Big Time is a large-scale multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) built on the Ethereum platform, with a leading team and financing in the industry. The game is currently in the internal testing phase, and has basically formed the prototype of an MMORPG, and has completed the conceptual construction of the game's sustainable economic mechanism. The game experience is good, and it already has a certain degree of playability. Additionally, the blockchain gaming track is still maintaining a good scale in the current bear market, and it is possible that Big Time will attract more players once it is open to everyone.
Project Overview
Big Time is a large-scale multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) built on the Ethereum platform. The game is currently in the internal testing phase, and has basically formed the prototype of an MMORPG, and has completed the conceptual construction of the game's economic mechanism.
In terms of the team, the Big Time team has a solid background in the gaming and crypto fields, with core members having experience in developing large-scale games or working in major game companies. Compared to the first research report in May 2022, there have been some changes in the core team members of Big Time. The departure of the product director and the director of game economic model design may have had a certain impact on the game's development and delivery, and subsequent work has been taken over by other experts deeply rooted in the gaming industry. Additionally, as Big Time Studios is a game studio that operates completely remotely worldwide, this may also have a certain impact on the timely delivery of the game.
In terms of funding, Big Time has raised over $90 million through primary market financing and NFT sales, which is enough to support the development of a AAA-level game. After the game goes live, the project team can continue to sustainably operate through the sale of in-game resources.
In terms of the game's core mechanics, Big Time has basically drawn on the mature role and growth design of MMORPGs, but its free job change system will enrich the players' game experience. However, this also poses requirements for the game team's balance adjustments, as the lower job change threshold means that if a certain profession's abilities are particularly outstanding, it will squeeze the survival space of other professions, thereby affecting the game's playability.
In terms of the game's economic mechanism, Big Time's design is very clever, ensuring that the in-game economy has a certain elasticity on a stable basis, and also ensuring that both free and paying players can have a rich game experience. However, this kind of economic mechanism also places high demands on players' strategic allocation of in-game resources, as players need to invest a certain amount of resources to explore their suitable position in the game.
In terms of actual game experience, the game already has a certain degree of playability, but it will require more iterations in the future to improve the game's visual performance and gameplay mechanisms.
In terms of the game's threshold, the game's hardware requirements do not seem to be high at the moment, but players need to meet certain requirements to participate in the preseason.
In terms of project development, the game's current operation and development pace are slower than expected, but the game already has a group of highly sticky core players. Once Big Time is open to everyone, it is possible that more players will join.
In terms of the track, since entering the bear market, although the number of players and trading volume in the blockchain gaming track has decreased to a certain extent, the core group of blockchain game players still maintains a high stickiness, and the overall development progress of the track has not been significantly affected. Many new games are still being developed and operated. Once the overall macro environment warms up, the blockchain gaming track still has room for imagination. Based on the different types and development stages of the blockchain gaming track, we believe that games like Big Time, which partially anchor core assets on the chain, have sufficient development capabilities and operational experience, and are rooted in Web2 games, will have greater development potential in the future.
1. Basic Overview
1.1 Project Introduction
Big Time is a large-scale multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) built on the Ethereum platform. The game is currently in the internal testing phase, and has basically formed the prototype of an MMORPG, and has completed the conceptual construction of the game's economic mechanism.
1.2 Basic Information
Establishment Date
2021
Country
United States
Sector
Blockchain Gaming
Token Symbol
BIGTIME
Fundraising Situation
$93.87 million (incomplete statistics, actual situation see funding section below)
2. Project Details
2.1 Team
According to the official website, the current core team of Big Time consists of 38 members, while according to LinkedIn, the current Big Time team has 89 employees, an increase of 22 employees from the initial 2022 report. From the beginning, Big Time recruited a team of industry veterans from top game companies such as Epic Games, Blizzard, EA, and Riot.
Introduction and changes of core team members are as follows:
Ari Meilich, CEO, former co-founder and CEO of Decentraland, previously worked as a market research analyst at Charles River Ventures, a Silicon Valley venture capital fund, and also founded the big data company Benchrise and served as CEO, with rich experience in venture capital and data analysis.
Matt Tonks, CTO, served as the chief programmer of COR Project from January 2004 to May 2005; from May 2005 to October 2007, worked as a software engineer at Electronic Arts; from October 2007 to July 2012, served as a senior AI programmer at Epic Games; from January 2016 to August 2020, served as the technical director at Drifter Entertainment; and has been a co-founder of BitMonster since March 2012. Matt Tonks has been dedicated to the gaming industry for the past 18 years and has extensive game development experience.
Thor Alexander, CPO, served as the development director at Epic Games from April 1999 to December 2006; from October 2002 to February 2005, was the founder and editor of MMP Game Development; from December 2006 to November 2008, served as the product management director at Metaplace, Inc.; from November 2008 to December 2011, was the executive producer at Zynga; from March 2012 to August 2017, served as the founder and CEO of Lucky Puppy, LLC; and from November 2018 to April 2020, was the vice president of product at Decentraland. Thor Alexander is an OG in the traditional gaming field, with over 25 years of experience in game production, having handled multiple successful game projects and having rich entrepreneurial experience. There is currently no information on the official website, and it is highly likely that he has left, and his work has been taken over by Brian Chu.
Brian Chu, Director of Product Management, entered the gaming industry in 2007 and became a marketing intern developer at Salesforce. In 2008, Brian joined Deloitte Consulting as a senior consultant, providing consulting services to multiple companies in the interactive entertainment, software, and mobile information industries. In 2009, Brian joined Zynga as the chief product manager for the CityVille project. He then served as the vice president of product at Identified in 2012. In 2013, Brian joined Blizzard Entertainment as the global brand management director, responsible for the global brand marketing strategy, budget, and execution of "Heroes of the Storm" and "StarCraft II." In 2016, Brian served as the product director at Rocket Games, which was acquired by Penn Interactive Ventures in April 2017. In 2017, Brian served as the director of product management at EA, and then joined Epic Games in 2019 in the same position. In April 2022, Brian joined BigTime and has been serving as the Director of Product Management since then.
Michael Migliero, CMO, served as a product marketing assistant at Akamai Technologies from 2007 to 2008; from December 2012 to May 2018, was the co-founder and CEO of Fractional Media (an advertising services company); and from May 2015 to May 2018, was the DSP director at Machine Zone (MZ).
Ken Harsha, Chief Animator and Creative Director, has over 31 years of experience in special animation, TV animation, and gaming. He has served as an art director, production designer, director, writer, story artist, storyboard artist, and visual development artist, and has a considerable reputation in the American entertainment industry. Ken Harsha has worked on multiple projects for Disney, DreamWorks, and Warner Bros, and provided art direction for several series of the Call of Duty games. During his time at Electronic Arts, he served as an art director, producer, production designer, and film director, and also managed the concept art department at Treyarch for over 8 years.
Daniel Paez, Director of Game Economic Model Design, previously worked as a product manager at VisusTV, an industrial engineer at IBM Brasil, a customer manager at Transcend Information, and a business development manager at Gresso Miami, primarily responsible for corporate product-related work. From June 2015 to December 2020, he served as a pricing manager and publishing intelligence manager at Blizzard Entertainment. Additionally, Daniel Paez also served as the Senior Manager of Business Finance and Operations at Activision. In addition to his role at BigTime, Daniel also served as the Director of Game Economic Model Design at Worldspark Studios. According to LinkedIn information, Daniel resigned in February 2022, and was succeeded by Khaled Alroumi as the Director of Game Monetization and Economics.
