Welcome to the Metaverse. There's a whole lot that's going to change.
Gaming is already a huge industry. Ultimate Team, the FIFA franchise from EA Sports made $1.62 Billion in the 2021 fiscal year.
But gaming is an industry that is about to get, as Elvis once sang, “all shook up.” Much like Elvis brought R&B music to a whole new audience back in the 1950s, gaming is about to get an influx of brand new gamers – and they are chasing crypto rewards.
According to Bloomberg, 50% of the crypto wallets created in November 2021 were created by gamers. This is on par with DeFi, although most would assume that DeFi is driving the most users.
That's a big takeaway.
What's important to notice is that the crypto-gaming space is DRIVING user behaviour.
That's a leading indicator of where this space is going.
HINT: It's going to explode in 2022.
So with all the new crypto gaming projects being announced, which coins are poised to be the best investments for those that want to get into this space?
AXS: Axie Infinity
Axie Infinity Shard is the governance token for the Axie Infinity Universe. It's seen a deep drop from the recent ATH's.
Axie Infinity is the largest, most popular play-to-earn game, and I expect it to continue leading.
With Axie, players breed, battle and trade cute digital pets called Axies. The game itself doesn't have a cost, but to start playing, you need to buy 3 Axies (which are NFTs) from the Axie Marketplace to create a team.
Axie also introduced the unique concept of scholarships. A scholarship allows the owner of a team of 3 Axies (called the manager) to lend the team to a player who wants to play but has no money to get started with their own team. The scholar then plays the game and the manager splits the profits generated by winning battles with the scholar. This is all done on the Ronin blockchain, which means that it creates a trustless partnership. This setup allows managers to earn money passively without actually playing the game – which arguably has led to the amazing growth that Axie Infinity has seen over the past year.
Some players are earning a full-time income just playing this game on their Android device!
Now there are some problems for the Axie crew, which has been dealing with players giving away wins and a massive decline in the SLP token, which is the main way players earn money with Axie.
I think it's clear that the team is aware of this issue and will be implementing some kind of burn mechanism to get this on track. They are juggling some new developments like Battles V2 (which includes graphics and gameplay changes) and Land which should shake up the Axie gameplay.
Overall, AXS is a great token to own, and one you can stake and currently earn 89% APR.
(Sidenote: with SLP down so low and with the team aware of how important it is to fix, this could be a big mover also.)
SAND: The Sandbox
SAND is a token to watch.
The Sandbox, currently on Alpha on Windows-only is a game that should explode in 2022.
It's similar to Roblox or Minecraft, both of which are wildly popular with pre-teens and teens. Like… massively. They allow you to create worlds that other players can dabble in which are created from blocks.
If the Sandbox can pull some players from Roblox or Minecraft by enticing them with a similar gaming experience that allows them to earn crypto, it could get big very quickly.
In this 3D game, players can create their own worlds by buying digital real estate called LAND. And check this out… they can purchase upgrades with the in-game currency, SAND. Players can also develop their world by making mini-world's. (Roblox had a popular world made based on the Squid Game TV show.)
The game is completely decentralized, meaning players are free to do whatever they want inside of it. That's part of what makes games like this so addicting to players.
MANA: Decentraland
MANA is the digital currency of Decentraland. This virtual world is built using the Ethereum blockchain. It's an online virtual reality platform that allows people to explore and use the platform as a platform for creating new multiplayer games.
The easy-to-use builder tool enables users to make or create almost anything in the virtual world. Users can buy, sell, and trade these virtual items on the marketplace. In addition, users can purchase and sell Decentraland virtual land parcels from the marketplace.
Game tokens can be purchased, sold, and exchanged between gamers. Users can purchase and sell digital real estate assets related to Decentraland on the decentralized marketplace. Like real estate, digital real estate has the element of scarcity allowing players to invest in these digital plots of land.
It’s no surprise that Decentraland has taken up a top spot among cryptocurrency investors.
THG: Thetan Arena
Thetan Arena is an Esports game based on blockchain technology. Think of Thetan as the play-to-earn version of the highly popular Brawl Stars game. So you have different solo and multi-user battle modes that have different objectives. They are very similar, except that with Thetan, you can actually earn money.
Thetan is also a free-to-play game and available on iOS devices, which has lead to a rapidly exploding userbase.
And while you can play for free, and even earn gTHC in-game. But you need to progress on the Season Objectives to Bronze 1 to cash out.
It's actually one of the most fun play-to-earn games to play, and slightly addictive.
Keep an eye on THG as the play-to-earn trend continues.
You can get started with Thetan Area for free here.
VIS: Pegaxy
Pegaxy Galaxy is a horse racing game that is both futuristic and based on mythology. Pega (the horses) are descendants of the mighty Pegasus. In this game, players will participate in PvP Pegasus races to win VIS (Vigorus) the crypto rewards players earn from this game.
Pegaxy is similar to Axie Infinity in getting started, and you can breed, buy and battle the Pega NFT characters.
Pegaxy is a newcomer in the crypto gaming space – and any players can enter any race for free. The gameplay is very competitive, fun, and the crypto rewards are very lucrative. Players compete against 11 other racers in an attempt to earn a top 3 placement. If you place inside the top 3, the gamer earns $VIS tokens.
Strategy, skill and a good Pega are what's required to place in the top 3.
The VIS token looks like a good investment because this one of the most enjoyable play-to-earn games available right now.
Play-To-Earn Gaming 2022
No doubt, 2022 will be a big year for crypto, and in particular play-to-earn games. Gaming is on the rise, even with older people, and the ability to earn real money, even in small amounts for hobbyists will continue to drive new players from traditional games over to games that they can earn cryptocurrency.
Expect the play-to-earn tokens to be volatile and rewarding – just like a good old game that challenges your nerves and your ability.
Happy gaming!
Hey, I'm Andrew. I moved to Lisbon, Portugal from Canada. Follow my journey here.
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