10 things to consider for the project team
Blockchain technologies are gradually making their way into various (still relatively few) business areas, including logistics, insurance, finance, etc. In Russia, blockchain is associated, for example, M VideoAlfa-Bank and SberFactoring — these companies use an open blockchain platform based on Ethereum for factoring operations. Basically, this is a reconciliation of documents.
There is another interesting direction – these are blockchain games, which began to actively develop in 2021. They are based on blockchain technologies, using elements of cryptography. Cryptocurrency in such games is the main in-game tool. An example is the game Axie Infinity, which received a lot of positive reviews – it can be called a really successful project based on the blockchain. Another such project is Clash of Coins, which is also quite famous. What should be considered when creating a Blockchain game? We’ll talk about this under the cut.
First steps and technical solutions
Basic blockchain infrastructure
With the basis of your project, you need to decide on the shore, when the question of creating a game arose. The main thing here is long-term planning. Preferably – immediately for 2-3 years, because we are talking about creating a real project that will need to be developed and expanded. If after a while you decide to change the platform, then very big problems will arise. This is not at all the same as switching from one bank to another for ordinary business (and even here there are difficulties).
Here are the main advantages and disadvantages of several blockchain platforms that you should keep in mind at the very beginning of a project:
Ethereum. Pros – the level of acceptance of the platform in the world and the number of #ETH holders. All this greatly simplifies the UX and other nuances of development in relation to the users of the game. In addition, it is also transparency and trust in the platform. Both are at the level, which allows you to increase user loyalty to the game.
Cons – expensive transactions, which users of the system are well aware of. Perhaps the problem will be solved within a couple of years, but all this is only in the future, and the prospect is rather vague.
Binance Smart Chain. Pros – inexpensive transactions that simply save many users of the system. In addition, this platform is in second place in the ranking of blockchain systems.
Cons – the lack of legitimate NFT markets and the adoption of the blockchain as an NFT hub. Another significant disadvantage is scaling problems, which are still easier to solve than in the case of Ethereum. Experts believe that all this will succeed within six months.
Solana/Polygon. There is only one plus here (if you know more, write in the comments) – the cost of transactions is practically zero. There are more cons, and they are quite significant. For example, working with Solana/Polygon is, in fact, interacting with corporations. Everything is centralized here. There are also few users, so there may be distrust in the game right at the start. Well, there is also little stability here, since the projects are not yet well-established.
own solution. An example would be Layer 2 on Ethereum. There are also few advantages here, the main thing is maintaining a technical connection with the parent blockchain, in the example given, this is Ethereum. This is an advantage in terms of simplifying the UX. In addition, it is also zero or close to zero cost of transactions. But there are many more disadvantages. These are “crutches” for mass use, and a general decrease in UX (despite the simplification, yes), as well as a deterioration in the “blockchain charm”, which in fact worsens the overall atmosphere of the project.
Some projects use two blockchain platforms at once. So, in the Clash of Coins mentioned above, a combination of Ethereum and Binance Smart Chain is used, which provides inexpensive transactions, adds a legitimate NFT market, and allows the project to be scaled. And one more thing – the same user wallet address for two blockchains. The link works well because Binance Smart Chain is actually an Ethereum virtual machine.
Wallets
In addition to the blockchain platform, before working on a game project, you need to decide on the wallet that will be used. At the moment, about 90% of the wallet market is occupied by Metamask, Coinbase Wallet, Trust Wallet. There is a huge amount of information about them on the net. The main thing you need to know is that everyone has a couple of tens of millions of users and a convenient UX / UI. You can work with almost all blockchains.
There is another interesting solution, which is far from being heard by everyone. This is a magic.link that supports the Ethereum/Binance Smart Chain networks and allows you to onboard a user via mail, and nothing more. The solution boasts a full white label, analytics and the possibility of additional security settings in the form of 2FA.