Khaled Alroumi, Director of Game Monetization and Economics, entered the gaming industry in 2010 and co-founded several gaming companies in Kuwait and Dubai, developing the game "War Front: Battle of Tolvajärvi." In 2021, Khaled Alroumi joined the blockchain game Illuvium as a game systems and economic designer. In September 2022, Khaled Alroumi joined BigTime as the Director of Game Monetization and Economics.
Aaron Smith, Art Director, previously worked at Rogue Entertainment, Nerve Software, and Epic Games, and is also a co-founder and game artist at Bitmonster, Inc. Aaron Smith is an artist with over 20 years of experience in the gaming industry, specializing in concept art, 3D character and environment modeling, and has over 17 years of experience with the Unreal Engine, making him a seasoned gaming industry professional.
Martin Sweitzer, Chief Engineer, worked as a software developer at Trilogy from June 1998 to May 2000, a programmer at Sony Online Entertainment from November 2000 to October 2001, and a co-founder at Sigil Games Online from January 2002 to June 2004. From 2004 to 2017, he served as a senior game programmer at BrickHouse Games, Epic Games, and Squanch Games. Additionally, he is a co-founder of Bitmonster, Inc. Martin Sweitzer is a seasoned gaming industry professional with over 20 years of game development experience.
TJ Stamm, Chief Designer, started working in the gaming industry around 2000, previously holding design positions at Electronic Arts and Infinity Ward, where he was responsible for the production, design, and artistry of multiple games. During his 6-year tenure at Infinity Ward, he was primarily responsible for weapon design and in-game balance for the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Infinite Warfare series.
Cedric Fleury, Chief Designer, entered the gaming industry in 2006 and worked as a level designer for several games, including Wolfenstein, at Threewave, EA, and SE. In 2016, Cedric Fleury joined Ubisoft and participated in the development of Far Cry 4, primarily responsible for the open-world environment design of the entire game. Cedric Fleury has also served as a senior level designer on multiple projects at WB Games and EA. In May 2022, Cedric Fleury joined BigTime as the Chief Designer.
The CEO of the BigTime project is Ari Meilich, who is also the former co-founder and CEO of Decentraland. Most team members have rich industry experience in the traditional gaming industry and have worked at major companies. Looking at the team's lineup, they have professional game development experience and have been involved in the design and development of several top games, including League of Legends, Fortnite, God of War, Call of Duty, and Overwatch. Compared to the first research report in May 2022, there have been few changes in the core team members of BigTime, but the departure of the product director and the director of game economic model design may have had a certain impact on the game's development and delivery, with subsequent work being taken over by other experts deeply rooted in the gaming industry. Additionally, as BigTime Studios is a game studio that operates completely remotely worldwide, this may also have a certain impact on the game's development.
2.2 Funding
2.2.1 Financing
On May 12, 2021, Big Time Studios announced the completion of a $21 million financing round. The financing will be divided into two parts, with the first part of $10.3 million led by FBG Capital, with participation from North Island Ventures, Digital Currency Group, DFG, OKEx Blockdream Ventures, Alameda Research, LD Capital, YBB Foundation, Circle Financial, and Sound Ventures, founded by Ashton Kutcher. Additionally, Big Time Studio also completed a $11 million financing round, which will be used to invest in game companies willing to use related NFT technology.
2.2.2 NFT Sales
In addition to financing, BigTime also obtained substantial income through multiple in-game NFT item sales activities, as detailed below:
1) First NFT Drop on Binance NFT Market
On July 22, 2021, BigTime launched its first NFT Drop on the Binance NFT market, which was mainly divided into 4 parts:
Table 2-1 First NFT Sale on Binance NFT Market
Introduction
Quantity
Unit Price
Total Value ($USD)
VIP Pass
VIP Pass is divided into three levels: Jade Card (total of 8,000), Silver Card (total of 3,000), and Gold Card (total of 1,000). Among these three types, the Gold Card provides players with the earliest access, followed by the Silver Card, and then the Jade Card. This sale accounted for 10% of the total VIP Passes for early access.
Gold Card: 100
Silver Card: 300
Jade Card: 800
Gold Card: $499
Silver Card: $299
Jade Card: $179
$282,800
Mystery Box
Showcased scenes of four different game locations in Big Time (animated postcards), with a chance to obtain a VIP Pass.
6,000
$9.99
$239,760
Hero Moments
Character actions that players can unlock in the game, with a total of 4 different Hero Moments short films, limited to 100 copies for each of the 4 series.
400
$299
$119,600
Exclusive NFT Auction
"WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE" NFT auction
1)
$25,000
$25,000
Total
$667,160
In summary, BigTime's first sale on the Binance NFT market was completely sold out, with a total value of the sold NFTs amounting to $667,160.
2) Binance NFT Market Sale Part 2
On August 13, 2021, BigTime launched the second round of sales on the Binance NFT market, which was mainly divided into 2 parts:
Table 2-2 Binance NFT Market Sale Part 2
Introduction
Quantity
Unit Price
Total Value ($USD)
VIP Pass
VIP Pass is divided into three levels: Jade Card, Silver Card, Gold Card
Gold Card: 900
Silver Card: 2,700
Jade Card: 7,200
Gold Card: $499
Silver Card: $299
Jade Card: $179
$2,545,200
Mystery Box
Introducing scenes of two new game locations, with a chance to obtain a VIP Pass. Combined with the previously sold 4 types of postcards, collecting all six types of postcards can be exchanged for exclusive equipment in the game.
18,000
$20
$360,000
Total
$2,905,200
Based on the information available, the second round of sales on the Binance NFT market by BigTime resulted in the sale of NFTs valued at approximately $2,905,200.
3) SPACE NFT Sale
On December 21, 2021, BigTime launched the SPACE NFT sale.
Table 2-2 SPACE NFT Market Sale (December 2021)
Introduction
Quantity
Unit Price
Total Value ($USD)
SPACE NFT
Details in Figure 2-1
60,000
SPACE of different rarities have different pricing, details in Figure 2-1.
$38,148,000
Total
$38,148,000
SPACE NFT is a component of Big Time's personal metaverse, equivalent to "land" in other metaverse projects. SPACE NFT comes in various sizes and rarities. The rarer and larger the SPACE, the more functions it can support.
This was the first sale of SPACE NFT, and the team sold a total of 60,000 SPACE NFTs (10% of its total supply), as detailed in Figure 2-1.
Figure 2-1 Details of SPACE NFT Sale
Combining the two tables in Figure 2-1, we can calculate that in the first SPACE NFT sale, Big Time sold a total of SPACE NFTs valued at $38,148,000.
4) Mystery Box Sale
Table 2-3 Mystery Box Market Sale (February 2022)
Introduction
Quantity
Unit Price
Total Value ($USD)
Mystery Box
The mystery box will contain 6 different types of animated postcards. There is a chance to drop ultra-rare postcards and early access VIP passes.
25,000
25 BUSD
$625,000
Total
$625,000
On February 17, 2022, BigTime launched the sale of mystery boxes on the Binance NFT market. A total of 25,000 mystery boxes were sold, each with a chance to drop 6 different types of animated postcards and a small chance to drop ultra-rare postcards. In addition, the mystery boxes also have a chance to drop early access VIP passes.
