Where do NFT plays make the most sense?
In the last two years or so, there has been a lot of talk about NFTs in play. In fact, if you look through some of our own past gaming articles, you’ll find multiple references to metaverse gaming and NFT engagement. Once a vague concept, it’s fair to say that the idea has been exciting our imaginations.
Beyond excitement or anticipation, NFT games have also sparked legitimate (and massive) business already. Indeed, according to VentureBeat and data from Nonfungible.com, NFT gaming sales had already reached an astounding $5.17 billion by 2021. This speaks volumes to the wave of enthusiasm that drove early adoption – and there are many NFT gaming advocates who still believe this is just the beginning.
It’s also an exciting thought, and it raises the crucial question of where NFT gaming will continue to expand. In this piece, we examine a similar, perhaps more practical question: Where exactly do NFT games make the most sense?
Resource gathering game
The only logical place to start is with games that involve gathering resources (including characters, in-game items, and so on). This is because at the time of writing, just such a game – Axie Infinity – is the absolute biggest in NFT gaming. This is an almost Pokemon-esque game where players collect creatures called Axies and use them to complete missions. Each Axie is itself an NFT, and there are more digital resources to earn through gameplay. And according to CoinTelegraph, this game accounts for nearly two-thirds of NFT transactions in blockchain games. Therefore, it is certainly fair to say that games that revolve around collecting resources are suitable places to expand your NFT activity.
Console games with currency
When you think about it, there are already many console games with built-in currency systems. Action and adventure games from Grand Theft Auto to Far Cry challenge players to collect currency, buy items and so on; sports games such as NBA 2K and FIFA now involve player contracts and endorsements. To date we have not seen also many prominent examples of NFTs working their way into these games –– but it may be inevitable. In the near future, we expect to see most console games with a currency system that allows players to use in-game currency to purchase unique digital assets, which in turn can be traded or simply sold in the real world.
Casino slot machines
Somewhat surprisingly, it took until the spring of this year before we started hearing about NFT slots – and even they appeared on Metaverse platforms like “Lucky Crypto”. In time, we also expect to see such games on standard, real-world slots. Many of the games on these sites already revolve around the possibility of winning jackpot prizes or special bonuses. From there, it’s not a big leap to imagine that players have the chance to succeed in unique NFTs. Even more fun is the idea that these NFTs could be related to the specific themes of casino games. For example, one of the most popular online slots revolves around an animated explorer named Gonzo. It won’t be too surprising if a year from now, “Gonzo’s Quest” slots come with rare opportunities to score NFTs of Gonzo himself in various poses or outfits.
Casino Slingos
Slingo is sort of a neighboring category to online casino slots, and while these games are less rooted in jackpot potential, they tend to have a similar thematic focus on prizes and wealth. One of the most active selections of Slingo games is currently at Gala Bingo, where there are individual games on gold coins (titled “Stinkin’ Rich”), diamonds (“Da Vinci Diamonds”), buried treasure (“Slingo Cascade” ); and even game show wins (“Deal Or No Deal” and “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire”). One can certainly imagine games like these being expanded so that the occasional rare Slingo card unlocks a treasure box or opens a “Deal Or No Deal” case to raise a valuable NFT.
Mobile fighting games and RPGs
Over the years, fighting games and RPGs have become some of the most popular games on mobile platforms – with some overlap between them. In the RPG category, titles such as “The Shadow Sun”, “Final Fantasy Brave Exvius” and even the smash hit “Infinity Blade 3” are among the best and most loved games. When it comes to fighting games, the likes of ‘Marvel Contest Of Champions’, ‘Injustice 2’ and ‘Mortal Kombat’ stand out. Now there are significant differences between all these games. But to some extent they all trust collection –– of characters, items, achievements, and so on. Adding NFTs to the collectibles seems like an inevitability.
None of these suggestions or predictions are ironclad. But they do speak to the scale of NFT’s ongoing potential across the gaming world.
