Not so long ago claims about NFTs generating enough income for their owners appeared in the media. An NFT game, Axie Infinity, is said to be profitable enough that some players quit their full-time job and proceed to play them as their main source of income. So why a huge part of gamers are still reluctant to the crypto market? The answer is simple: many of these games are not traditional in the sense that they do not provide players with great graphics, captivating storylines and exciting gameplay. In that case, as soon as fun NFT games appear to the public, crypto gaming is bound to take over the gaming market. When can we expect fun NFT games to be released?
Blockchain technology: Young and ready to take over the world
The technology behind cryptocurrencies and NFTs, known as blockchain, is fairly new. In fact, it dates back to 2008, making it a teenager who's still trying to figure out life. And when it comes to the latest technology, it always takes time until we manage to adapt them.
When the internet was released on January 1, 1983, no one knew the full potential it will reach. Remember the good old times when you were asked to go offline so your family member could make a phone call? Or the times you had to wait for minutes for a simple website to open? The times before Google, when we read magazines to find links to cool websites that did not always work? The teenager internet had it rough. And now it is difficult to envision life without it, let alone a single day.
Blockchain is no expectation: it took time until it was adopted and it will still take more until we embrace it fully and learn how to deal with it.
For example, developers just realized that blockchain technology could be used to create various decentralized applications. With new applications based on blockchain emerging every day, we are moving to the future of the so-called Web3, the new era of the internet.
The most popular blockchain applications are various financial tools such as exchanges, wallets, lending and borrowing platforms. They allow participants to take control of their assets and even earn from using the protocol through various activities, e.g staking.
Another big player in blockchain technology is crypto games.
What are NFTs and their benefits?
In short, NFTs are assets put on the blockchain protocol.
The most common explanation why NFTs are needed comes from the artistic community that uses them to sell, trade and control their art pieces online. Once you put your content on blockchain, you can easily sell it through various platforms such as OpenSea. Since blockchain technology allows anyone to track the movement of assets and can not be falsified, you can check the entire history of the asset and safely resell it if you wish.
A great use case for NFTs is tickets for events.
If you ever bought tickets from the secondary market, you know the struggle of getting the real deal. Many people get tricked by fraudulent tickets as the sale might appear legit without proof. For example, sometimes individuals try to sell the same ticket to many people, meaning only one person can enter the venue - even if hundreds have paid for it.
With NFTs, instead of handing over your hard-earned cash to a stranger without any warranty, you purchase a ticket through a reliable NFT marketplace that allows you to check the origin of the ticket and grants you full ownership of it after the successful payment.
NFTs in gaming: Control your assets
The gaming industry recognized ownership validation as a potential feature that could improve the experience for players.
Most online games offer various in-game assets: cosmetic items, tools, real estate, etc. For example, League of Legends players can purchase skins for their characters. As the game itself is free to play, the League of Legends developer Riot Games relies upon these cosmetic items to make a profit. With a staggering revenue of $1.63 billion made in 2021 from LoL only, Riot Games is amongst the top-earning studios.
While in-game cosmetic items are valuable and players are willing to pay for them, buying them does not grant you full ownership. For example, League of Legends players faces two major obstacles: you can't reliably sell your owned assets and you risk losing them if your account is suspended.
While the secondary market for League of Legends skins does exist, there are two drawbacks. First of all, you can't sell one skin, you have to sell the entire account. That means losing all of your progress and other assets. Secondly, to purchase an account you have to be at the mercy of an internet stranger or pay hefty intermediation fees for the secondary market website. Additionally, even if a player buys an account from a reputable website, they might still occasionally get banned due to the previous player's past.
And this is where NFTs come to the rescue. Instead of linking your assets to your account, they are put on the blockchain. This way they remain in your wallet even if you lose your account and you can easily sell it in the secondary market. You truly own what you purchase.
This could be the beginning of fun NFT games market that is fairer to players.
Earn from playing fun NFT games
The benefits of playing a crypto game do not end with secured ownership of your assets.
Blockchain integration makes it possible to earn from playing a game. There are many ways players can achieve that:
The game allows you to generate new NFTs. For example, in CryptoKitties, players can breed their NFT Kitties and later resell them to make a profit.
