Play-to-own games and the metaverse are two of the hottest buzzwords in the crypto and blockchain worlds right now, and for good reason: The gaming industry is about to undergo a paradigm shift that will completely change how we play games.
In this article, we’ll examine what play-to-own games are, what makes them different from P2E, and the unique features they have to offer.
P2E vs Play-to-Own
First, definitions. With both, it’s in the name.
Play-to-Earn:
The primary objective of playing is to earn money. Players can earn rewards like crypto tokens, virtual lands, avatar accessories, and NFTs for completing tasks or levels in a game. Also, unlike traditional, play-to-earn games let players transfer in-game assets outside of the game into the virtual world.
Now for Play-to-Own:
The play-to-own method is a little different from the play-to-earn. The priority is on good, fun, entertaining gameplay that naturally draws in players. Made famous by Upland, the game lets its players possess digital wealth similar to real homes, and as they accumulate rewards, they can upgrade the state of their digital assets.
The digital objects that a player acquires will have a real worth that they can later sell on the secondary market. Players can prosper in the game and the online economy thanks to the play-to-own approach.
Features of Play-to-Own Games
- Own and Sell – Unlike P2E where players get rewards for completing tasks, in P2O gaming platforms, players get digital assets as the reward in the game like land, house, shop, or anything just like in the real world.
- Sense of Ownership – P2O platforms provide players rewards in the form of assets rather than coins, giving players a true sense of ownership over any sort of asset.
- The Rarity of Assets – Similar to current AAA games, one has to achieve the task to get rare assets. And while traditional games also reward players with rare assets for completing tasks, they are not unique. However, In P2O games, the digital asset will be unique and rare too.
How’s Play and Own Different?
Players stick around for longer than just ROI when you provide an enjoyable and exciting game-first experience. It’s like creating an entertainment park to accommodate all the potential player motivations.
If everyone is there just to do the same thing for the same expected ROI, everything turns into an optimization race to the bottom. Owning tangible game assets places a value on the effort and strategy expended and creates real value.
With play-to-own games, players care more about their investments in the game, the community, and the relationships they’ve built than a sole motivation for profit.
The Future of Play and Own
We consider this to be the biggest opportunity since the emergence of social networks and games in the web 2.0 era. Play and Own could bring not just gaming, but banking and payment systems to everyone. The implication is that done right, Play and Own will be its own $1T opportunity.