The sale price for each mystery box was 25 BUSD, with a total value of $625,000.
5) Exalted SPACE Special Sale
Table 2-4 Exalted SPACE NFT Market Sale
Introduction
Quantity
Unit Price
Total Value ($USD)
Exalted SPACE NFT
Details in Figure 2-2
3,000
$1,066 — $11,381
Mythic SPACE NFT
Details in Figure 2-2
12,000
$36 — $691
Total
Estimated around $30,000,000
On March 24, 2022, Big Time launched the Exalted SPACE NFT sale.
Figure 2-2 Details of Exalted SPACE Special Sale
In this Exalted SPACE special sale, Big Time sold a total of 3,000 Exalted SPACE NFTs (0.5% of the total SPACE NFT supply) and 12,000 Mythic SPACE NFTs (2% of the total SPACE NFT supply), as shown in the image (right).
The sale price for Mythic SPACE NFTs ranged from $36 to $691, while the price for Exalted SPACE NFTs ranged from $1,066 to $11,381, a significant increase compared to the previous SPACE NFT sale held on December 21, 2021. This dramatic increase has drawn criticism from some community members, but it has not hindered the popularity of BigTime.
However, the team did not disclose the specific number of large, medium, and small-sized SPACE NFTs sold in this special sale, making it difficult to calculate the total funds raised from this event.
Compared to the previous SPACE NFT sale in terms of volume and pricing, the editor conservatively estimates that if all the SPACE NFTs in this special sale were successfully sold, the team would have raised at least $30 million, for reference only.
6) OpenLoot Mystery Box Holiday Special Sale (Christmas Holiday, Spring Festival Holiday)
Table 2-5 Open Loot Mystery Box Holiday Special Sale (Christmas Holiday, Spring Festival Holiday) Market Sale
Introduction
Quantity
Unit Price
Total Value ($USD)
Christmas Holiday Mystery Box
Contains 3 functional NFTs.
4,500
$49.99
$224,955
Spring Festival Holiday Mystery Box
Contains 2 functional NFTs.
7,388
$39.99
$295,446
Total
$520,401
In these two holiday special sales of mystery boxes on OpenLoot, BigTime sold 4,500 and 7,388 mystery boxes, respectively. These boxes will include three types of functional NFTs (Utility Collectibles) that can be used in SPACE: Armory, Forge, and Time Guardian, with proportions of 45%, 45%, and 10%, respectively. The Time Guardian will be used to create Hourglass components, which will be used to generate BIGTIME tokens. The Armory and Forge will use BIGTIME tokens to create some skin-type NFTs, which can be traded on OpenLoot in the future.
Each Christmas holiday mystery box can contain 3 functional NFTs, while the Spring Festival holiday mystery box special sale can only contain 2 functional NFTs. However, the team has adjusted the drop rates of Armory, Forge, and Time Guardian in the Spring Festival holiday mystery box to 33.3%. Additionally, the drop rate of high-rarity functional NFTs in the Christmas holiday mystery box is much higher than in the Spring Festival holiday mystery box.
7) Guild Subscription
Currently, BigTime has established partnerships with over 20 gaming guilds, including YieldGuild, Merit Circle, Avocado Guild, Loudgg, NeoTokyo, Black Pool, Polkastarter, YGG Sea, ReadyPlayerDAO, 3D Gamers Guild DAO, and more. Most of the collaborating guilds have purchased corresponding NFT assets within the BigTime game. However, specific amounts have not been disclosed by most guilds, so the exact sales figures in this regard are not available. Additionally, the Web3 community OpenDAO has also collaborated with BigTime, purchasing over $5 million worth of SPACE.
In summary, from the various NFT sales events since its inception, BigTime has conservatively estimated revenue of approximately $72,865,761 USD (incomplete statistics, the actual situation is likely higher, as there have been voices in the community claiming that BigTime has made profits of over a billion dollars in multiple NFT sales events, but this information has not been confirmed and is for reference only).
In addition to the previous $21 million financing completed by the team, BigTime's treasury currently has approximately $93.87 million. Even considering that BigTime is benchmarking AAA games, which typically require development costs in the tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of dollars, the current state of BigTime's treasury can be considered quite sufficient, providing enough resources for the project's development and operation for a considerable period in the early stages.
2.3 Code
BigTime is built on Ethereum and uses Procedurally Generated Goodness technology to expand off-chain scalability. The overall framework is similar to most blockchain games on the market, where game assets are on-chain, and the game itself runs on off-chain servers. The specific codebase has not been open-sourced.
2.4 Product
Big Time is a large-scale multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) inspired by time travel.
Generally, as a subcategory of RPG games, MMORPGs should first meet several core elements of RPG games:
1) Character Elements: Players will need to choose or play a role in the game, selecting the abilities and attributes of the character.
2) Interactive Elements: The game generally includes built-in combat systems, mission systems, NPC systems, map systems, loot systems, and other mechanisms that provide feedback based on player actions.
3) Growth Elements: Growth elements are generally crucial in RPG games. Common RPG game growth elements are divided into internal and external growth mechanisms. Internal growth mechanisms, such as level and skill systems, are obtained through combat, exploration, and other mechanisms to gain experience points, allowing players to improve their abilities without relying on external resources. External growth mechanisms, such as equipment and items, are obtained through the accumulation of external resources such as gold coins to enhance the character's abilities. A good RPG game will strive for a balance between internal and external growth mechanisms, providing players with a smooth gaming experience.
The key difference that sets MMORPGs apart from other types of RPG games lies in the different gaming experiences they offer.
For example, in the design of Japanese RPGs, the focus is more on guiding the main storyline, where players essentially play a role in a script set by the game developer. The game mostly follows a single linear ending, and even in the case of multiple endings, there are usually clear paths to achieve them. Differentiated player experiences are supplemented by side storylines, but overall, they do not deviate too much from the main storyline set by the game itself.
In contrast, American-style RPGs, derived from TRPGs (Tabletop RPGs, such as Dungeons & Dragons), weaken the influence of the main storyline and introduce more random elements to emphasize the impact of player actions on the game. During gameplay, American-style RPGs provide players with more differentiated experiences through the accumulation of interactive elements, allowing players to form their own game memories. The games themselves often feature multiple endings as feedback to player actions.
In concept, MMORPGs basically follow the design philosophy of American-style RPGs, emphasizing bidirectional interaction over unidirectional experiences. Generally, they only provide short guided storylines to help players establish a basic worldview, and may not even have the concept of a "conclusion" in the game. The main gaming experience for players is based on interaction with game elements. Additionally, MMORPGs emphasize interaction between players, to the extent that they are more like online social games.
In the following sections, we will first introduce the game's world setting and then provide a certain degree of analysis from the aspects of the game's three core elements and gameplay mechanisms.
2.4.1 Big Time Game Story Background
Note: This section introduces the game's story background, which is not the main focus. Readers not interested in this can skip directly to the next section.
Every MMORPG game has its unique game background and storyline, and Big Time is no exception. The story background of Big Time is set in the future human world, where a mysterious force is threatening the balance of the universe. Time has been distorted, different eras are colliding with each other, and the entire spacetime of the universe has been severely disrupted. Survivors have fled to the last refuge in the universe, a place called "BigTime's End."