Tools for debugging the junction of wallets and blockchain
After the blockchain and wallet options are selected, they need to be linked into a single system. In addition to the already named elements, it should include core gameplay and the server part, which will ensure the operation of the entire project.
There are a lot of solutions here, and one of the most interesting and relevant is Morallis. Now it is one of the most popular and reliable platforms for WEB3 development.
fiat gateway
We are talking about the possibility of buying cryptocurrencies inside the game for fiat, that is, currencies familiar to everyone like the euro or the dollar, without leaving the game. There are not so few projects, they can be divided into those that have access to the US market and those that do not have such access. Recommended fiat gateways include Simplex, Moonpay, Transak.
Product Development
Here we are already talking about the moments that are important during and after the launch of the product. And this, in most cases, is no longer technology.
The product itself
Above, we agreed that speaking of a blockchain game, we mean a long-term project with a horizon of about 2-3 years, or even more. Precisely because the project is not empty, it must be based on the product. By the way, over the past few years, many speculative projects have disappeared from the market, the most significant are products with real LTV, ARPU and Retention indicators. At the same time, they also have a viral, hype component that allows you to promote the main project. But this is done in favor of expanding the latter, and not in order to “skim the cream” and the abyss. The most successful projects to date have emerged from a combination of a powerful product and a viral promotion strategy.
Among them are Gods Unchained, Axie Infinity, The Sandbox, Alien Worlds, Embersword and, probably, Guild of Guardians.
Collaboration and networking
First of all, with those who are called NFT artists. The fact is that any large or even medium-sized NFT collections are centers of organic growth that have fans. Lore collections should be combined with your game to gain the loyalty of such a fan base. In cases where it is possible to find a good partner, the cost of gaming marketing costs is mere pennies, and in exceptionally successful partnerships, it generally tends to zero. Among other things, game guilds can promote the product.
NFT Lands
We are talking about adding the functionality of buying a virtual plot of land in the game, which is done by the developers of some blockchain projects. What for? Of course, there is no practical meaning, but users get new sensations from the acquisition or sale of virtual “lands” with subsequent development. Here are examples of the most successful transactions:
Sale of a site for $2 million in Axie – proof.
A similar transaction for the same amount in another crypto game – proof.
The cost of transactions is so high because the issuance of NFTs (in our case, virtual land plots) is limited. At the start, “property” is inexpensive, but over time, due to the growth in the number of users, the cost of NFT can already reach tens, hundreds or even millions of US dollars, as shown above.
It is important to emphasize the importance of virtual lands – after the growth in value, their location and / or proximity to other virtual objects matters.
Token launch
It should not be launched immediately, but only after an audience of at least 10 thousand people has accumulated. The ideal situation for launching is when the token has a lively and understandable utility economy, and it is launched when there are already thousands of active users. The viral effect at the same time can literally roll over.
Extension
A few interesting possibilities are launching, for example, on the web, which symbolizes Web 3.0. There is also the option of launching on the Epic Store, this store is very loyal to blockchain projects, so developers of games of the corresponding type should pay close attention to the company. And, finally, the development of your own desktop client, which is also important.
During the year, it may be possible to place blockchain projects on mobile devices outside the stores. True, it requires interaction with a variety of companies with which you need to negotiate. So it’s not the easiest way, but possible.
Audit
After everything is up and running, you need to audit. Unfortunately, professional teams that can conduct a security check of a product and make a clear penetration test have a queue of clients. So even after paying for the service, you will have to wait, sometimes for several months.
In most cases, developers do not have that much time, they launch projects resigned to the fact that the product is vulnerable for at least 3-4 months. But on the other hand, after assessing the situation with the information security of the product, practically nothing will threaten it. It should be borne in mind that the cost of checking a project for vulnerabilities is not cheap.
In general, these are the main points to consider when developing a blockchain game, so if you can use them in your own project, you can get rid of a number of difficult problems that complicate the development of the game.
