The popularity of Notcoin has made people see the huge potential of the Tap to Earn model. The simple click operation can earn in-game rewards, and this easy and enjoyable way of making money quickly became popular, attracting a large number of users' attention. With the significant increase in its market value and trading volume, the Tap to Earn model has become the new favorite of blockchain gaming projects. How did the chain gaming model evolve from Play to Earn to X to Earn? What are the reasons for the popularity of Tap to Earn? Is this shift leading the new trend in the chain gaming market? This article will attempt to sort out and analyze the evolution of the chain gaming model from Play to Earn to Tap to Earn.
I. What is Chain Gaming?
Chain gaming, also known as GameFi (Game Finance), refers to games based on blockchain technology, which applies blockchain technology to games by putting game assets, rules, logic, and asset transactions on the chain through smart contracts and decentralized technology, creating a decentralized, trustworthy, verifiable, and tradable game mode. GameFi integrates DeFi and non-fungible tokens (NFT), gamifying the rules of DeFi and making game props and derivative products NFT, giving all assets, props, and characters in the game uniqueness and collectibility.
GameFi is not only the product of the combination of blockchain technology and the gaming industry but also a revolution in the traditional gaming profit model. With its decentralized, transparent, and secure features, GameFi not only enhances the entertainment value of games but also gives players true digital ownership, allowing them to realize actual economic benefits through tokens, props, and NFTs obtained in the game. This model breaks the convention that game assets belong only to game development companies, allowing players to achieve wealth through gaming.
II. How Does Chain Gaming Work?
The mode of operation of each GameFi project and the in-game economy vary, but most in-game assets are NFTs on the blockchain, which can be traded directly on the NFT market. In-game assets usually create benefits for players, allowing them to earn more rewards. For example, many assets can be staked or borrowed to generate more income through completing tasks.
Specifically, the operation mode of GameFi includes the following aspects:
In-game rewards: Players obtain cryptocurrency, virtual land, avatars, weapons, clothing, and other in-game assets through gameplay. These diverse forms of rewards increase the fun and challenge of the game.
Asset trading: Most in-game assets are NFTs, which can be traded directly on the NFT market. This allows players not only to enjoy the game but also to earn actual income through trading virtual assets. In some projects, in-game assets need to be converted into NFTs before they can be sold or traded.
Missions and battles: Players can earn rewards by completing missions, battling other players, or building monetized structures on owned land. These activities increase the interactivity and competitiveness of the game, allowing players to earn more income through effort.
Staking and lending: In some games, players can stake or lend game assets to other players, generating passive income without actively playing the game. This mode increases the liquidity and income channels of game assets.
Decentralized governance: Some GameFi projects have introduced DAO (decentralized autonomous organization) mechanisms, allowing players to participate in the development and decision-making of the game, increasing player engagement and sense of ownership through voting and governance mechanisms.
III. From Play to Earn to X to Earn
The Play to Earn model represented by Axie Infinity laid the foundation for chain gaming, allowing players to earn rewards by playing games. With the rise of the Move to Earn project represented by StepN, the X to Earn model has gradually evolved into a widely recognized narrative space. The common feature of these models is that players earn rewards by participating in different activities, sparking the concept that "everything can be profitable."
Play to Earn (P2E)
Players earn cryptocurrency or NFT rewards by playing games and can then sell these assets on the market for actual income. Axie Infinity is a representative project where players earn cryptocurrency or NFT rewards by playing games and can then sell these assets on the market for actual income.
Early chain gaming projects mainly focused on attracting players through simple game mechanics. However, this model gradually exposed some issues, such as insufficient gameplay and unstable token economies. Over time, P2E chain games began to introduce more complex economic systems and diversified gameplay to enhance the attractiveness and sustainability of the games. For example, The Sandbox and Decentraland introduced virtual real estate and content creation mechanisms, allowing players not only to earn tokens through gameplay but also to profit from creating and trading virtual assets.
