Crypto games stand to be the next big thing in the gaming world, revolutionizing digital ownership and the way players interact with in-game items and economies. And yet, the primary reason that people play crypto games is still to profit from the project’s native token, rather than for the thrill of new, immersive experiences.
This begs the question: does something need to change if crypto games are truly to become the future of gaming? Nicole Lazzaro, an industry expert in player experience design, states that games are different from other forms of entertainment because they create emotion from interaction.
Games that captivate a player’s attention with a different series of emotions are the most successful. So how can a game do this while also remaining “fun?”
Well, according to the Birmingham School of Computer Science, the magic formula is cohesion, variety, and good user interaction. But Crypto users seem to have a different opinion when it comes to games.
FarmerNash, a Twitter personality and crypto gamer, recently hosted a poll about Axie Infinity, the biggest play-to-earn game. 
Over 70% agreed the price of Axie’s SLP token is the most important part of the game, not the fun, or social aspects.
This also seems to be the same attitude towards other play-to-earn games. Does this mean that crypto games themselves are not offering a fun experience, or are token rewards changing people’s approach to gaming?
With traditional console and PC games still being significantly more immersive than crypto games, it’s going to be difficult to bring traditional gamers over to blockchain. Right now, the focus of crypto games is almost completely on their play-to-earn aspects, with less thought being given to the playing experience. If blockchain gaming is to go mainstream, it’s important to find a balance between the two.
Crypto games need two things to succeed in the long run: they need to be enjoyable regardless of their play-to-earn aspects, and they need an ecosystem in which players want to spend the game’s native token.
Imagine if Counter-Strike skins were NFTs and only buyable through the game’s own token? This would offer real digital ownership and the option to be ported across multiple games. Would the appeal of the game itself change? No, but the introduction of NFTs and a token would elevate the product to a new level.
So what’s an example of someone doing it right? The metaverse project Sandbox has been releasing videos showcasing a variety of custom maps inside the game itself, each offering different playing styles.
Much like in Roblox, a popular online game creation platform, real players create these maps in The Sandbox and are a direct part of the ecosystem. This means users are incentivized to use the $SAND token to enhance their experience, just like with Roblox’s own currency, Robux. It’s easy to imagine playing these custom maps regardless of their eventual play-to-earn aspects.
If Sandbox can bring traditional gamers over into the blockchain gaming world, it would mark a whole new era for crypto games. It seems there’s a long way to go before the worlds of crypto and traditional games merge, and it may also require an evolution in philosophy. Perhaps both crypto game creators and players need to raise their voices and encourage more investment in the creative aspects of blockchain games.
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