Crypto Unicorns Founder Says P2E Gaming Is In A Long “Maturing Phase”

As the hype surrounding play-to-earn (P2E) games and platforms began to wane in early 2022, Web3 participants began to emphasize the need for games to be more “fun” and less finance-oriented. In the latest episode of NFT Steez, Alyssa Expósito and Ray Salmond talked with Aron Beireschmitt, CEO of Laguna Games and founder of Crypto Unicorns, on the sustainability of P2E-focused blockchain games.

For Beireschmitt, the evolution from a play-to-earn to a play-and-earn model suggests that there is still experimentation and maturation to be seen for these games. “Nothing has changed about making games,” says Beireschmitt, but with blockchain technology, crypto-natives and gamers can now play, own and potentially monetize these play-and-earn models. The bigger question is, is it sustainable?

The paradigm and sentiment shift to P2E games

Regarding the change in sentiment around P2E and how Crypto Unicorns is approaching it, Beireschmitt said it is “charting a path to sustainability through the combination of economic farming simulation” along with real-time “skill-based game loops” to attract more users into its ecosystem. These game loops not only need to have an appearance of form and function, but also need to be fun and engaging for players, according to Beireschmitt.

However, he also acknowledged that blockchain-based games are not for everyone and Crypto Unicorn’s target demographic is more aligned with those who are crypto-native.

According to Beireschmitt, there is a lack of “incentive alignment for free-to-play”, where developers maximize on extracting value from the minority of players who spend on free-to-play games. This disparity creates a “paradigm mismatch,” where Web3 games enable players to reach a new level of autonomy and ownership when it comes to in-game items, assets, and skills.

For Beireschmitt, this is what makes the play-and-earn model “compelling,” as players can potentially earn along the way while playing their favorite game. Web3 not only enables player origin and ownership, but with governance models, players and participants are now empowered to take “ownership of the direction of the game, the ecosystem and the IP (intellectual property),” Beireschmitt said.

In-game economies are a work in progress

In-game economies have proven to be a sticking point for most play-and-earn games. Discussing the factors necessary for in-game economies to be sustainable in the long term, Beireschmitt explained that one factor that helps is the dynamic between passive and active players. Passive players are those who invest in active players to advance in the game.

However, Beireschmitt emphasized that for the dynamic to be sustainable, “skill-based game loops” and “token sinks” must be implemented because this returns the player back to the economy and ecosystem. As Beireschmitt put it, most play-and-earn games are still sorting through the transition from “growth phase” to “maturation phase”, but he is convinced that there are “bright futures in the days ahead!”

For more on the discussion with Aron Biereschmitt, listen to the full episode of NFT Steez. Set reminders and melody into the NFT Steez Twitter Room which airs every other Friday at 12:00 PM ET!

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