Why Web3 Gaming Remains Niche

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

My top 5 reasons why core gamers — aka Web2 gamers — don’t give a toss about Web3. From the perspective of a key market demographic : North America.

1. They care more about good games than about making money in a game. Sure, most people like a side gig; but if Axie and its ilk taught us anything it’s that a ponzi scheme by any other name is just that.
2. Most — if not all — Web3 games right out the gate during the first impressions phase, were blatant cash grab tripe.
   Investors loaded with funny money (see: ICO) gave it to anyone who claimed they could totally make a game. Even that one guy who was a barrister at a famous game company said he could totally make a game with $5M — in 9 months. And that’s all because he once stood in the same room as the devs who actually make games. That’s how we ended up with a flood of Web3 cash grab tripe masquerading as ‘games’ — all of which have thus far failed.
   First impressions go a long way; and the first impressions of the Web3 games wave still lingers. And gamers not being the most forgiving types, have memories that likely exceeds that of elephants.
3. Trying to sell the concept of making money (P2E) instead of having fun is an immediate turnoff.
   You’re literally trying to market to a base that hates loot boxes with an unbridled passion.
   To boot, anything that breaks the continuity of a game or creates friction, such as wallets, marketplace, gas, latency, transactional hiccups etc. will kill your game. Guaranteed.
4. Trying to make a game that isn’t even on par with the worst Web2 version because ‘da blockchain’.
   Yes — because a gamer who is only interested in playing a good game with their friends is totally going to play your cash grab Web3 tripe because….reasons.
5. You’re just not good at it. And all the money in the world — and dope influencers — won’t save your game.
   Making games is hard. The industry is littered with thousands of failed great games made by well-funded and experienced superstars. That’s your primary competition — not the gamers.
   Why are you making a Web3 version of COD, Battlefield, Witcher, GTA or any top end game — without the marketing, talent or budget to match? Why is a core gamer going to play your Web3 clone of COD when he can just go play COD?
   Web3 gaming isn’t a bad thing; but it’s just tech. Go make a good (doesn’t even have to be great) game, market it as a game and let it stand on its own merits without you having to shove Web3 into the mix because that’s now an absolutely toxic USP.
   The flipside is, if you’re happy with the install base of your Web3 game, that’s OK too. Keep doing that; and as long as it’s a good game your Web3 install base will either grow within that bubble or expand beyond it.