Move to Earn (M2E)
Players earn in-game rewards by engaging in actual physical activities or exercises, combining health and fitness. StepN is a representative project where users are rewarded with GST tokens by tracking their physical activities (such as walking or running) and has introduced an NFT shoe system, allowing players to purchase, upgrade, and trade NFT shoes. Ultimately, M2E games are essentially P2E games, but the gameplay has shifted to physical activities.
Watch to Earn (W2E)
Users earn rewards by watching various types of content, such as videos, advertisements, movie trailers, and promotional videos, tapping into the attention economy for income. For example, Cheelee is a short video platform with a Watch to Earn mechanism, paying all users who watch content, aiming to enable all users to earn money on social networks.
Tap to Earn (T2E)
Players earn income through simple click operations. Notcoin is a representative project where users earn tokens through simple click operations and has introduced social sharing and referral reward mechanisms, increasing user stickiness and propagation speed. The T2E model quickly gained popularity due to its simple operation, easy accessibility, and emphasis on light entertainment and quick feedback. According to CMC data, as of June 20th, Notcoin's token market value has exceeded $1.6 billion, ranking 53rd. Its 24-hour trading volume exceeds $500 million, ranking 14th, undoubtedly making it the hottest chain gaming project at present.
Other Representative Tap to Earn Games
Hamster Kombat: Players continuously increase their gold coins by tapping the screen, with the expectation that the gold coins will be converted into tokens. Within three months of the game's launch, the number of Twitter followers soared to 8.55 million, and the Telegram group had as many as 200,000 members, demonstrating the strong dissemination and appeal of the Tap to Earn model.
Catizen: Through a Telegram bot, players can merge two low-level cats into a higher-level cat, attracting more users to earn money by petting cats. This simple and direct light game mode has high virality.
Based on the Play to Earn economic model, various X to Earn models have gradually emerged, encompassing all behaviors that generate income in Web3, such as Learn to Earn, Drive to Earn, Write to Earn, Sing to Earn, Sleep to Earn, Eat to Earn, etc., combining daily life with blockchain economics to further expand the application scope of X to Earn, exploring more novel and diverse forms.
IV. Why is the Tap to Earn Model So Popular?
Recently, Notcoin has brought the Tap to Earn model into the spotlight, which is essentially an extension of the X to Earn model. However, the success of this model also has certain inevitability behind it.
1. Simple and Feasible Game Mechanics
The core of the Tap to Earn model lies in its extremely simple operation. Players can earn rewards simply by tapping the screen, without the need for complex operations or strategies. Users do not need to invest a lot of time and effort in learning game rules or operating skills, and they can quickly receive feedback and rewards, greatly increasing user engagement and stickiness.
2. Efficient User Propagation and Growth Mechanism
Notcoin has greatly promoted user growth by introducing social sharing and referral reward mechanisms. Users can earn additional 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 engagement. The active sharing and promotion by users enable the game to attract a large number of new users in a short period, achieving exponential growth.
3. Instant Incentive Mechanism and Economic Returns
The Tap to Earn model provides instant economic returns, as players receive token rewards for each click operation completed. This instant reward mechanism greatly stimulates user enthusiasm, not only increasing user satisfaction but also improving their retention and activity.
4. Large Potential User Base
Due to its simple operation and minimal time investment, the Tap to Earn model can attract a wide range of users, including the general public who are not familiar with blockchain technology and complex game mechanics. Compared to other complex chain gaming models, Tap to Earn has lower requirements for devices and technology, allowing most smartphone users to participate. This lowers the barrier to user participation and expands the coverage of user groups.
5. Innovation and Differentiation
The Tap to Earn model has attracted a lot of attention due to its unique novelty. While other chain gaming models are still exploring complex game mechanics, Tap to Earn stands out with its extremely simple design and efficient reward mechanism, filling the gap in the market for low-threshold, light entertainment chain games, meeting the needs of different user groups.
This indicates that mini-games and game bots can pave the way for a wider range of Web3 applications. Unlike the extensive development cycles required for fully on-chain games or AAA games, these platforms prioritize agility and rapid deployment. This approach may be more effective in attracting and retaining a large user base compared to pursuing a complex but less accessible gaming experience.
