Okay, it’s got downloads, user activity, perhaps even some murky “innovation” indices. But let's cut the crap. What type of diversity are they addressing, and are these games really empowering creators and players? Or are they just a retread of the same old extractive model dressed up in blockchain jargon?
Downloads Don’t Equal Fair
A million downloads for Heroes of Mavia (Skrice Studios)? Amazing. But are those players reaping the rewards of the game’s success beyond simply, well, playing? Are the artists, the coders, the community contributors getting their fair share of the pie? Or does it instead all get funneled upwards to the VCs and execs?
See, we're so busy patting ourselves on the back for "disrupting" gaming with blockchain that we're forgetting the fundamental promise: redistributing value. We’ve got an adoption obsession but a fairness allergy. This isn't about some utopian dream. It starts with creating equitable, sustainable ecosystems where everybody wins.
Think about it: a kid in a developing country spends hours crafting an incredible in-game asset. They sell it. The game makes a fortune. But how much of that fortune comes back to that kid? Is it intentionally organized to create opportunity for them, or is it purposefully built to keep them stuck in a new era of digital feudalism? We’re talking to you, Animoca Brands with your hundreds of millions invested in more than 400 different web3 outfits. Why aren’t you ensuring equitable royalties for all artists? Or just spreading the illusion of ownership?
It’s déjà vu music industry-style but this time around we have the technology to avoid repeating our past mistakes. NFTs hold the promise of transparent, immutable royalty payments. So why aren't we demanding it?
Royalties: The Litmus Test
Forget daily active users. Forget token price. The true litmus test for any blockchain game is going to be its royalty structure. Is it baked into the smart contracts? Is it transparently enforced? Does it meaningfully benefit creators and players?
I'm not seeing enough of this. I see a lot of hype. A lot of promises. A lot of maybe someday rhetoric. Beyond the rhetoric, I’m not seeing the real commitment to equitable distribution.
As for Yuga Labs, the company is doubling down on its Otherside metaverse. Great. Will the metaverse actually make creators richer and more successful? Or will it just turn into yet another walled garden, where all the value accrues to the operators? Xterio's token launch was overshadowed by complaints. That’s a huge red flag.
We need to shift the conversation. It’s time we began to ask the hard questions. We need to hold these companies accountable.
| Company | Game/Project | Royalty Structure Transparency | Creator/Player Benefit (High/Med/Low) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skrice Studios | Heroes of Mavia | Unknown | Low |
| Yuga Labs | Otherside Metaverse | Unknown | Low |
| Xterio | Various Games | Low | Low |
This table is mostly blank as the information is frequently hidden, whether intentionally or not. That's the point.
Financial Literacy: Our Weapon
Here's the uncomfortable truth: most players don't understand how royalties work. They don’t get the power they have—the consumers’ right to demand a better deal. This is where financial literacy comes in.
In many ways, we need to equip players with the AMMO needed to decode the economics behind blockchain gaming. We have to equip them to assess and determine optimal royalty structures. So we’ve got to get them to vote with their wallets and back the games that put play first.
This is not just crony capitalism that benefited a few executives and investors. This works toward creating a more just and equitable digital economy. Together, we’re creating a future that values and compensates creators for their work. More importantly, at the same time we help players earn a stake in the value they’re co-producing.
Think about the tap-to-airdrop trend on Telegram/TON. And perhaps most importantly, it’s a picture of what’s possible when users are purposefully and directly rewarded for their engagement. But even that needs scrutiny. Are those airdrops meaningful? Do they translate into real economic empowerment? Or are they simply an extension of digital marketing cloaked as philanthropy?
It’s time to cut through the excitement and get down to brass tacks. And we need to insist on transparency, accountability and, above all, fairness. The future of blockchain gaming could very well rest on it. And, to be frank, the future of the internet does as well.
