If you haven’t heard of blockchain tech yet, where have you been? It rose to prominence thanks to cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, and yet now has a wealth of other applications in many industries and contexts.
Mobile gaming is an example of an area where the blockchain comes into play, so what’s the deal, and is the hype justified?
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The basics of the blockchain
There are lots of in-depth explanations of the blockchain out there, but the overarching idea is that it’s a way of storing and sharing data in a decentralized way.
This can be used to determine ownership of things like cryptocurrencies, but can also be harnessed for other purposes, including functions more akin to a traditional database.
Decentralized data storage involves distributing information across a network rather than storing it in a single location.
This approach enables higher security and transparency, as data isn’t controlled by a single entity.
Every transaction is recorded on a public ledger, making tampering nearly impossible and ensuring trust among participants.
What is web3 gaming?
Understanding the concept of web3 gaming is useful if you want to appreciate how the blockchain applies to interactive mobile experiences.
In short, it covers all games that harness blockchain tech in some way, usually as a means of creating the in-game economies they use, and of connecting these with the wider crypto market. For those looking to enhance their mobile games user acquisition strategies, understanding the nuances of blockchain in gaming can provide a competitive edge.
Games like “Axie Infinity” and “The Sandbox” have set new standards in blockchain gaming by integrating blockchain into their infrastructures.
“Axie Infinity” allows players to earn cryptocurrency through gameplay, while “The Sandbox” lets users create, own, and monetize virtual worlds, showcasing blockchain’s potential in mobile gaming.
This is applied in various ways and with different intents and results, including:
Enabling player ownership of digital assets
With traditional mobile games, when a player unlocks a certain item, it doesn’t really belong to them, but is instead just an inextricable part of the game code, and has no extrinsic value.
By using the blockchain, digital assets can become non-fungible tokens (NFTs). So when an in-game item is earned, it is as much the property of the player who earned it as their car or their house.
Furthermore, by making NFTs a part of mobile gaming, this allows players to trade and sell their assets as they please.
NFTs in mobile games are often implemented via smart contracts on platforms like Ethereum.
These contracts define the rules and dictate ownership, ensuring each NFT is unique.
This technology grants players true ownership of digital assets, enhancing their ability to buy, sell, and trade items outside the game.
Rewarding players for their participation
So far, you could argue that the blockchain and NFTs in mobile gaming aren’t really doing that much differently from some long-established games. The economies of titles like Second Life have translated in-game assets to having real-world value without the need for this tech.
However, in the case of web3 games, the relationship between playing and earning is far more formalized and is effectively fundamental to the entire experience.
The most popular titles in this genre reward players for getting involved in the game, whether that’s with NFTs or with crypto tokens that are native to the platform.
Thus players can reliably predict how much they’ll get out of a game based on the amount of time they put into it. It’s no longer a one-way flow of cash and time from the player to the developer, but more of a two-way street.
Companies like “Enjin” and “GameCredits” have incorporated blockchain technology to create rewarding systems for players.
Enjin allows players to earn and trade blockchain-based assets with ease within games.
GameCredits employs blockchain for fast and secure transfers, letting players earn credits by participating in games and spend them across various titles.
Building trust
It’s an unfortunate reality of the state of play in the games industry today, but players don’t have a lot of confidence in many big names in development and publishing. This comes down to a combination of unhelpful business practices, and problematic stories of working conditions at these companies.
With the implementation of blockchain technology in mobile gaming and elsewhere, developers are able to create a level of transparency that has not been possible in the past. In turn, this means that when players want to put their trust in a company, they can do so safely in the knowledge that more aspects of how a game works will be up for scrutiny, as everything is stored on a public ledger.
Transparency efforts by developers involve making game mechanics and economic systems accessible through public ledgers.
Projects like “CryptoKitties” demonstrate these principles by offering an open view of game transactions.
This access fosters trust, as players can independently verify how their activities and transactions are managed in the game environment.
Final thoughts
You can expect more and more blockchain integration across mobile gaming going forward, and it seems inevitable that at some point it will be so ubiquitous as to be unremarkable, in much the same way as 3D graphics and online multiplayer did in the past.
Last Updated on March 5, 2025 by Ian Naylor
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