According to an organization focused on promoting the development of blockchain technology in the gaming industry, blockchain games are entering a new stage of maturity, with more and more players having more seamless access to games. However, with the addition of traditional game developers, the blockchain game industry is undergoing changes that may trigger drastic changes.

This changing trend coincides with major game studios such as Sony and Square Enix entering the industry with blockchain layer2 solutions. According to an industry survey report released this week by the Blockchain Game Alliance (BGA), public awareness remains one of the key obstacles.

The report shows that 66% of projects are still trying to establish credibility, working to eliminate public misconceptions about blockchain games being associated with scams. Nevertheless, the difficulty for players to engage with blockchain games has decreased, with the entry resistance rate dropping from 79.5% last year to 53.9% in 2024. This improvement is primarily due to better user experiences, making it more convenient for players to engage with blockchain games.

"The core of this growth is the principle of player empowerment," wrote BGA President Sebastian Borget in the report. He noted that players' interest in blockchain games primarily stems from the concept of ownership. The report shows that over 71% of respondents believe this is the "greatest benefit" offered by blockchain games.

The report also points out that since the previous market cycle, the industry has increasingly focused on user experience (UX) and user interface (UI), prioritizing a smooth experience comparable to traditional Web2 games. BGA predicts that this trend will continue to expand in 2025, shifting the focus from financial mechanisms to enhancing player experiences. Blockchain games are gradually hiding crypto elements. Blockchain game platforms are moving from explicit crypto elements (such as token economies and NFT markets) to a more seamless integration, allowing Web3 functionality to operate in the background.

"Play-to-earn" model enters a new phase

With the arrival of 2025, blockchain games are ushering in a new chapter. BGA shared their predictions in a media interview. Traditional centralized game servers are transitioning to blockchain infrastructure, showcasing how the gaming industry embraces the concept of digital ownership.

Compared to traditional games that rely on regional server networks for stability and data management, blockchain integration achieves true digital ownership through on-chain asset tracking and transactions.

Additionally, the 'play-to-earn' model, which rose to prominence in 2020, has also undergone significant changes, placing greater emphasis on the practical application of on-chain characteristics. Andrew Campbell, a well-known figure in the Web3 community (online name Zyori), mentioned in the report that this shift has given rise to a new model driven by player capabilities and activities.

"The original 'play-to-earn' model has two fatal flaws: uncontrolled reward inflation, which keeps expanding as users increase; and a lack of sufficient token recovery mechanisms to create deflationary pressure," Campbell wrote.

Fully on-chain games and autonomous worlds

The report also introduces two new terms: 'Autonomous Worlds' (AW) and 'Fully On-Chain Games' (FOCG). These terms describe game experiences that are entirely based on blockchain and natively exist on the chain, including game rules, player items, and game economics, rather than just placing part of the content on the chain while the client-server still operates on traditional centralized servers.

Gillian Pua, chief officer of Sovrun (formerly BreederDAO), stated that autonomous worlds can continually improve games based on community input by placing the game state and logic on the chain. She added that as artificial intelligence merges with blockchain infrastructure, this feature will also influence how fully on-chain games operate in the future.

"Leveraging the transparency of the chain, autonomous worlds provide an ideal foundation for the flourishing of AI intelligences, capable of generating intelligent and adaptive gaming experiences based on players' real-time behaviors," Pua stated.

[Disclaimer] The market has risks, and investments should be made cautiously. This article does not constitute investment advice, and users should consider whether any opinions, views, or conclusions in this article are suitable for their specific situations. Investment based on this is at one's own risk.

  • This article is republished with permission from: (Foresight News)

  • Original author: Vince Dioquino

"The play-to-earn model is declining! What's next for blockchain games? Is fully on-chain gaming the way forward?" This article was originally published in 'Crypto City.'