlights.
Scripts
The state of the FLOW blockchain can be read with the help of programs known as scripts in Cadence. No gas fees or account is needed to sign up for scripts.
Skills to Learn for Solana
Solana is one of the major competitors of the Ethereum blockchain. It is better than Ethereum in terms of transaction speed. It is around 200 times faster than Ethereum, making Solana highly cost-effective. You’ll find multiple projects on this blockchain, including DeFi, web 3.0, and NFTs. You need to focus on Candy Machine, SOL blockchain’s minting program. It enables you to concentrate on artwork instead of smart contracts.
Rust
It is an intermediate programming language. You should have a strong command over it. Fluency must be there for:
● Object-oriented programming
● Data structures
C, C++
Suppose your focus is to become an NFT game developer on the Solana blockchain. In that case, a working knowledge of both C and C++ is essential. This is important because they help in writing on-chain programs in Solana.
Takeaway
To become an expert NFT game developer, you should learn essential skills in Ethereum, FLOW, and Solana blockchains. You should also have a clear understanding of the NFT standards as well as critical components in the NFT architecture. So what are you waiting for? Get started to get hired by the top technology companies involved in web3.0 and NFT game development.
