Gameplay Over P2E
In comparing P2E and P&E models, it is evident that the poor playability and unsustainable systems of P2E games highlight the need for a better scenario for future projects, which is where P&E comes into play. Today, we would like to continue the discussion, delve deeper into the subject, and explain why gameplay should not only be enhanced but also be prioritized over P2E, even from a financial point of view.
The volatile and questionable nature of P2E has been the subject of much commentary as of late. Yet many believe that criticism of P2E speaks only from a gaming standpoint and purposefully ignores the financial aspect of blockchain games inherited from the pioneering GameFi projects.
It is true that financial attributes are an essential part of blockchain games. But this does not mean that they are without flaws. When we take a closer look at how these attributes construct the economic system, a few weaknesses that endanger the game’s financial viability can soon be identified.
Excessive Speculators
While the premise of the P2E business model rests on the idea that the game’s lifecycle can be extended by luring new players into the market, few projects can sustain the momentum of attracting more in the long run. On the contrary, P2E games often attract an excessive number of speculators to become the first users while discouraging many others from participating.
As Huobi put in their report: “The main factors preventing mass adoption of blockchain games were the flaws behind the highly speculative pay-to-play-to-earn game model and the technology risks surrounding blockchain. As a result, gamers often associate blockchain games with Ponzi schemes and scams.”
For P2E games, the biggest problem with speculative users is that they play games solely to profit from a short-term appreciation in the value of their token holdings. They occupy a lot of valuable NFT resources but might not actively contribute to the game ecosystem and may even disrupt the order due to vicious competition for benefits.
Also, once their interests are compromised by any volatility, the speculative players will immediately sell all of their assets. This is to say, if a game is oversaturated with speculators instead of players, it will be very susceptible to instantaneous sell-offs as the token’s price fluctuates, thereby shortening the game’s entire lifecycle.
Balance for the Game’s Economy
Apart from the excessive speculator, the vulnerable balance for the game and token economies is also an intrinsic flaw in P2E games. In traditional games, balance is often achieved through sinks and faucets, which introduce and remove liquidity from their economies. Developers tweak these variables or introduce new in-game items or services to maintain balance and engagement within the game.
However, unlike traditional gaming developers, blockchain game designers must maintain internal balance through the lens of an open system that allows gamers to leave with their direct earnings or sell in-game items for the same purpose. This feature of P2E gaming introduces considerably increases the complexity of these economic systems, which must now consider the impact of outside factors and behaviors on the health of the internal mechanics and balance.
The complexity of the ecosystem’s design has led to the vulnerability of the game and token economies. As soon as any measure goes slightly off, the entire economic system will be at risk of collapsing. This is also the reason why many blockchain games are investing most of their time and resources in constructing a complicated token economic system instead of creating an entertainment-based game product, which, despite all the good intentions, “puts the cart before the horse”.
Gameplay as a Remedy
Since the excessive speculation is predetermined by the very nature of P2E, and the fragile economies of the open P2E economy; both problems are inherent and are hard to pull out by the root. However, by improving and prioritizing gameplay, these issues and concerns could be greatly mitigated.
By applying better gameplay, the speculators will be diluted by actual players, and the game will become more resilient in the face of downward market pressure. More vitality will be injected into the economies, helping to sustain and prolong the lifecycle of the product.
And when the gameplay is interwoven with the P2E mechanism, it is also expected to result in a more durable game economy. Consider the case of the MetaCene from our previous post; the game’s robust economic structure is a direct result of its skillful incorporation of financial attributes into its NFT-centric gameplay. With the NFT and economic system backed up by gameplay, MetaCene relieves developers’ burden of designing an impeccable ecosystem and, at the same time, ensures an enjoyable gaming experience for mass players.
In recent months, new approaches and ideas, such as play-to-own, have gained ground as alternatives to P2E gaming. Yet as the name implies, and as it should be clear by now, “play” still is and will continue to be the central focus of all blockchain games to come. Gameplay over P2E, by the same token, will also continue to be a key tactic for Web3 games in combating the excessive speculators, the vulnerable P2E economy, and in finding a better solution to persist over the long run.
About MixMarvel
MixMarvel is the world’s leading blockchain content-incubation platform and creators community. By in-depth exploring the open world and integrating world-renowned IP with high-quality content, MixMarvel connects investors and mass users through asset distribution, content publication, DeFi tools, infrastructure, community co-creation, and other diversified scenarios in a new ecosystem of dapps. Its ecosystem comprises a broad portfolio of FT/NFT assets, including the MIX, RPG, and HEROES tokens; blockchain content, including the GameFi application DeHero; and infrastructures, including Rangers Protocol and MixMarvel SDK. For more information, visit https://linktr.ee/MIXMARVEL.
