#web3gaming #web2gaming #課金與投資 #市場分析 #產品營銷

RuneHero boss TZ posted an interesting question on x, regarding the different mentalities of consumption and investment returns faced by players in web 2 and web 3 games. Why does this situation occur, or how can it be avoided? It’s time for veterans to chat with everyone.

Firstly, this issue cannot simply be viewed dichotomously. Because not all web 2 game players are willing to spend or invest millions. Therefore, the veteran always feels that the fundamental reason lies in analyzing and dismantling the product positioning and marketing strategy. This can be considered the way of doing business.

If one wants to create a game, that is, to develop in the gaming industry, the most basic thing is to have an understanding of the game market. As a game developer, in which game market do you want to launch a game to make money?
Indeed, the ultimate goal is to make money; otherwise, why go into business?
Then one must first assess their own capabilities or those of a startup company, to see in which area of the game market they might have the opportunity to make money.
In that case, market research and analysis are indispensable. For example, how is the current share of the game market distributed? Simply put, it involves PC, home consoles, mobile games, and web games. Additionally, is it a global market, an Asian market, or just within China? In terms of categories, is it casual, RPG, action, or shooting games? What is the market share of different categories? How many competitors are there? What is the distribution of the top 10 downloads and revenues? What are the reasons for obtaining such substantial revenues? This requires a closer examination of the individual product designs and their marketing strategies.
If a startup company were to choose which area to focus on, how much time, money, and manpower should be invested to compete with other competitors in that area? How many independent game companies have been able to create hits in the past? And how many have actually been mercilessly drowned by the market?
I believe that the above investigations and analyses need to be worked on before starting game development.

The web 3 game track, at most, is merely a very small share of the entire gaming industry. Its allure lies only in its ease of raising initial funds. That is, one might only need a demo or even just a few pages of AI art PPT, along with a so-called game economic model, to acquire a large sum of money and then soft launch. However, the time, effort, and funds required to develop and produce a game do not change merely because it is in the web 2 or web 3 domain. If things change… it only leads towards failure or a soft launch.

Returning to the questions TZ cares about. Why is there such a significant difference in consumer mentality? The simplest answer lies in the fundamental differences in the purpose of product development. What kind of experience does the game aim to bring to players? What is the purpose for players choosing this game product? Therefore, during the early stages of game development, it is crucial to consider how to satisfy the players' mentality. This is also the initial intention of game development. How to attract players to become addicted, immersed in the storyline, using various means such as different beautiful illustrations in collection-type games, or different attributes and strengths in combat-type games, etc. This makes players unconsciously spend money. In game logic design, there has never been a need to consider any economic model. Because games themselves are not financial products. Thus, web 2 games are purely entertainment products. Simple and straightforward.

Upon entering the realm of web 3, there is a forced addition of financial attributes to the original game logic, which essentially becomes a deliberate stacking of layers, easily leading to collapse.

So why do web 2 games have many opportunities to make money, and why are there so many studios profiting? It is because profit seekers see web 2 games as a commodity where the supply and demand market can be observed, and this market is not intentionally created by game companies but forms naturally among players. This is simply a basic supply and demand market, not one with any specific 'investment appreciation' potential, nor any potential for a particular weapon or item to appreciate. The flow of funds here is relatively simple, mainly involving power leveling activities or the buying and selling of accounts. And buyers are not using it for 'investment' or arbitrage, but purely for 'demand' consumption.

Therefore, the economic model of web 2 games is still based on the players' desire to play the game. It is not about investment, appreciation, value preservation, leverage, or even the get-rich-quick effects of gambling.

However, if the games in the web 3 realm explicitly state that this game has investment, appreciation, value preservation, leverage, or even the get-rich-quick effects of gambling, then the participants' mentality will no longer be simply 'playing games.' Thus, players will naturally focus on how to obtain the maximum benefits with the least cost from the economic model. Moreover, the game logic has already been changed to a mechanism that cannot be separated from the economic model. Consequently, all actions within the game will no longer exist solely for entertainment but will have a direct impact on ROI and asset value. Naturally, whenever any parameter in the game is altered, it will immediately trigger the nerves of players and even the entire community.

So how should we avoid this situation?

We need to see if game developers can separate in-game actions from the economic model. Or, as veterans have always advocated, completely return the ownership of in-game assets back to the players. The game would then become a platform, a carrier of an economic model, without interfering with the economic system naturally formed by players. (Of course, we need to promote AVALON again. It is an economic model led by player creation - similar to the market model of Minecraft / Roblox)

Then, game companies only need to focus on operating the game. In fact, any economic aspects can be developed by the players themselves.

Of course, this is just the veteran's humble opinion. The world of web 3 games still has many projects that are diligently developing and building toward their desired models. Whether they can ultimately succeed depends on how many players are willing to pay.

The world of web 3 games, DYOR, TYOR.

Veteran out~!