A crypto game typically includes some kind of cryptocurrency that can be used outside the game. It could be earned by performing various tasks, winning matches. For instance, Axie Infinity rewards players with SLP tokens for winning battles.
Holding in-game NFTs gives you passive income. In the instance of Mars4, holding their NFTs entitles you to a share of the company's earnings. Mars4 NFTs function somewhat similarly to stocks: you invest in a company by purchasing a stock and then subsequently get dividend payments from holding it.
Every NFT game is different and can combine these and many other mechanisms to allow players to earn from engaging with the platform.
The dark side of the NFT games: All grind but no play
Forementioned CryptoKitties and Axie Infinity are successful: they generate income both for their developers and players. Nonetheless, they are criticized fairly often - for the simple reason of being monotonous and tiresome.
Both of these games allow you to breed NFT assets and sell them to earn money. Traditional gamers might not see the appeal of that - perhaps it is fun to see what kitten you obtain for the first few times but after breeding thousands of them, you want to turn off the game and move on. But selling your kitties earn you real value money - so if you stick to it, it becomes a chore, your work. This would not be described as one of the fun NFT games.
This is the reason why many gamers are skeptical and not eager to play blockchain games: why do we have to take something we do for fun in our leisure time and make it our full-time job? Why aren’t there any fun NFT games?
Fun NFT games are possible and can enhance players' experience: blockchain technology could be used to improve the market, make it more accessible, decentralized and give tools for the players to earn while having fun.
The second generation fun NFT games
After games like Axie Infinity lost their token value, blockchain developers realized that they need to create sustainable games - games that players enjoy. These fun NFT games are still being developed.
Mars4 - one of the fun NFT games
In this saturated crypto market, Mars4 is trying to be the shining star that brings us to the perfect blend of traditional gaming with a spice of blockchain technology. It aims to become one of the fun NFT games.
Mars4 is not just a game that promises that you will be earning crypto: it lets you earn while playing an immersive 3D Mars Metaverse game, thus making it one of the new generation games. Mars4 is exactly what crypto gaming should be: entertainment with a financial benefit.
With the game demo released, you can check it yourself as it is free for everyone to try out.
Dive into the Mars world: explore the vast land around you, find the perfect spot and construct your first station on Mars using a robust building toolkit. All while trying to survive on Mars. Keep an eye on your oxygen levels, make sure you don't freeze to death, collect various resources for your station - the adventure on Mars never ends. And with blockchain integration, Mars4 is an example how fun NFT games can be.
The Metaverse future of Mars4
While the Mars4 demo is a single-player game, it is set to be a multiplayer Metaverse meaning it is only the beginning of the future that the project offers. Thanks to multiplayer integration you will be able to connect with your friends and meet new people along the way. By cooperating, players will be able to complete various missions successfully and increase their earnings, thus Mars4 is one of the fun NFT games that are built to be stimulating and profitable at the same time.
The Metaverse makes anything possible, including music and sports events, museums, shops, you name it. With many attractions to offer, Mars4 is an exciting virtual world orientated to keep players engaged.
The first multiplayer Mars game version is planned for release in 2023, Q1.
And although Mars4 may seem far away, Mars4 is growing every day. From various events (such as giveaways) and various additions to the game itself (such as the recent expansion of the building toolkit that now allows constructing balconies), Mars4 is not stagnant. From small things to big ones - you can expect something new every time you log in. This makes Mars4 one of the fun NFT games.
Fun NFT games will take a lead in the blockchain market
Blockchain made it possible to build platforms that give back to the communities that engage in various activities. Gaming is one of the markets that has been changing due to blockchain; now you can earn real value money by playing games. But with new technology, new challenges arise: the majority of the early NFT games fall short of one of the most crucial criteria for games, which is to be entertaining.
Mars4 is aiming to bring excitement into the crypto gaming market by creating an immersive 3D Mars Metaverse world. Endure the harsh realities of Mars, build various constructions and earn money from doing so. It is one of the fun NFT games that allows players to earn from playing it.
Ifother crypto gamesare going to take the same approach to blockchain technology and work towards creating an immersive experience for players, you can be sure to see them take over the gaming market.