Web3 gaming starts where Web2 gaming ends

Web3 games are writing the next chapter of gaming, but what are the main differences between Web2 gaming and Web3 gaming?

Apillon

Sep 22, 2023 • 6 min read

The gaming experience has come a long way since its early days. Graphics are more realistic, resolutions are higher, games run more smoothly thanks to more powerful processing powers, and there’s always something new to try, whether it’s a new VR set or playing in open worlds where you can interact with other players.

While the gaming experience has been undeniably and steadily improving, some principles that make the gaming world go around remain the same.

That is until Web3 games came along. But what sets Web3 gaming apart from Web2 gaming?

What is Web2 gaming, and why does it need to up its game?

For the past two decades, Web2 gaming was the only gaming model we knew.

Web2 gaming refers to the traditional online gaming experiences that are built upon Web2 technologies using a centralized approach to both game development and monetization.

Web2 games exist on centralized gaming servers that store all the in-game information in one spot. The main characteristics of Web2 gaming are centralized platforms, closed ecosystems, and limited player ownership.

Web2 gaming companies are mainly industry giants, including Electronic Arts (EA), Activision Blizzard, Ubisoft, Nintendo, Microsoft Xbox Game Studios etc., that have produced the most popular games in gaming history. Fortnite, Minecraft, League of Legends, Dota, and Call of Duty are just some of the evergreen games sitting on the throne of all-time popularity.

What are some of the issues that Web2 gaming is facing?

There’s no denying that Web2 games have brought us countless hours of enjoyment and precious times, but all great things can always be improved.

Here are some of the Web2 gaming pain points:

Centralized control over the game and its economy

When a game is hosted on a centralized server that’s controlled by the gaming company, all player data, game content, and server maintenance is in the hands of the said gaming company.

Ownership of in-game assets

In centralized Web2 games, players don’t own their in-game digital assets (skins, characters, weapons, accounts, real estate etc.). Instead, the gaming company owns all the in-game assets.

Monetization through in-app purchases

Gaming companies have been heavily criticized for their in-app purchases that have been deemed as predatory, encouraging you to spend more than you can maybe afford.

Risk of security breaches

Centralized servers are more exposed to security breaches. This exposes the in-game assets and player data to loss, theft, fraud, and other types of exploitation.

Pay-to-play

In Web2 games, pay-to-play is the traditional gaming model where the player needs to pay to access the game, either with an up-front purchase or a subscription model.

What is Web3 gaming?

The goal of Web3 gaming is to deliver a more immersive, rewarding, and transparent gaming experience, where the power is shifted from the hands of the gaming company to the hands of the player.

Web3 games are video games that leverage blockchain technology and integrate the principles of decentralization into the gameplay itself, the economics of the game, and the mechanics of gaming.

This is why you’ll also come across names such as blockchain games or decentralized games.

While not nearly as widely popular as Web2 game classics yet, popular Web3 games include Axie Infinity, Decentraland, Crypto Kitties, Sorare, Lost Relics, Gods Unchained etc.

How is Web3 gaming helping up the Web2 game?

Web2 games walked, so Web3 games can now run.

Elevating the current Web2 gaming experience, Web3 games aren’t just about better visuals, stronger processing power, and other classic improvements mentioned in the beginning. Taking gaming to a whole new level, Web3 games offer a whole new way for players to interact with games.

With the use of innovative blockchain technology, Web3 gaming aims to solve some of the most pressing issues of Web2 gaming brought on by centralization.

The principles of decentralization and the use of blockchain technology

By integrating the principles of decentralization and using blockchain technology to store in-game assets, transactions, and other game-related data as tokens on the blockchain, the power is transferred from a central authority to the players.

Enhanced security, transparency, and privacy

Decentralized hosting and decentralized storage used in Web3 games are more reliable, secure, and transparent methods of hosting and storing content than centralized servers that always come with a single point of failure.

True ownership of in-game assets

As players gain true ownership of their in-game assets with the use of blockchain technology, gamers can buy, sell, trade, or even use these assets across multiple games or platforms.

Players and developers get a say in decision-making

Player empowerment offers more control to gamers over their gaming experience, including the ability to make decisions about asset ownership, trading, and participation in in-game governance.

Interoperability

Some Web3 in-game assets or characters obtained in one game can be used or transferred to other compatible games or platforms.

Player-driven economies

Some Web3 in-game assets hold real-world value, allowing players to trade these assets in secondary markets.

Increased fairness

Blockchain technology can be used to ensure the fairness of in-game mechanics, such as random number generation, which is often crucial in games of chance.

Play-to-earn

Instead of the classic pay-to-play principle, Web3 gaming employs the play-to-earn concept that allows players to earn revenue, including cryptocurrency or in-game assets, by playing games.

The main differences between Web2 and Web3 gaming

Let’s sum up the main differences between Web2 and Web3 gaming, shall we?

Still widely popular, Web2 gaming offers the traditional gaming experience where the gaming company is king, exercising centralized control over all aspects of gaming, including in-game assets, its economy, infrastructure, and monetization. The in-game content and infrastructure are stored and hosted on a centralized server that can be exposed to security risks.

By integrating the principles of decentralization and leveraging blockchain technology, Web3 gaming offers an entirely new way for players to interact with games. Gone are the days when gaming companies were the only actors writing the rules of the game.

Shifting the power to the hands of the players, Web3 gaming introduces true ownership of in-game assets and content, decentralized gameplay, and play-to-earn opportunities.

Web3 games offer the future of gaming that’s all about player empowerment and transparency, enhanced security and privacy, fairness, and player-driven economies.

The state of Web3 games today

Even with the enormous play-to-earn boom, Web3 games still aren’t anywhere near as popular as Web2 games. However, this just means there’s more than enough space for growth.

Perhaps one of the things holding people back is the question: can we completely trust these new technologies? The honest answer would be that it depends on the level of decentralization and the safety level of the blockchain technology used in the game. But then again, time has proven we can’t completely trust traditional Web2 gaming technology, either, right?

As the focus shifts to play-to-earn, joining fun with sustainable in-game rewards, Web3 gaming is just taking off.

At Apillon, we want to be part of the Web3 gaming revolution by offering easy-to-use and powerful Web3 services to game developers and other users.

🔎Decentralized file storage and decentralized web hosting is the right place to start. Read more about why IPFS is the ideal solution for storing and hosting Web3 in-game content and infrastructure.👇

If you’re already familiar with the benefits of IPFS storage and hosting, you’ve come to the right place — jump right over to the Apillon platform and check out the free Web3 Storage and Web3 Hosting services.

⧓ About Apillon

The Apillon platform serves as a unified gateway to the Web3 services provided by linked Polkadot parachains. Following the multi-chain vision, Apillon powers the transition of developers to Web3, simplifying its adoption in the real economy, and expanding its versatility as the ecosystem grows. With Apillon, Web3 services are within reach for every developer, regardless of their background and experience with blockchain technology.