V. What are the current problems with chain gaming models?
As an emerging model in chain gaming, the Tap to Earn model has quickly risen due to its simplicity and ease of use, but it also indirectly exposes the current problems with chain gaming models:
1. Lack of Gameplay
Many chain games, especially early Play to Earn models, often focus too much on economic returns and neglect gameplay, resulting in rough and unplayable games that cause users to lose interest after the initial enthusiasm. While users are initially enthusiastic about obtaining tokens, the lack of depth and challenge leads to low user stickiness.
2. Unstable Economic Models
If the economic model of chain games is not designed reasonably, it can easily lead to significant token price fluctuations, and even a "death spiral," affecting user income expectations and confidence. For example, after the token price of Axie Infinity plummeted by over 90%, although the user base continued to grow, market confidence was significantly affected.
3. Serious Homogenization
Many chain gaming projects lack innovation in design and excessively imitate successful projects, resulting in a large number of homogeneous games in the market. For example, many chain gaming projects attempt to replicate the successful model of Axie Infinity, but they lack significant differences in game mechanics, visual design, and user experience, making it difficult to attract long-term users.
4. Balancing Gameplay and Economics
Balancing gameplay while achieving economic returns is a problem that chain game developers need to address. Overemphasizing economic returns may lead to a decrease in gameplay, which in turn affects user experience and retention.
5. Difficulty in User Acquisition and Retention
While chain games can initially attract users through aggressive marketing and high rewards, retaining users in the long term is very difficult. After completing initial tasks and receiving rewards, users may lose interest due to a lack of novelty and challenge. Many chain gaming projects initially attract users through burning money and…
VI. Reflections on the development trends of chain gaming models
1. Diversified X to Earn Models
The X to Earn model will continue to expand, not limited to Play to Earn, Move to Earn, and Tap to Earn, and more innovative models will emerge, enriching the application scenarios of chain gaming and attracting more users with different interests and needs. In addition, an increasing number of traditional Web2 enterprises are leveraging their existing resources and advantages, combining the X to Earn model to drive product iteration and user growth, achieving the integration of Web2 and Web3.
2. Integration of New Technologies
With the development of blockchain technology, chain gaming will integrate more emerging technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and artificial intelligence (AI), providing a more immersive and intelligent gaming experience. For example, future chain games may use VR technology to create virtual worlds and combine AI to achieve intelligent NPC interaction, enhancing the immersion and interactivity of the game.
3. Innovation and Differentiation
Chain gaming projects need to continuously innovate in gameplay and economic models and stand out in the market through differentiation strategies. By introducing new game mechanics, enhancing social interaction features, and developing unique economic systems, the attractiveness and user stickiness of games can be improved, and different game experiences and reward mechanisms can be designed to meet diverse user needs.
4. User Experience Optimization
Methods and strategies to improve the gaming experience include optimizing game graphics, improving operational fluency, and adding game content. By continuously improving the core gameplay and user interface of the game, user satisfaction and retention can be enhanced. In addition, chain gaming projects can collect user feedback and suggestions through community building and user research, and make timely adjustments and improvements to game content.
5. Community Building and Governance
Building and maintaining active game communities can enhance user stickiness and engagement. By organizing online and offline events, establishing social platforms, and providing spaces for user interaction, player interaction and communication can be promoted. By introducing DAO and voting mechanisms, players can participate in the development and decision-making of the game, enhancing user enthusiasm and loyalty.
6. Sustainable Development
Chain gaming projects need to pay more attention to sustainable development, designing reasonable economic models and ecosystems to ensure long-term stable operation. Through continuous innovation, user feedback, and community building, game and economic systems can be continuously optimized, achieving a positive cycle and sustainable development.
In conclusion, the success of the Tap to Earn model not only demonstrates the potential of chain gaming but also exposes many problems in the current development of chain gaming models. By improving gameplay, optimizing economic models, strengthening user acquisition and retention strategies, addressing regulatory risks, and enhancing security and privacy protection, chain gaming projects can better address challenges and achieve sustainable development. In the future, with the integration of new technologies, the expansion of diversified X to Earn models, ecosystem development, and the participation of traditional enterprises, more possibilities can be expected in chain gaming models.
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