However, due to the influx of survivors from different time and space, the small asteroid of BigTime's End quickly became overwhelmed. At this time, a solution appeared (seemingly out of thin air, perhaps with the support of an unknown mysterious force). A person named Canard Cincade created the Paradox Corporate company and produced batches of small robots called Clockies to maintain the order of the spacetime world. Soon, BigTime's End was restored to normal operation.
At the same time, the Paradox company began selling a pocket universe called BIGTIMESHARES, full of infinite possibilities—whether it's riding dinosaurs in the American Wild West or meeting robot samurais in feudal Japan, Paradox can make it happen. Many people were eager to escape reality through this. Over time, the residents of BigTime's End began to notice that these small robots would occasionally exhibit anomalies or even go out of control, disrupting the lives of the residents. At the same time, rumors began to spread privately within BigTime's End that the Paradox company was the mastermind behind the disruption of universal peace. The Paradox company vehemently denied the events while also introducing a highly destructive large robot model—Guardian XL. Canard Cincade wanted to control the world using robots and use the large robots for city patrol work to monitor the entire city. In response, an organization dedicated to protecting "time"—the Evermore Academy—stepped forward. The principal of the academy is one of the smartest scientists in history—Albert Einstein. Einstein assembled a group of heroes to solve the crisis facing the universe.
In Big Time, players take on the role of time travelers summoned to the end of the universe by Einstein. In the current version of the game storyline, players are tasked with investigating the Paradox company, understanding Canard Cincade's intentions, and thwarting Canard Cincade's plans. In the future, as the game is updated, more game storyline content will be unlocked.
As an RPG game, Big Time uses multiple spacetime narratives, and game characters travel through multiple time and space to achieve certain narrative purposes. By contrasting different time and space, the game content is enriched, offering deeper narrative potential.
2.4.2 Character and Growth Elements
As an RPG game, the character attributes, professions, and growth elements in the game are the focus of its game mechanics.
Figure 2-3 BigTime Game Characters
Currently, there are four character classes in the Big Time game, as shown in Figure 2-3 above. They are:
• Time Warrior: Skilled in close combat, suitable as a tank; signature skills include Whirlwind Slash and Invincible Roar.
• Chronomancer: A long-range attacking mage, capable of group output; signature skills include Fireball, Blizzard, and Time Stop.
• Shadowblade: Possesses high-speed movement and stealth abilities, suitable for single-target output; signature skills include Stealth, Backstab, and Bomb Trap.
• Quantum Fixer: Similar to a priest, able to heal teammates, suitable as support; signature skills include Healing, Summon Turret, and Energy Restoration.
The four classes in BigTime are basically based on the traditional European and American RPG class settings of "warrior, mage, priest, rogue," making it easier for players to quickly adapt to the game mechanics and choose their preferred style of play. In addition to the four classes, BigTime also features a class change mechanism. Players can use "PocketWatches" items of different classes to change into different classes during the game. Furthermore, after the v0.26 update, when players reach level 30, they can choose to change into two new classes, Techblade and Battlemancer, each with a completely new set of skills. The former combines the roles of tank and mage, while the latter combines the roles of rogue and priest.
In terms of growth elements, internal growth mechanisms include leveling up and skill points. In BigTime, players receive attribute points and skill points each time they level up. Attribute points can enhance the basic attributes of the game character, allowing players to equip better weapons and gear as their basic attributes improve, similar to the gameplay of traditional RPG games. Skill points include active skills and general talents. Active skills are related to the chosen class, while general talents are unrelated to the class and are always effective.
Figure 2-4 Leveling and Skill Point Allocation System
External growth mechanisms currently include the equipment system and the item system.
Figure 2-5 Equipment and Item System
The equipment system currently includes gears, armor, shields, weapons, jewelry, and backpacks. Gear items can be equipped on PocketWatches to grant players additional abilities or item rewards. Weapons are directly equipped by players, and currently include various types such as two-handed axes, one-handed hammers, two-handed hammers, one-handed swords, two-handed swords, dual blades, and two-handed staffs. The weapons that players can equip are linked to the player's class type, level, and basic attributes. Weapons can enhance the player's basic attributes and have a mutually restraining relationship with the defense type of the target. Armor includes helmets, shoulder pads, chest armor, gloves, and leg guards, as well as shields and jewelry, which, like weapons, can enhance the player's basic attributes. The backpack is used to store player items, providing additional inventory slots to assist players in the game.
The equipment system currently includes rarity and skin mechanisms. Equipment with higher rarity generally has a higher attribute bonus limit. The skin system is similar to the fashion system in DNF and can be crafted in the arsenal and foundry in SPACE. Skins do not affect the attributes of the equipment itself and can be equipped by players in the collection section of the UI. The aforementioned equipment or skins can be obtained through monster drops, synthesis, participation in activities, character progression, or purchasing corresponding packages. Skin-type NFTs can be traded as NFTs on OpenLoot. We will provide a more detailed explanation of the equipment forging mechanism in the NFT and SPACE sections.
In terms of the item system, the game includes many items that players can use, mainly including energy potions, health potions, teammate teleportation potions, town teleportation scrolls, and life trees. These items can generally meet the players' needs for resource replenishment and quick movement and can be obtained as loot from defeating monsters.
From the perspective of character and growth elements, BigTime basically draws on the mature character and growth designs of MMORPGs, but its free class change system will enrich the player's gaming experience. However, this also poses requirements for the game team's balance adjustments, as the lower threshold for class changes means that if the abilities of a certain class are particularly outstanding in the future, it will squeeze the survival space of other classes, affecting the game's playability.
2.4.3 Interactive Elements
The core gameplay mechanisms of the game can be distilled into its interactive elements. Currently, in the game, interactive objects include the storyline, map, scenes, and players. Both paying and non-paying players can experience the same game content in terms of character and growth elements, but paying players can enjoy a richer gaming experience in terms of interactive elements.
In the v0.27 version, players will explore an entire map, which includes elements such as towns, forests, swamps, snow-capped mountains, towers, and dungeons, where interactive objects include NPCs, monsters, ores, teleportation gates, and other players.
Figure 2-6 BigTime Game Map
Figure 2-7 Interactive Elements
Players can interact with NPCs to complete item trades, learn skills, trigger storylines, and receive quests. Monsters and ores mainly correspond to the game's combat and gathering mechanisms, allowing players to perform combos with the left and right mouse buttons or use number keys to release corresponding skills or items to attack enemies.
Figure 2-8 Dungeon Teleportation Gates
Teleportation gates mainly correspond to the game's dungeon mechanisms. Each dungeon has a limit of six players and suggests a recommended level. After completing the small tasks in the dungeon as a team, players can enter the final boss room to obtain rich rewards. In future official versions, the rewards that dungeons can provide will include PocketWatches, gold coins, time crystals, BIGTIME tokens, equipment, skin fragments, lucky bonus chips, NFTs, and other items. In addition to regular dungeon teleportation gates, there is also a high-reward dungeon called the Glory Teleportation Gate, which significantly increases the drop rate of rare items in the dungeon. Players need to meet the entry requirements for skin-type NFTs before entering the high-reward dungeon, which may include elements such as the type, theme, season, and color of the skin-type NFT, and then pay BIGTIME or time crystals as an entry fee. Additionally, players can provide extra bonuses for the high-reward dungeon through lucky wheel slots.
Currently, the game's interaction mechanisms with other players include teaming up, player expressions, and chat functions, with features such as friends and guilds expected to be opened after subsequent version updates.
