Why Decentralized Mobile Games are the Future
Blockchain first emerged as a revolutionary technology that was primarily linked to cryptocurrencies. The main goal of combining Blockchain with cryptocurrency transactions was better security.
However, its widespread applications in the real world encouraged many innovators to incorporate Blockchain into other sectors, including finance, banking, education, entertainment, and even mobile gaming. In fact, among all these verticals, mobile gaming is the sector where Blockchain integration can do wonders and make conventional gaming experiences more interactive and secure.
In this guide, we’ll explain the potential benefits of Blockchain in mobile gaming and how this decentralized technology is most likely to impact the entire mobile gaming market soon.
So, without wasting another second, let’s dive in.
An Introduction to Blockchain
Before we go into the details of Blockchain gaming, let’s first clarify all the misconceptions around Blockchain. Today, everyone has a different definition of Blockchain, and unfortunately, the majority of them are incorrect.
In simple words, Blockchain is a decentralized set of data blocks where access is granted on mutual agreement. The data blocks are managed by a global network and linked together using an encryption technique known as cryptography. Thanks to cryptography, the recorded information is impenetrable in nature, and no unauthorized user can access, edit, or delete it whatsoever.
Today, the most common real-world application of Blockchain is cryptocurrency transactions. With Blockchain, users can identify the varying values of different cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, DodgeCoin, etc.
Blockchain in Mobile Gaming
So, where does Blockchain fit into the mobile gaming market? According to experts at a professional mobile game development company, Blockchain can facilitate the development of decentralized gaming solutions where gamers have full control over the in-game assets.
Unlike the conventional mobile games, which are primarily centralized in nature where developers control the in-game assets, including digital currencies, collectibles, weapons, characters, etc., Blockchain-based games give end-users the ownership of their own assets.
Now, when it comes to integrating Blockchain into mobile games, developers can follow one of the two approaches, i.e.,
- Support Cryptocurrency Transactions for In-Game Purchases
- Incorporate NFT Assets to Help Players Get Exclusive Collectibles
Let’s discuss these approaches in detail for a better understanding.
If you are an avid gamer, you may already know that in-game purchases are quite common in many mobile games. Publishers sell exclusive gaming assets within the game to generate revenue. In fact, 79% of mobile games use in-app purchases as their primary revenue model. However, these monetary transactions are always vulnerable to various cyber threats.
But, with cryptocurrency transactions, these threats can be easily mitigated, and players can enjoy a hassle-free experience with in-game purchases. Another application of cryptocurrency in mobile gaming is the ability to earn different digital currencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum.
By completing certain levels or unlocking new achievements, users can earn cryptocurrencies that they can either store in a digital wallet or use to buy more in-game assets.
NFT integration in Blockchain-powered games is slightly more complex to understand and implement. For readers who don’t know, NFTs or Non-Fungible Tokens are decentralized assets that are stored in a dedicated Blockchain. The owner of a particular NFT has the liberty to sell and trade NFTs.
In mobile games, NFTs could be used to trade in-game assets and exclusive items. Developers can tokenize each gaming asset and store them in Blockchain. This way users gain complete ownership of the particular asset and they can trade or sell it whenever they want.
Of course, since Blockchain integration is severely complex, the cost to build a mobile game with Blockchain support is most likely to be on the higher side. Not to mention, you’ll need a team of expert Blockchain developers who understand the dynamics of game development along with Blockchain integration.
How Blockchain Transforming the Mobile Gaming Market
Now, coming to the future of Blockchain integration into mobile gaming. Apart from in-game purchases and NFT-based gaming assets, Blockchain will also be the driving force for Metaverse game development. Many experts believe that Blockchain will act as the primary building block for Metaverse games and it’ll allow publishers to launch more interactive and secure mobile gaming solutions.
If you don’t know this already, Metaverse games are virtual landscapes where players can create their own digital avatars and interact with other players in a completely virtual environment.
The players can access the virtual world through interactive technologies like Virtual Reality (VR). To believe experts, Blockchain integration into Metaverse-based games will be the norm as it’ll make various transactions in the virtual world more secure. Not to mention, Blockchain will allow players to create and own their digital avatars and prevent any infringement.
Roblox is one of the greatest examples of Blockchain-powered Metaverse-gaming platforms. It’s an online gaming platform where gamers can enter virtual worlds created by other players or construct their own virtual landscapes to invite players from different corners of the world.
While Roblox doesn’t heavily rely on Virtual Reality or Augmented Reality, it’s an initial iteration of a full-fledged Metaverse. However, at its core, Roblox utilized Blockchain and NFTs to store gaming assets more effectively.
How to Launch a Blockchain-Based Mobile Game in 2022
Launching a Blockchain-based mobile game is a bit tricky. Why? Because if you want to integrate cryptocurrency transaction support into your game, it would be crucial to build a dedicated blockchain wallet as well. This would allow players to store their digital assets in a secure manner and access them whenever they want.
Of course, this means that the user would have to separately download the Blockchain wallet from the App Store. As of now, this is the biggest challenge for Blockchain-based games as many players don’t prefer installing a dedicated wallet separately just so that they can enjoy a great gaming experience.
If you have an idea for a Blockchain-based mobile game, you would also have to hire a dedicated team of mobile game developers who have extensive expertise in Blockchain integration as well. These developers will be familiar with the Blockchain technology inside-out and offer their complete assistance so that you can launch a Blockchain-powered game more effectively.
The Bottom Line
Blockchain is no longer a technology whose only implementation revolves around cryptocurrency transactions. The widespread applications of Blockchain have encouraged tech giants to incorporate it into other industries and mobile gaming is one of them. With Blockchain integration, gaming studios can leave behind the conventional centralized gaming architecture and move towards user-centric decentralized models for better engagement and interactive gameplay. Apart from this, Blockchain integration can also cater to Metaverse game development and allow developers to launch highly interactive gaming solutions. In short, there are dozens of applications of Blockchain in mobile gaming and it’s most likely to become the most prominent technology for building state-of-the-art mobile games in the near future.
