4 Web3 Gaming Trends In 2023

GM, and happy hump day! 

2022 has been an eventful year thus far, with the greatest hits being Terra Luna, Celcius and FTX collapse 🤦. In gaming, we saw the rapid rise and drop of Stepn (still relatively big). Now with December here, we both reflecting and projecting to what could be in 2023.

• 4 trends we could see in 2023

• The sneakies...

4 Web3 Gaming Trends We Expect To Grow In 2023

Gaming remains one of the bright spots in web3 as investors, builders and gamers in the space remain excited about the future. This excitement got us thinking about what trends are bubbling up now that we could see continue to grow in 2023

Here are the 4 trends we expect to see more of in 2023, although not exhaustive.

1/ Mainstream gaming would become more NFT centred

This year, we saw Epic Games experiment with NFTs by allowing games with NFTs in their store. Ubisoft also tried its hand at it with Quartz NFT, although it failed spectacularly. Furthermore, Sony recently filed a patent for digital collectibles that we can expect will be made available on their console. 

When we look at the search trends for NFT gaming, we see it peak in early 2022 but had its fortunes reversed with the crash of the crypto market and economy as a whole. 

Despite the collapse in interest, it is higher than most of 2021. When we look at the search trend for digital collectibles, it is on the rise.

Interestingly, the peak was around the time people started talking about Reddit's digital collectible avatar. Coupling Reddit's success with how Sony used the term "digital collectibles" for their patent, it is very likely this would become the term alongside "digital assets" that drive mainstream adoption as more mainstream gaming comes in. 

2/ Brands would look at gaming as a metaverse brand build platform

Remember the days when NBA teams' jerseys had no sponsors? Now they do, and brands pay a pretty penny to be on these jerseys.

Why?

Simple. Brands are always looking for places to stake their flags, especially where there is attention arbitrage - where there is high or growing attention, but it is still cheap to acquire.

NFT games are the new place big brands are looking at for their metaverse play. Here are some examples.

• Kelloggs launching pop tart NFTs in Blankos Block Party

• Asics partnership with Stepn

• The 10KFT Gucci Grail

3/ Gamer would become a more serious profession

Growing up mom said, "Stop wasting your time on games". 

Now we have e-Sport teams and some streamers making good money playing games. However, a huge subset of gamers makes money in ways that mainstream gaming studios don't like. For example, people building an account for Ultimate Team on the FIFA titles and selling these accounts. Web3 gaming removes this friction for gamers that want to do this. 

Where we could see the true expansion of professional gaming is P2E despite all its failings so far.

4/ Interdependent gaming ecosystems begin to sprout

Otherside touts itself as interoperable and states "come as you are". It has Bored Apes, World of Women, Cryptopunks, Meebits, Cool Cats and more as projects that can be in its world.

Expect to see more of this from games experimenting with user acquisition through partnerships with other NFT gaming projects. Using the NFTs as skins of characters may be the first step since changing attributes and class is difficult across genres. We can also see this get amplified as generative AI becomes more ubiquitous and is used to generate models from the NFT that match the aesthetic of the game.

Reply to this email to tell us about the trends that you think we could see more of in 2023.

The Sneakies

• Mattel launches NFT marketplace: Earlier this week, Mattel (creator of hot wheels racecars) launched its very first NFT marketplace. The new marketplace will not require buyers to use crypto, allowing traditional payments for the NFTs. Peer to Peer trading is expected in early 2023. The company will release its first NFT collection on the new platform, a Hot Wheels set expected to sell for $25 on Dec 15.

• Sandbox announces land sale: Metaverse giant "Sandbox" has announced it plans to auction off 1900 plots of virtual land. The land parcels are located in totally new neighbourhoods. The sale will open on Nov. 24 and span three waves through 2023. Buyers can buy a plot near experiences by Paris Hilton, TIME, Tony Hawk, and Snoop Dogg.

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Until Next time...

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