2.4.4 Resource Elements
In the upper left corner of the game's main UI map, three resource elements will be displayed: gold coins, Time Crystals, and BIGTIME tokens. Gold coins can be obtained through game activities such as defeating monsters, completing quests, trading loot, or mining, and can be used to purchase regular equipment and items within the game.
Time Crystals are the main in-game premium currency and are difficult to obtain through normal gameplay. Players can mainly purchase Time Crystals from Big Time through OpenLoot, and Time Crystals are non-chain assets, meaning once purchased, they are bound to the account and cannot be traded on the market. Currently, the price for 500 Time Crystals is approximately $5, and the price for 13,500 Time Crystals is approximately $100. Time Crystals are mainly used to activate various functional NFTs, and a certain amount of Time Crystals is required in processes such as using the arsenal, foundry, and time guardian. Additionally, Time Crystals can be used to purchase some auxiliary items, such as extra hourglass equipment slots or paying the entry fee for certain Prestige Portals.
BIGTIME tokens are the most important core assets in the game and are the final link in the entire game economy mechanism. We will introduce this token in section 2.4.7.
In addition to the three resource elements that can be directly seen in the UI interface, there are four important resource elements related to functional NFTs in the game: Cosmetic Shards, Workshop Mod Chips, Prestige Portal Mod Chips, and Cosmetic Scraps. Workshop Mod Chips and Prestige Portal Mod Chips are collectively referred to as Bonus Roll Chips, which drop in game activities and are non-chain assets, therefore cannot be traded. They are mainly used to exchange for functional NFTs and the lucky wheel of Prestige Portals.
Figure 2-9 Workshop Mod Chips and Prestige Portal Mod Chips
All four are dropped from monsters in dungeons. Cosmetic Shards are mainly used to craft refined cosmetic shards and then create or upgrade cosmetic NFTs in the arsenal or foundry. Cosmetic Shards are seasonal drops, with new cosmetic shards released each season for crafting NFTs specific to that season. Workshop Mod Chips are mainly used to exchange for functional NFTs and can also be used to purchase the lucky wheel of functional NFTs. Prestige Portal Mod Chips are mainly used to exchange for the lucky wheel of Prestige Portals. Cosmetic Scraps mostly need to be obtained by destroying cosmetic NFTs and are mainly used to exchange for Workshop Mod Chips and Prestige Portal Mod Chips.
2.4.5 NFT
There are two types of NFTs in the game: cosmetic NFTs mentioned in the equipment section and functional NFTs. The difference between the two is that cosmetic NFTs are products, while functional NFTs are production tools. The former can enhance the user's gaming experience by improving the visual and audio performance of in-game items such as armor and weapons, showcasing the player's status. Players with cosmetic NFTs also have the qualification to access exclusive scenes or Prestige Portals to experience exclusive content. To ensure game balance, cosmetic NFTs will not affect the original in-game item values. The latter is mainly used to produce cosmetic NFTs and BIGTIME tokens to maintain the game's economic cycle.
Cosmetic NFTs are divided into two categories: craftable cosmetic NFTs and non-craftable cosmetic NFTs. The former can be crafted using functional NFTs, while the latter can only be randomly dropped in the game. Functional NFTs currently include three types: foundry, arsenal, and time guardian, all of which can only be used after connecting to the personal metaverse SPACE. In the foundry and arsenal, players need to invest a certain amount of resources, such as BIGTIME tokens, Time Crystals, and Cosmetic Shards, to craft and upgrade cosmetic NFTs. Three low-rarity craftable cosmetic NFTs can be exchanged for higher-level craftable cosmetic NFTs, which will become an important part of the seasonal competition in the future.
The time guardian is the most complex functional NFT in the game and will be used to produce BIGTIME tokens. Players need to first invest Time Crystals to create an hourglass, then use the hourglass and charge it with Time Crystals to produce BIGTIME tokens. The hourglass is a consumable resource, and when it is depleted, players need to use Time Crystals in the time guardian to recharge it to continue producing BIGTIME tokens.
In each activity of the functional NFTs, including refining, crafting, and upgrading cosmetic NFTs, players can choose to use the lucky wheel. The lucky wheel is obtained by exchanging Workshop Mod Chips and can provide additional bonuses to the action in the form of a lottery. The level of the functional NFT determines the available slots for the lucky wheel, and multiple different lucky wheel bonus effects can be stacked for a single action. Players can earn functional NFT experience points in all activities of the functional NFTs, and when the experience points reach the upgrade standard, they can pay Time Crystals to upgrade the functional NFT. After upgrading, the functional NFT will have higher production efficiency, additional lucky wheel slots, and bonus effects.
In addition to the aforementioned functions, functional NFTs also have different types, colors, and special bonus types. The type of functional NFT is also linked to its rarity, with the top three rare functional NFTs all being Triumph types.
The foundry currently has 10 types:
Foundry Type
Color
Applicable Special Bonus Type
Quickness
Red (increases crafting and refining speed)
Two-Handed Axe
Rapidness
Red (increases crafting and refining speed)
Two-Handed Sword
Swiftness
Red (increases crafting and refining speed)
Staff + Dual Wield
Decisiveness
Blue (reduces BIGTIME consumption during crafting and refining)
Two-Handed Hammer
Diligence
Blue (reduces BIGTIME consumption during crafting and refining)
One-Handed Weapon
Acuity
Blue (reduces BIGTIME consumption during crafting and refining)
Two-Handed Axe + Two-Handed Sword
Chance
Green (additional lucky wheel slots)
Staff
Luck
Green (additional lucky wheel slots)
Dual Wield
Fortune
Green (additional lucky wheel slots)
Two-Handed Hammer + One-Handed Weapon
Triumph
Rainbow (simultaneously has the above three bonuses)
All Weapons
Figure 2-10 Maximum Supply of Different Types and Rarity of the Foundry
The arsenal currently has 10 types as well:
Arsenal Type
Color
Applicable Special Bonus Type
Quickness
Red (increases crafting and refining speed)
Gloves
Rapidness
Red (increases crafting and refining speed)
Helmet
Swiftness
Red (increases crafting and refining speed)
Leg Guards + Shield
Decisiveness
Blue (reduces BIGTIME consumption during crafting and refining)
Shoulder Pads
Diligence
Blue (reduces BIGTIME consumption during crafting and refining)
Chest Armor
Acuity
Blue (reduces BIGTIME consumption during crafting and refining)
Gloves + Helmet
Chance
Green (additional lucky wheel slots)
Leg Guards
Luck
Green (additional lucky wheel slots)
Shield
Fortune
Green (additional lucky wheel slots)
Shoulder Pads + Chest Armor
Triumph
Rainbow (simultaneously has the above three bonuses)
All Armor
Figure 2-11 Maximum Supply of Different Types and Rarity of the Arsenal
Unlike the foundry and arsenal, the time guardian currently has only 4 types:
Time Guardian Type
Color
Applicable Special Bonus Type
Brilliance
Red/Blue
Charging Hourglass
Prosperity
Blue/Green
Creating Hourglass
Expedience
Green/Red
Charging + Creating Hourglass (50%)
Ascendancy
Rainbow
Charging + Creating Hourglass (100%)
Figure 2-12 Maximum Supply of Different Types and Rarity of the Time Guardian
In addition to the individual bonuses of each functional NFT, players can also obtain set bonuses based on the various types of functional NFTs in SPACE. The rewards for set bonuses are similar to individual bonuses and can be stacked. Red increases crafting and refining speed, blue reduces BIGTIME consumption during crafting and refining, and green adds additional lucky wheel slots.
