The popularity of Notcoin has made people see the huge potential of the Tap to Earn model. You can get in-game rewards with a simple click. This easy and enjoyable way to make money quickly became popular and attracted the attention of a large number of users. With the soaring market value and significant growth in transaction volume, the Tap to Earn model has become the new favorite of blockchain gaming projects. How did the chain game model develop from Play to Earn to X to Earn? What’s the reason for Tap to Earn’s popularity? Is this change leading a new trend in the chain gaming market? This article will try to sort out and analyze the evolution of the chain game model from Play to Earn to Tap to Earn.
1. What is blockchain gaming?
Chain games, which are games based on blockchain technology, also known as GameFi (game finance), are games that apply blockchain technology to games. Through smart contracts and decentralized technology, game assets, rules, logic, asset transactions and other data are put on the chain to create a decentralized, trusted, verifiable and tradable game model. GameFi combines DeFi and non-fungible tokens NFT, gamifies DeFi rules, and NFTs game props and derivatives, making all assets, props and characters in the game unique and collectible.
GameFi is not only a product of the combination of blockchain technology and the gaming industry, but also a revolution in the traditional gaming profit model. Through the characteristics of decentralization, transparency and security, GameFi not only enhances the entertainment of the game, but also gives players real digital ownership, allowing them to achieve actual economic benefits through virtual assets such as tokens, props and NFTs. This model breaks the convention that game assets belong only to game development companies and allows players to achieve wealth through games.
2. How do blockchain games work?
The model and game economy of each GameFi project are different, but most in-game assets are NFTs in the blockchain and can be traded directly on the NFT market. Assets in games often create benefits for players and allow them to earn more rewards. For example, many assets can be pledged or loaned to obtain more income by completing tasks.
Specifically, GameFi's operating model includes the following aspects:
1. In-game rewards: Players can obtain in-game assets such as cryptocurrencies, virtual land, avatars, weapons, clothing items, etc. through gameplay. These rewards come in various forms, which increase the fun and challenge of the game.
2. Asset trading: Most in-game assets are NFTs and can be traded directly on the NFT market. This allows players to not only have fun in the game, but also gain real benefits by trading virtual assets. In some projects, in-game assets need to be converted into NFTs before they can be sold or traded.
3. Missions and Battles: Players can usually earn rewards by completing missions, fighting other players, or building monetized buildings on owned plots. These activities increase the interactivity and competitiveness of the game, allowing players to earn more through their efforts.
4. Pledge and loan: In some games, players can pledge or loan game assets to other players, and earn passive income without playing the game. This model increases the liquidity and income path of game assets.
5. Decentralized governance: Some GameFi projects have also introduced the DAO (decentralized autonomous organization) mechanism, enabling players to participate in the development and decision-making of the game, and increasing players' sense of participation and belonging through voting and governance mechanisms.
3. From Play to Earn to X to Earn
The Play to Earn model represented by Axie Infinity laid the foundation for blockchain games, that is, earning money by playing games. With the popularity of Move to Earn projects represented by StepN, the X to Earn model has gradually evolved into a broad narrative space. The common feature of these models is that players get rewards by participating in different types of activities, thus inspiring the idea that "everything can make money."
Play to Earn（P2E）
Players are rewarded with cryptocurrencies or NFTs by playing games, and can then sell these assets on the market for real gains. On behalf of the project Axie Infinity, players are rewarded with cryptocurrencies or NFTs by playing games, and can then sell these assets on the market for real gains.
Early blockchain games focused on attracting players through simple game mechanics. However, this model gradually exposed some problems, such as insufficient gameplay and unstable token economy. Over time, P2E blockchain games began to introduce more complex economic systems and diversified gameplay to increase the attractiveness and sustainability of the game. For example, The Sandbox and Decentraland introduced virtual real estate and content creation mechanisms, allowing players to not only earn tokens through games, but also profit from creating and trading virtual assets.
Move to Earn（M2E）
Players get in-game rewards by doing actual sports or activities. This model combines health and sports. The representative project StepN, STEPN rewards GST tokens by tracking users' actual sports (such as walking and running), and introduces an NFT shoe system where players can buy, upgrade and trade NFT shoes. In the final analysis, M2E games are essentially P2E games, but the way of playing has become sports.
