Blockchain gaming expert: What to expect for the rest of 2023

**It’s been a tough year (2023) for blockchain games, and two-thirds of it is now over. However, there are some vague signs of change on the horizon. So we asked our blockchain gaming experts the following questions: **

Ben Cousens

ZBD Chief Strategy Officer

While it’s unrealistic to expect blockchain gaming’s problems to be resolved (if at all) in just four months, the difficulties of the past year don’t mean the future of combining gaming and blockchain payments is bleak. The main challenge facing the industry is reputational issues: This is a systemic problem that requires long-term solutions and better behavior on the part of cryptocurrencies. Of course, this challenge cannot be solved quickly, but change can be made through education and continued demonstration of meaningful, sustainable blockchain integration.

In fact, Google’s recent change to allow NFT game advertising shows that the broader tech industry is embracing purpose-first blockchain implementations built by trusted players in the industry. As we've observed ourselves, blockchain may even help companies increase gaming revenue in a year marked by challenges and layoffs across the gaming industry.

Sarojini McKenna

Chief Executive Officer

**Artificial intelligence has quickly come to prominence, and metaverse and web3 games are expected to see huge benefits by the end of the year. **The Metaverse ecosystem is centered around a community of people and their ability to build content, software, art, and more that all Metaverse citizens can enjoy.

At Dacoco, we focus on building AI-based tools to be deployed in the metaverse of alien worlds, thereby lowering the skills gap/barrier needed to produce great content. Using these tools, almost anyone with no art, writing, or software development skills can create art, write immersive stories within Alien Worlds, or even perform software development and programming of original games.

As these tools mature and become more ubiquitous, we expect content creation in the alien world and the industry as a whole will reach unprecedented scale. Most importantly, as AI is integrated into the Metaverse, we will see the power and importance of operating AI models with the transparency and immutable governance provided by blockchain technology. Artificial intelligence will become the information filter for most people, so how we manage it will become as important as tracking where our food comes from.

Mike Levine

Founder of Mystic Moose

It's been a rough few months for the web3 gaming industry, but there are still signs of recovery. With some amazing new games announced, and some scheduled to enter beta or full release, there will be more high-quality games coming.

Web3 games are being delivered to a wider gaming audience as developers leverage mobile app stores and other distribution channels, such as Mojo Melee’s partnership with Amazon Prime Gaming. Their adoption is critical to the future/development of this field, which is increasingly no longer an "echo chamber" for web3.

Aron Beierschmitt

Co-founder of Laguna Games

I don't expect much to change in the coming months. We may see macro market volatility, with a possible reversal at the end of the year. Without a huge macro push, we're unlikely to see the influx of players this space desperately needs. **Our focus is on web3 native users and building games for this small but high value market. **

Susan Cummings

Tiny Rebel Games CEO and Co-Founder

I predict that over the next few months we will realize (for those who don't realize it yet) that the field is scarred and we need to earn the trust of consumers. I think too many web3 game developers get caught up in NFT mints (I used to be one of them). ** Forced to create FOMO, scarcity, push for lowest prices, etc. This was never what web3 meant for games. **

Digital ownership, interoperability, consumer control – all of these are great and effective and ultimately of real value to everyone. But to achieve this, we must educate consumers and provide them with the opportunity to be truly satisfied. By games, not "web3 games". And want the ability to control the stuff they spend their time working on - the ability to sell and recover some value when they get tired of it, the ability to take it into other experiences, build new experiences with their digital assets , consider it a family heirloom for your grandchildren.

All of this can and may be achieved over time. But first, remove NFTs from your lexicon and make them optional (or introduce them later!).

Nicolas Gilot

Ultra Co-CEO and Founder

Yes, it's been a challenging year for web3 gaming, and there are positive signs that things are getting better. The recent DappRadar x Blockchain Games Alliance second quarter report showed that investment in blockchain games and Metaverse projects increased by 31% compared to the first quarter of 2023, reaching $973 million.

We believe that blockchain gaming is experiencing a level of maturity compared to last year, and we are not seeing as many scandals this year compared to last year.

Those working on credible projects to build sustainable runways are still pushing forward. The game-first principle is paramount, developers and publishers alike are in this space, and a strong, vibrant and engaged community plays a vital role. I believe this is how this industry is evolving - slow but steady A/B testing, experimentation, and the slow building of trust between the web3 gaming world and its many stakeholders.

If the next few months are dominated by more organic growth, world-building, and education, it will be a huge win for the entire blockchain ecosystem.

Jerry Seo

Head of Commercial Department, Delabs

The web3 gaming market is expected to emerge from the stagnation that has been steadily stabilizing over the past four months.

Despite the decline in the virtual asset market, the web3 industry has shown continued growth. The number of active wallet addresses has been on an upward trend, and considering that Asia accounts for more than 60% of virtual asset transactions, we can see a significant increase in the number of web3 projects.

However, in order to realize the development of web3 games, a popular product representing web3, or a "killer game" is needed. Whenever a platform or technology changes, it is driven by a killer app. We're already seeing this trend across PCs, consoles, mobile phones, and VR. On Steam, it's PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, to Nintendo it's Zelda, to Xbox it's Halo.

For web3 it might be something completely different. Many are vying for this spot, and it's too early to determine what it might be. However, based on current trends, it is clear that it will be driven by a "killer app."

Gabriel Meredith

Merfolk Games

I think the next few months will depend heavily on the state of the cryptocurrency market and, more importantly, the state of the video game industry as a whole. Whether we continue to see shifts and growth difficulties in the mobile games industry will be an important determinant of how blockchain game studios implement their strategies in the coming year. The same goes for PCs and consoles.

The excitement surrounding AI-related technologies will continue to dominate the headlines, and we’ll wait and see whether the next Cryptokitties or Axie Infinity-level success story happens this year or next.

Alexander Goldybin

Founder and Chairman of iLogos

As we navigate a complicated and challenging year for blockchain gaming, my view on the near future remains cautiously unchanged. In my estimation, any major changes to the blockchain gaming landscape in the coming months will likely depend on two key catalysts.

The first is the arrival of another bull market, which may inject new capital and activate the ecosystem. The second is the explosion of blockchain games, with the emergence of blockbuster blockchain games that match or even surpass Axie Infinity at its peak, whether in terms of publicity, daily active users or overall market impact. . Without these game-changing factors, I expect it to remain largely unchanged.