Finally, the official emphasizes that all functional NFTs will have a fixed and unchangeable issuance quantity, but new cosmetic NFTs will be released on a seasonal basis, and the maximum issuance quantity of cosmetic NFTs for a single season will be determined at the beginning of the season.
2.4.6 SPACE
SPACE is an important game feature that distinguishes between paying and non-paying players, similar to the concept of "land" in other metaverses. In the game, players can summon their personal metaverse portal on the map by clicking a specific button and then enter it. Both free and paying players can have their own personal metaverse in the game, but only players with SPACE can perform special operations in the expanded space of SPACE.
Figure 2-13 Personal SPACE Portal
SPACE currently has four functions:
1) Expand personal metaverse. The design of SPACE space is like building blocks, with each SPACE having an entrance and multiple exits. Players need to create their personal metaverse through the entrance and then connect to other SPACE or functional NFTs (arsenal, foundry, and time guardian) through the exits. Different sizes of SPACE have different numbers of exits.
Figure 2-14 Interior of SPACE
2) Use functional NFTs. The arsenal, foundry, and time guardian can only be used when connected through SPACE.
3) Place cosmetic NFTs. Players can display cosmetic NFTs obtained during the game in their personal metaverse or make some personalized modifications.
4) Obtain cracked hourglasses. Cracked hourglasses can be used to produce the in-game token BIGTIME as a one-time item when equipped.
5) Integrate social functions. Players will be able to invite other players to visit their personal metaverse and interact with them.
SPACE can currently only be obtained through purchase. Different sizes and rarities of SPACE have fixed maximum issuance quantities:
Figure 2-15 Maximum Issuance Quantity of Different Rarity and Size of SPACE
The size of SPACE will affect the number of exits, which in turn affects the number of components that SPACE can connect to.
In addition to affecting the number of exits in SPACE, rarity also limits the functional NFTs that can be connected to SPACE. High-rarity functional NFTs can only be connected and used on high-rarity SPACE. The rarity of SPACE also affects the rarity and drop rate of cracked hourglasses, and the size of SPACE affects the quantity of cracked hourglasses dropped, thereby affecting the supply of BIGTIME tokens.
In the future, BigTime will also introduce a SPACE leasing system to allow more players to experience the richer game content provided by SPACE.
2.4.7 Game Economy Mechanism
The game economy mechanism built by Big Time revolves around the BIGTIME token.
The BIGTIME token mainly has the following functions:
1) Used to refine or craft and upgrade cosmetic NFTs in the foundry and arsenal.
2) Pay the entry fee for Prestige Portals.
The total supply of BIGTIME tokens is 5,000,000,000, and theoretically, they will be completely generated within the game through gameplay, rather than being introduced into the game through issuance, and there are no token sales targeting investors.
Specific methods of obtaining include the following:
1) Randomly dropping cracked hourglasses (Cracked Hourglasses) in personal metaverse SPACE as a one-time item that can be equipped to produce BIGTIME tokens. Like Time Crystals, cracked hourglasses are non-chain assets, bound to the player's account, and cannot be traded.
2) Crafting hourglasses (Hourglasses) in the functional NFT time guardian by spending Time Crystals and then equipping them, and then continuing to spend Time Crystals to charge the hourglass to produce BIGTIME tokens.
3) Purchasing on the market or receiving through team airdrops the already produced BIGTIME tokens.
The mechanism for generating BIGTIME tokens determines that the supply of BIGTIME tokens will be related to the allocation of in-game resources for the majority of the time, ensuring that the entire game's economic model has a certain stability and elasticity. As the producer of BIGTIME within the game, the main resources that need to be invested are hourglasses and Time Crystals. The price of Time Crystals is denominated in USD and fixed, while the price of hourglasses fluctuates with market supply and demand. The former ensures that if the output of BIGTIME is lower than the cost, the producer will reduce token supply, thereby stabilizing the game economy. The latter ensures that the output of BIGTIME is related to market activity, that is, the actual demand of players, thereby increasing the elasticity of the game economy.
In addition to the BIGTIME token, assets that can be traded on OpenLoot also include cosmetic shards, SPACE NFTs, decorative NFTs, and functional NFTs. Therefore, there are two paths for participating in the complete game economy cycle in Big Time:
1) Defeat monsters, clear dungeons, and trade cosmetic shards on the market.
2) Defeat monsters, clear dungeons, and trade non-craftable cosmetic NFTs on the market.
The above are the two paths for non-paying players to participate in the game's economic cycle. Since the drop rate of NFTs and rare resources in regular dungeons is low, non-paying players need to invest a lot of time and effort. Trading cosmetic shards will be one of the few behaviors that non-paying players can actually participate in the complete game economy cycle. However, since on-chain assets do not significantly affect the game's balance, non-paying players can still experience most of the fun of the game without involving on-chain assets.
For paying players, how to participate in the game's economic cycle will be more strategic. It will be essential for each paying player to use resources such as Time Crystals, BIGTIME tokens, and cosmetic shards to produce more cosmetic NFTs and BIGTIME tokens for trading using SPACE and functional NFTs. Additionally, the existence of mechanisms such as Prestige Portals can further enrich the gaming experience for paying players and increase their participation in the game.
Overall, the game economy mechanism designed by Big Time is very clever, ensuring that the in-game economic cycle has a certain elasticity on a stable basis, and also ensuring that both free and paying players can have a rich gaming experience. However, this economic mechanism also places high demands on players' strategic allocation of in-game resources, as players need to invest a certain amount of resources to explore their suitable position in the game.
2.4.8 Airdrops
The Big Time official will airdrop early buyers of game NFTs and early participants in the game to thank them for their support.
There are two types of airdrops. The first type is the airdrop of mystery gift boxes, with a total of 153,000. Each gift box contains a functional NFT, with different drop rates based on rarity. The more NFTs a user account has, the higher the rarity, the higher the corresponding asset value, or the more game tasks and dungeons completed, the higher the value of the airdrop.
The other type is the airdrop of BIGTIME tokens. According to BigTime's current airdrop plan, the total token airdrop amount will reach 2.6% of the total supply, which is 130,000,000 BIGTIME. During the preseason, the official will airdrop 97,500,000 BIGTIME tokens and use the remaining tokens for other airdrops and marketing plans. The airdrop will take place at the end of the first three months after the start of the preseason, and the amount of the airdrop will be based on the real-time leaderboard of points in each user account. Points in user accounts will be calculated based on the following behaviors:
1) In-game leveling. The higher the level reached by the player, the higher the point reward.
2) Use of functional NFTs. Behaviors that can earn points include refining cosmetic shards, crafting cosmetics, crafting hourglasses, charging hourglasses, and dismantling cracked hourglasses.
3) Participation in Prestige Portals.
4) Inviting friends. Inviting players will receive 50% of the invited player's points as a reward.
In summary, the more players participate in BigTime, and the more collectibles they have, the higher the probability of receiving airdrops and the richer the rewards. However, the specific details of the airdrops may be subject to further adjustments by the BigTime team in the future.