Watch to Earn（W2E）
Users are rewarded for watching various types of content, such as videos, ads, movie trailers, and promotional videos, and profit from the attention economy. For example, Cheelee is a short video platform with a Watch to Earn mechanism, which pays all users who watch content. Its mission is to enable all users to make money on social networks.
Tap to Earn（T2E）
Players can earn income through simple clicks. The representative project is Notcoin, which allows users to earn tokens through simple clicks, and adds social sharing and invitation reward mechanisms to improve user stickiness and spread speed. The T2E model has quickly become popular because of its simple operation and easy to get started. It emphasizes light entertainment and quick feedback, and is suitable for playing in fragmented time. According to CMC data, as of June 20, the market value of Notcoin tokens has exceeded US$1.6 billion, ranking 53rd. With a 24-hour trading volume of more than US$500 million, it ranks 14th, and is undoubtedly the hottest blockchain game project at the moment.
Other representative Tap to Earn games
Hamster Kombat: Players continuously increase their gold coins by tapping their mobile phone screens, expecting the gold coins to be converted into tokens. Within just three months after the game was launched, the number of Twitter followers soared to 8.55 million, and the number of Telegram group members reached 200,000, demonstrating the strong communication and appeal of the Tap to Earn model.
Catizen: Through the operation of the telegram robot, players can combine two low-level cats into a higher-level cat, thereby attracting more customers to pet the cats and make money. This light game model is simple and direct, and has a high degree of spread.
Based on the Play to Earn economic model, various X to Earn models have gradually emerged, which can generally refer to all behaviors that earn income in Web3, such as Learn to Earn, Drive to Earn, Write to Earn, Sing to Earn, Sleep to Earn, Eat to Earn, etc. By meeting people's basic needs or interests and hobbies, daily life is combined with the blockchain economy, further expanding the scope of application of X to Earn and exploring more novel and diverse forms.
4. Why is the Tap to Earn model so popular?
Recently, Notcoin has popularized the Tap to Earn model, which is essentially an extension of the X to Earn model. However, there is a certain inevitability behind the success of this model.
1. Simple and easy game mechanics
The core of the Tap to Earn model lies in its extremely simple operation. Players can get rewards by simply tapping the screen, without complicated operations or strategies. Users do not need to invest a lot of time and energy to learn game rules or operation skills, and can quickly get feedback and rewards. This instant satisfaction greatly improves user participation and stickiness.
2. Efficient user dissemination and growth mechanism
Notcoin has greatly promoted user growth by introducing social sharing and invitation reward mechanisms. Users can get extra rewards by sharing game links or inviting friends to join the game. This mechanism not only increases the exposure of the game, but also enhances user interaction and participation. The active sharing and promotion of users enables the game to attract a large number of new users in a short period of time and achieve exponential growth.
3. Immediate incentives and economic rewards
The Tap to Earn model provides immediate economic returns, and players can get token rewards for each click operation. This instant reward mechanism greatly motivates users, not only improving user satisfaction, but also increasing their retention rate and activity.
4. Huge potential user base
Due to its simple operation and the lack of time investment, the Tap to Earn model can attract a wide range of user groups, including the general public who are not familiar with blockchain technology and complex game mechanisms. Compared with other complex blockchain game models, Tap to Earn has lower requirements for equipment and technology, and most smartphone users can participate. This lowers the threshold for user participation and expands the coverage of the user group.
5. Innovation and differentiation
The Tap to Earn model has attracted a lot of attention with its unique novelty. While other blockchain game models are still exploring complex game mechanisms, Tap to Earn stands out with its minimalist design and efficient reward mechanism. It fills the gap of some low-threshold, light entertainment blockchain games in the market and meets the needs of different user groups.
This suggests that mini-games and game bots could pave the way for broader Web3 applications. Unlike the extensive development cycles required for fully on-chain games or AAA titles, these platforms prioritize agility and rapid deployment. This approach may be more effective in attracting and maintaining a large user base than pursuing complex but less accessible gaming experiences.
