Bitcoin halving twice as good for Web3 Games this time around
Joonmo Kwon, founder and CEO of Web3 gaming platform Delabs Games, predicts that this week’s Bitcoin halving will see funds pouring into the Web3 gaming industry.
“The heightened market enthusiasm and increased capital inflows into the cryptocurrency space resulting from the halving event could translate into more significant funding and advancement for Web3 gaming initiatives,” Kwon tells Web3 Gamer.
“As altcoin market dominance and market capitalization climb, there is typically an increased interest and influx of capital into gaming tokens,” he says.
Kwon points out that blockchain gaming is in a totally different position this cycle than during previous halvings.
“While previously dominated by casual and puzzle games, recent developments have expanded into genres like FPS, MMO, and RPGs. The gaming sector has made significant leaps forward compared to previous halving events.”
With Bitcoin soaring to new all-time highs recently, Kwon hopes the shine could rub off on blockchain gaming but adds that the correlation between the two is only moderate. However general bullishness and optimism is a rising tide that lifts all boats.
It comes at an opportune time. Blockchain gaming received $288 million in investment in the first quarter of this year, which was a steep 57% drop compared to the previous quarter, according to a recent DappRadar report.
But some projects still managed to score big bucks to kickstart the year.
Gunzilla Games secured a $30 million investment round for its upcoming project, Off the Grid. Parallel Studios, the team behind the Ethereum NFT card-battler game Parallel, completed a successful funding round, securing $35 million.
Shrapnel game’s ‘simple’ secret
Don Norbury, head of studio for the highly anticipated AAA first-person extractor shooter game Shrapnel, reckons game developers have to block out the noise and just remember one thing if they wanna churn out a hit game.
“Gamers play video games to escape from the real world and shoot things, it’s that simple,” Norbury morbidly tells Web3 Gamer.
“Good developers on Web3 gaming projects get that now and are working to create blockchain games that are simple to use and actually fun to play,” he explains.
He isn’t impressed with the overly convoluted mechanics that many Web3 game developers have used in their games.
“Stupidly complex in-game mechanics and the fact that generally, up until now, Web3 games have been boring to play, has led to core gamers justifyingly rejecting the genre,” he says.
It’s a long running issue, with both developers and gamers complaining about the lack of enjoyment in blockchain games to date.
Possibly as a result, he’s not worried about the competition to Shrapnel in the Web3 gaming industry for Shrapnel and says he’s hoping for everyone and anyone’s success.
“I honestly feel like we’re too early to have any contenders in this space, and I’m rooting for everyone,” he claims.
Two games he’s especially excited about are Gunzilla’s cyberpunk battle royale shooter game Off The Grid, as well as the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) and collectible card game Wildcard.
“The Division with a Blomkamp vibe and a stylized third-person MOBA with a pro team behind it? I’m here for it,” Norbury proclaims.
But Shrapnel certainly seems to have the edge on most titles, having been hyped up for some time.
It was awarded the “most anticipated game” title at the GAM3 Awards, thrown by Polkastarter Gaming, all the way back in December 2022.
The game’s been in the works so long that its fictional “futuristic” setting of 2044 is edging closer to “present day.”
Fortunately, they’re aiming for a full launch in 2025, and they’ve just rolled out early access to the game, so players who can’t wait can get a sneak peek of what’s in store.
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The team hasn’t been sitting around twiddling their thumbs however, quite the opposite.
“Our team is switched on constantly and it’s difficult to switch off. We love what we do and believe in what we’re building,” he says.
“Our core team is about 70 people, mostly on-site at our studio in Seattle. We have about the same amount again in the form of development partners around the world,” Norbury explains.
“I get calls, messages, and ideas no matter the day or time and it’s always a blast,” he says, before adding the HR department rider that: “We have a great amount of flexibility afforded to the team. Personal lives, family, leisure time, and space are important.”
Hot take: Rumble Racing Star
Fed up with the same old Ferraris and Lamborghinis in racing games?
Ever fancied tearing up the track in something a bit more down to earth, like a lawnmower?
You’re in luck, thanks to Delabs Games’s Rumble Racing Star. It’s a blockchain game based on Polygon where you compete against others online, level up, and pimp out your lawnmower to look its best.
Zooming around on a lawnmower at a way faster speed than my uncle ever does on his farm is pretty entertaining.
When I was zipping around on my iPhone, I couldn’t help but crack up. Amusement aside, the game is also good where it counts.
There are different game modes, but the best is definitely the online mode.
You can compete against up to 10 players online, and with everyone squeezed onto a cowboy gathering track, it gets pretty wild.
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There are also practice game modes for those who just want to sharpen their lawnmower driving skills.
The graphics are really sharp and crystal clear, doing laps around your typical-looking western festival. And with the sounds of country music in the background, it feels like you’re right in the middle of a cowboy fair.
You also get to choose your cowboy-style character, and they throw out some funny quirks while you’re waiting for the games to start, adding a bit more flair compared to your usual boring driverless car racing games.
It’s like Mario Kart meets the Wild West, where you’re able to throw everything from a hammer to a bowling ball to a purple can at your opponents. You’re also able to use “special skills” to outpace other players on the track.
On top of that, you’ve got elements from Excite Truck and Red Steel filtering through the game’s look and feel.
Overall, it’s a fun and super quirky game. If you’re into standard car racing games and want to try something a bit different, this could be just the game for you to check out.
Other News
— AAA game studio Ubisoft is closer to releasing its first blockchain-based game after releasing the first gameplay trailer for Champion Tactics Grimoria during Paris Blockchain Week.
— Web3 Gaming studio Gunzilla Games has announced a partnership with NFT marketplace OpenSea.
— Mysten Labs has announced what it claims is the first handheld gaming device with Web3 capabilities, called the SuiPlay0X1, powered by PLAYTR0N.
— Move-to-earn lifestyle app StepN, based on the Solana blockchain, is airdropping 100 million FSL points, worth approximately $30 million, to its users this month.
— Immutable, Polygon Labs, and King River Capital team up to establish the Inevitable Games Fund, a $100 million early-stage fund aimed at supporting founders in the Web3 gaming industry.
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Ciaran Lyons
Ciaran Lyons is an Australian crypto journalist. He's also a standup comedian and has been a radio and TV presenter on Triple J, SBS and The Project.