2.4.9 Seasonal Competitions and Rewards
After the public beta, Big Time will update major versions every 90 days according to a season system. Each major version update will include the following content:
1) Brand new fixed quantity of cosmetic NFTs, including craftable and non-craftable cosmetic NFTs.
2) New seasonal cosmetic shards and refined cosmetic shards.
3) New special events and game content.
In addition, each season will also feature a competition for synthesizing cosmetic NFTs, known as the Unique Challenge. In each season, only one Unique (Unique) rarity cosmetic NFT will be available. The player who first synthesizes the unique cosmetic NFT will win the competition for the season. According to BigTime's cosmetic rarity mechanism, synthesizing a Unique rarity cosmetic will consume 19,683 common future rarity cosmetics. BigTime may introduce more activities to encourage players or guilds to participate in this competition.
2.4.10 Game Experience
• Game Configuration
Due to BigTime's design being benchmarked against traditional AAA titles, it has certain hardware requirements. The current minimum system requirements are as follows:
Graphics card: GeForce GTX 1060 / Radeon Rx 580 or higher Memory: 8GB RAM API interface: DirectX 11 or higher Processor: Intel Core i5 4430 / AMD FX 6300 Storage space: 23GB Note: The above specifications may be adjusted based on future game development.
Currently, although BigTime cannot yet be compared to traditional AAA games, from the perspective of blockchain games, BigTime far surpasses the poorly made blockchain games currently on the market in terms of game graphics, gameplay, sound effects, and systems, reaching the level of a qualified independent game in the traditional gaming field.
However, due to BigTime's specific requirements for configuration and the need for a certain level of operation, it inevitably limits the entry of a certain group of people for games that require a significant investment of time and energy. Therefore, the key is whether the game can successfully stand out, that is, whether the game is outstanding, the built-in economic incentive measures, and whether they can attract both blockchain game players and traditional players.
• Game Experience
In terms of overall game testing results, version 0.27 of BigTime already has the prototype of an MMORPG game.
First, the gameplay mechanics of the game have been established, but not all systems have been fully implemented in the current beta test, such as tokens, guilds, and the like, which will appear in subsequent updates. The dungeons and main storyline challenges that can be experienced smoothly in the current beta test have basically reached the standard of a normal game.
Second, in terms of the game's audiovisual performance, it is generally above average, with the visual performance slightly better than expected. However, the overall color tone is relatively monotonous, and the elements are relatively scarce, which can lead to a feeling of fatigue after a long time of gameplay.
In terms of the overall game process, players need at least 30 hours to experience all the elements of the current version, and the game itself has a medium volume. However, more storyline and dungeons in the future updates are still pending to provide a broader exploration space for players.
• Payment System
If players want to purchase NFT assets on BigTime, they only need to log in through their Google account on the BigTime official website, then bind their phone number or Google Authenticator, and finally bind their bank account or add USDC to make purchases. Of course, for users experienced in on-chain transactions, they can also create a new encrypted wallet and conduct transactions.
Note: Currently, the BigTime Marketplace only supports USDC payments, and it is expected to support ETH payments in the future.
The NFT purchase process on Big Time is relatively convenient in operation, as players do not need to learn how to use digital wallets. They only need to log in with their Google account and bind their bank account to make purchases, greatly reducing the entry barrier for users. It should be noted that on the BigTime NFT trading platform OpenLoot, before making large deposits (exceeding $2,000 within 24 hours) or any withdrawal operations, users need to complete the corresponding KYC verification, and currently, one KYC verification can only be bound to one account.
2.5 Technology
2.5.1 Procedural Content Generation (PCG) Technology
BigTime is built on Ethereum and uses Procedural Content Generation (PCG) technology to expand off-chain scale.
Procedural content generation involves inputting feature parameters and basic materials, and then using a series of customized (or somewhat random) algorithms to generate game content in large quantities in real-time or offline.
As game developers continue to grow larger and more industrialized, the use of PCG has become mainstream in game development in recent years. In game production, PCG technology has several advantages:
1) It can greatly increase the production speed of game assets, reduce costs, and have a low error rate. This is very important for optimizing control over outsourced large game projects.
2) PCG generates a massive amount of resources, allowing for a lot of innovation in gameplay. Continuously generating random content can stimulate the imagination of game designers.
3) It can dynamically generate an unlimited amount of new content in real-time within limited disk space, saving disk space and allowing players to repeatedly play new auto-generated levels. It can also be computed offline to optimize game performance, giving players a vast space for exploration.
Currently, popular traditional PC games such as "EVE," "Horizon: Zero Dawn," "Red Dead Redemption," "FarCry," "GTA," "Minecraft," and many others are built using PCG as the underlying technology.
Big Time uses PCG technology to build a vast game world for players, bringing more fun and playability to the game and increasing the exploration period of the game.
2.5.2 Vault Technology
In BigTime, one of the most groundbreaking integrated components is its patented Vault technology.
According to the team, Vault technology can help users reduce the management of external wallets, self-custody assets, and eliminate expensive on-chain transactions. Players can enjoy benefits such as instant transaction settlement without setting up and managing their own encrypted wallets or spending network fees. The way to achieve this goal is mainly because the team stores BigTime's game items in its off-chain Vault custody system.
In simple terms, BigTime has created a private database through Vault technology.
Through Vault, BigTime stores the records of created or purchased items in its own database. Technically, Big Time does not automatically mint NFTs on the blockchain, allowing NFTs and regular items to coexist, thus keeping transaction costs low. On the other hand, players can transfer assets from off-chain to on-chain at any time.
In addition, BigTime's CEO Ari Meilich also pointed out that if there is enough demand for Big Time, the studio will design new ways for players to extract their assets and transfer them to any desired blockchain, which may mean that Big Time's SPACE NFT in the game is likely to become cross-chain assets in the near future.
Summary:
From the team's perspective, the Big Time team has a solid background in gaming and crypto, with core members having experience in developing large games or working for large game companies. However, compared to the first research report in May 2022, there have been some changes in the core team members of Big Time. The departure of the product director and the game economic model design director may have had a certain impact on the game's development and delivery, and subsequent work has been taken over by other experts deeply rooted in the gaming industry. Additionally, as Big Time Studios is a fully remote game studio worldwide, this may also have a certain impact on the timely delivery of the game.
In terms of funding, BigTime has raised over $90 million through primary market financing and NFT sales, which is enough to support the development of a AAA-level game. After the game goes live, the project team can continue to sustainably operate through the sale of game resources.
In terms of the core game mechanism, Big Time has basically borrowed from the mature role and growth design of MMORPGs, but its free job change system will enrich the player's gaming experience. However, this also places demands on the game team to adjust the balance, as the lower job change threshold means that if a certain profession's abilities are particularly outstanding, it will squeeze the survival space of other professions, thereby affecting the game's playability.
In terms of the game's economic mechanism, Big Time's design is very clever, ensuring that the in-game economic cycle has a certain elasticity on a stable basis, and also ensuring that both free and paying players can have a rich gaming experience. However, this economic mechanism also places high demands on players' strategic allocation of in-game resources, as players need to invest a certain amount of resources to explore their suitable position in the game.
In terms of actual game experience, the game already has a certain level of playability, but more iterations will be needed in the future to improve the game's visual performance and gameplay mechanisms.
In terms of the game's threshold, the game's hardware requirements do not seem to be high at the moment, but players need to meet certain requirements to participate in the preseason.