5. What problems exist in the current blockchain gaming model?
As a new model in blockchain games, Tap to Earn has rapidly risen due to its simplicity and ease of use. However, it also indirectly exposes the problems existing in the current blockchain game model:
1. Insufficient gameplay
Many blockchain games, especially the early Play to Earn models, tend to focus too much on economic returns and ignore gameplay. They are crudely made and lack playability, causing users to gradually lose interest after the initial enthusiasm. They were very popular in the early days when users acquired tokens, but due to the lack of depth and challenge, user stickiness was insufficient.
2. The economic model is unstable
If the economic model of a blockchain game is not designed properly, it is easy to cause a sharp fluctuation in the token price, or even a "death spiral", which will affect users' profit expectations and confidence. For example, after the token price of Axie Infinity plummeted by more than 90%, although the number of users continued to increase, market confidence was obviously frustrated.
3. Serious homogeneity
Many chain game projects lack innovation in design and over-imitate successful projects, resulting in a large number of homogeneous games on the market. For example, many chain game projects try to copy the successful model of Axie Infinity, but there is no significant difference in game mechanics, screen design and user experience, making it difficult to attract long-term users.
4. Balance between gameplay and economy
How to achieve economic benefits while ensuring gameplay is a problem that blockchain game developers need to solve. Over-emphasizing economic benefits may lead to a decline in gameplay, which in turn affects user experience and user retention.
5. Difficulty in user acquisition and retention
In the early stages of blockchain games, users can be attracted through aggressive marketing and high rewards, but it is very difficult to retain users in the long term. After completing the initial tasks and receiving rewards, users may leave due to lack of novelty and challenge. Many blockchain game projects have been funded by burning money and
6. Thoughts on the development trend of blockchain game models
1. Diversified X to Earn Model
The X to Earn model will continue to expand, not only limited to Play to Earn, Move to Earn and Tap to Earn, but also more innovative models will emerge, which will further enrich the application scenarios of blockchain games and attract more users with different interests and needs to participate. In addition, more and more traditional Web2 companies are also using their existing resources and advantages, combined with the X to Earn model, to promote product iteration and user growth, and realize the integration of Web2 and Web3.
2. Integrate new technologies
With the development of blockchain technology, blockchain games will integrate more emerging technologies, such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI), to provide a more immersive and intelligent gaming experience. For example, future blockchain games may use VR technology to create a virtual world, combined with AI to achieve intelligent NPC interaction, and enhance the immersion and interactivity of the game.
3. Innovation and differentiation
Blockchain game projects need to continuously innovate in gameplay and economic models, and stand out in the market through differentiated strategies. For example, by introducing new game mechanisms, adding social interaction functions, and developing unique economic systems, the game's appeal and user stickiness can be enhanced. Different game experiences and reward mechanisms can be designed for different user groups to meet diverse user needs.
4. User experience optimization
Methods and strategies to improve the gaming experience include optimizing the game screen, improving the smoothness of operation, and increasing the game content. By continuously improving the core gameplay and user interface of the game, user satisfaction and retention can be improved. In addition, blockchain game projects can collect user opinions and suggestions through community building and user surveys, and adjust and improve game content in a timely manner.
5. Community building and governance
Building and maintaining an active gaming community can enhance user stickiness and engagement. By hosting online and offline events, establishing social platforms, and providing a space for user communication, interaction and communication between players can be promoted. By introducing DAO and voting mechanisms, players can participate in the development and decision-making of the game, which can enhance user enthusiasm and loyalty.
6. Sustainable Development
Blockchain game projects need to pay more attention to sustainable development, design reasonable economic models and ecosystems, and ensure long-term stable operation. The project will continuously optimize the game and economic system through continuous innovation, user feedback and community building to achieve a positive cycle and sustainable development.
In short, the success of the Tap to Earn model not only demonstrates the potential of blockchain games, but also exposes many problems in the current development of blockchain game models. By improving gameplay, optimizing economic models, strengthening user acquisition and retention strategies, responding to regulatory risks, and strengthening security and privacy protection, blockchain game projects can better respond to challenges and achieve sustainable development. In the future, with the integration of new technologies, the expansion of diversified X to Earn models, ecosystem construction, and the participation of traditional enterprises, we can expect more possibilities for blockchain game models.