3. Development
3.1 History
Table 3-1 Big Time Major Events
2021.05.11
Big Time officially introduced the game demo on the blog for the first time.
2021.05.12
Big Time Studios completed a $21 million financing.
2021.07.22
Big Time launched its first NFT Drop on the Binance NFT marketplace.
2021.08.13
Big Time started the second round of sales activities on the Binance NFT marketplace.
2021.11.10
Big Time announced the initial version of the game token economic model.
2021.11.11
Big Time announced partnerships with game guilds such as Yield Guild Games, Merit Circle, and Avocado Guild, which will participate in Big Time's latest product, SPACE.
2021.12.02
Decentralized launch platform Polkastarter partnered with blockchain game company Big Time, including allowing Polkastarter Gaming Guild to participate in early beta testing of Big Time games; acquiring SPACE NFTs; launching scholarships for Polkastarter Gaming Guild; educating trainers about Big Time gameplay; working together and other activities involving the two communities.
2021.12.17
Big Time announced a partnership with stablecoin USDC issuer Circle to integrate Circle's payment solution.
2021.12.21
Big Time started the SPACE NFT sale.
2022.02.17
Big Time started the sale of mystery boxes on the Binance NFT marketplace.
2022.03.24
Big Time started the Exalted SPACE NFT sale.
2022.04.14
Big Time announced the game's launch, with Gold Pass holders getting early access.
2022.05.06
BigTime updated version 0.1, adding new game elements, new profession skills, updating the game interface UI, adjusting game balance, bug fixes, and other changes.
2022.05.12
Big Time announced that the mystery boxes are now available for early access.
2022.05.16
BigTime updated version 0.12, updating the game interface UI, adjusting game balance, bug fixes, and other changes.
2022.06.06
BigTime updated version 0.13, adding new game elements, updating the game interface UI, adjusting game balance, bug fixes, and other changes.
2022.07.20
BigTime updated version 0.2, adding new types of missions, updating the game interface UI, adjusting game balance, bug fixes, and other changes.
2022.07.28
Big Time announced the launch of the Open Loot blockchain game infrastructure.
2022.11.11
BigTime updated version 0.23, adding new boss battles, new profession skills, updating the game interface UI, adjusting game balance, bug fixes, and other changes.
2022.11.26
Big Time released part of the game's economic model.
2022.12.17
BigTime updated version 0.24, launching the personal metaverse, weapon slots, and public activity system, adding new types of missions, new profession skills, updating the game interface UI, adjusting game balance, bug fixes, and other changes.
2022.12.19
BigTime received the GAM3 Best Game of the Year award hosted by Polkastarter Gaming.
2022.12.23
BigTime released a new limited edition of 4,500 NFT blind boxes.
2023.01.20
Big Time announced monthly airdrops to players based on account points starting from February.
2023.01.21
BigTime released a new limited edition of 7,388 NFT blind boxes for the Chinese New Year.
2023.02.25
BigTime updated version 0.25, adding new dungeon scenes, daily and weekly bounty missions, updating the game interface UI, adjusting game balance, bug fixes, and other changes.
2023.05.06
BigTime updated version 0.26, adding new challenge maps, new profession skills, and optional professions, updating the game interface UI, adjusting game balance, bug fixes, and other changes.
2023.08.29
3. Development
3.1 History
Table 3-1 Big Time Major Events
2021.05.11
Big Time updated to version 0.27, adding new mission chapters, new profession skills, updating the game interface UI, adjusting game balance, bug fixes, and making some other changes.
3.2 Current Situation
Currently, BigTime is still in the beta testing phase. As of September 1, 2023, the game has been in beta for over a year and has been updated to version 0.27. It has undergone multiple major version tests, but due to limited testing qualifications, the actual online player count is relatively low, with most servers being quite idle.
3.2.1 Social Media Scale
Table 3-2 BigTime Social Media Data
Discord
Twitch
Youtube
Followers
246,882 followers
363,823 members
21,000 fans
5,376 fans
13,000 followers
12,900 subscribers
Comments
High number of likes and comments
25,905 members online
Moderate number of likes and comments
Moderate number of likes and comments
Over 2,000 streamers
Average viewership is around 1,000 people
As of October 9, 2023, BigTime has a large number of followers and high engagement on social media. The community has frequent interactions, with most content revolving around game mechanics. Game streaming data is good, with over 2,000 streamers broadcasting BigTime games, totaling over 40,000 hours of streaming. It has surpassed Axie Infinity to become the most streamed Web3 game, with total viewing time exceeding 480,000 hours. It is estimated that the game currently has approximately over a thousand core fans, with the potential for continuous growth in the future.
3.3 Future
Figure 3-1 BigTime Roadmap
Big Time is still in the beta testing phase. The focus of the upcoming versions will be on the development of the BIGTIME token and the implementation of functional NFTs. In the future, Big Time will also introduce more main storyline content to enhance the game experience. On October 10, 2023, BigTime plans to launch the preseason version, expecting a large influx of new players into the game.
Summary:
In terms of project development, the game's current operations and development pace are slower than expected, but the game has already attracted a group of highly engaged core players. Once the subsequent versions are open to all, it is likely to attract more players.
4. Economic Model
Big Time is about to launch the in-game token $BIGTIME. The details of the BIGTIME token and the game's economic mechanism are covered in the product section (Chapter 2) and will not be reiterated here.
5. Track
5.1 Current State of the Track
Since entering 2023, the overall performance of the blockchain gaming market can only be considered fair, given the high expectations for this track. However, compared to the overall downturn in the blockchain market, the blockchain gaming market is still performing well and has significant potential for future development.
Figure 5-1 Unique Active Wallets (UAW) and Transaction Volume in the Blockchain Gaming Track
Figure 5-2 Number of Unique Users in the Blockchain Gaming Track
According to data from DappRader and Footprint, as of September 25, 2023, the number of unique active wallets (UAW) in the blockchain gaming track has remained at around 800,000 over the past year. Although this is a decrease of over 30% from the average daily 1.2 million during the first research report on BigTime, the core player base in the blockchain gaming track has not shown significant attrition. Once the overall market rebounds, the blockchain gaming market will have a foundation for recovery.
Figure 5-3 Financing Amount and Volume in the Blockchain Gaming Industry
Figure 5-4 Number of Active Blockchain Games
Although there has been a noticeable decrease in the financing amount in the blockchain gaming track over the past year, the number of active blockchain games has not shown a significant decline and is even slowly increasing. This indicates that the entire track is still maintaining growth and development, and has a certain resilience even in a bear market.
Overall, despite a decrease in the number of players and transaction volume in the blockchain gaming track since the bear market, the core player base remains highly engaged, and the track's overall development progress has not been significantly affected. Many new games are still being developed and operated. Once the macro environment improves, the blockchain gaming track still has potential. Based on the different types and development stages of blockchain gaming, we believe that games like BigTime, which involve partial core asset integration and have the development capability and experience rooted in Web2 games, will have greater development potential in the future.
6. Risks
1) Game Economic Model
The Big Time token can only be obtained through normal in-game activities, which often require players to have high game participation.
2) Team Risk
The game rules are customized by the team, and the team may change/adjust the game rules at any time based on the current game situation, potentially causing harm to player interests.
3) Game Bug Risk
The current game version still has a large number of bugs, some of which may be malicious and affect game assets. Players need to be cautious and provide immediate feedback to the project team.
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