3 Interesting NFT Gaming Niches to Look Out for in 2023

Written by gabrielmanga | Published 2023/01/03
Tech Story Tags: nft | nfts | blockchain-gaming-nft | blockchain-gaming | blockchain-games | mobile-games | blockchain-technology | nft-gaming

TLDRNon-fungible tokens (NFTs) are blockchain-based assets, each being unique and different from the others. In an NFT gaming system, players can purchase, trade, and use NFTs to represent items or assets within the game. These items range from unique weapons and armor to virtual real estate or pets. Each NFT is one-of-a-kind and cannot be replicated or counterfeited.via the TL;DR App

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are blockchain-based assets, each being unique and different from the others. In an NFT gaming system, players can purchase, trade, and use NFTs to represent items or assets within the game.
These items range from unique weapons and armor to virtual real estate or pets. The NFTs are stored on a blockchain, allowing users to confirm and track ownership easily. In addition, blockchain technology ensures that NFTs cannot be duplicated or counterfeited.
One of the key advantages of NFT gaming is that it allows players to own and control their in-game assets in a way that is impossible with traditional gaming systems. In traditional games, players do not have true ownership of their in-game items, and the game developers can alter or even take away those items at any time. 
With NFT gaming, players have complete control over their assets and can trade or sell them freely on the open market. NFT gaming is a new and exciting way for players to interact with and own their in-game assets, and it has the potential to revolutionize the gaming industry.
As a type of digital asset, NFTs are unique and cannot be replaced or exchanged on an equal level. Each NFT is one-of-a-kind and cannot be replicated or counterfeited. This contrasts with other digital assets, such as cryptocurrencies, which are interchangeable.
The unique nature of NFTs makes them ideal for gaming, where they can be used to represent unique in-game items or collectibles. For example, a player might own an NFT representing a rare sword in a fantasy game or a virtual piece of real estate in a virtual world. Because the NFT is unique, the player can be sure that no one else has an exact copy of that item and that it cannot be duplicated or counterfeited.

How is NFT gaming different from traditional gaming?

NFT gaming is different from traditional gaming in several key ways. One of the main differences is that NFT gaming involves using unique digital assets called non-fungible tokens to represent in-game items or collectibles. 
Another difference between NFT gaming and traditional gaming is that NFTs are unique and cannot be exchanged for other tokens the way a cryptocurrency can trade. As a result, each NFT is one-of-a-kind and cannot be replicated or counterfeited. In contrast, traditional gaming systems often use interchangeable digital assets that can be easily replicated and traded.
NFT gaming offers players a new and unique way to own and control their in-game assets, and it has the potential to change the gaming industry.

Walk-to-Earn in the NFT Gaming Space

One example of innovation in NFT gaming is Walken, the walk-to-earn app. Walken is a play & exercise to earn mobile app built by a team with over 50 million app store downloads and $10 million in annual revenue. Users are rewarded with WLKN tokens for exercise and in-app gameplay, and their characters in the game are NFTs, meaning that users can earn tokens and create NFTs that can be bought and sold in NFT marketplaces.  
Walken's mission is to create an app platform and ecosystem to bring millions of new users into the crypto world through apps developed by the Walken team and 3rd party studios. As a result, it should be easy for users to experience the power of crypto to improve their lives while also providing improved stability for the WLKN token by encouraging investing and holding over selling. 
The platform will build the game around an NFT character they call CATthlete. Whilst working on this character, the team was inspired by Tamagotchi. At the moment, the game is in open beta testing. To level up a character, players need GEMs and WLKN tokens. 
Players can earn GEMs by walking, with 1,000 steps = 1 GEM. However, they don't need to walk with the app. Instead, they can give the app access to their Apple HealthKit on iOS and Android Health on Andriod. Then, the steps will be automatically converted into GEMs.

Free-to-Play & Play-to-Earn Crossover, Play-and-Earn

Affyn is another platform that adds innovative experiences to the blockchain gaming space with its sustainable P2E metaverse on the Polygon blockchain. The mobile metaverse takes place in the NEXUS, and players can own Buddies (avatars) and NEXUS Land (Land), which are non-fungible tokens.
Land in NEXUS World is a digital depiction of virtual real estate mapped to the real world. Each plot of Land in the NEXUS World is distinct, with its unique attributes and real-world geolocation. For example, one plot, represented by a hexagon tile, is the smallest unit of Land.
Each Land NFT corresponds to a specific geolocation. The more players engage in activities on your NEXUS World Land, the more benefits you gain. Players may increase player traffic as a Landowner by holding engaging events, activities, and campaigns.
Each Land has its own set of natural characteristics. Land characteristics include mountains, waterfalls, rocks, and eggs. These characteristics are fixed items that cannot be replaced. Higher rarity Land has additional attributes that give advantages, such as creating rare Buddies.
Each Land NFT is a Hometown. Players are the Mayor of the Hometown as the owner of the Land NFT, and every Hometown has a population cap. To earn in the NEXUS World, a player must enroll and become a Citizen of a Hometown, and players may apply to become Citizens for free.
As Mayors, players can accept, refuse, or throw players out of their Hometowns. In addition, when Citizens make money in the NEXUS World, a percentage of their profits are taxed and given to the Mayor.

World Building using NFT-based Assets

The Sandbox is a decentralized platform that enables users to develop, share, and monetize their game experiences via blockchain technology and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). NFTs are one-of-a-kind digital assets kept on a blockchain that indicate ownership of a particular thing, such as digital art or a virtual gaming component.
In The Sandbox, users may develop and modify their 3D games and experiences. Characters and Land are examples of in-game assets.
Players may then share their creations with the community and win cryptocurrency prizes, especially the platform's native token, SAND. Players may also win prizes by participating in the platform's many challenges and events.
Aside from generating and sharing game materials, gamers can use SAND to buy and sell NFTs on the platform's marketplace. Additionally, these NFTs can be used to create new worlds and experiences. For example, a player could build a fantasy-based world with unique NFT weapons, avatars, and clothing. Building gameplay-focused NFT games is a good step forward in NFT gaming.

Play-to-Earn and NFT Gaming

Play-to-earn is a gaming model where players can earn real-world value or rewards by playing a game. This is in contrast to the traditional gaming model, where players pay to play a game but do not have the opportunity to earn real-world rewards.
In the context of NFT gaming, play-to-earn typically involves using NFTs as rewards for players participating in the game. For example, a player might earn a unique NFT by completing a difficult in-game challenge or reaching a certain level in the game. Because the NFTs are unique and valuable, the player can sell or trade the NFT on the open market for real-world value.

Conclusion

NFT gaming brings innovations and perks to the gaming industry. In addition, ownership of in-game assets can provide additional motivation for users to stay engaged with the platforms they are using.

Written by gabrielmanga | Into tech, AI, startups and blockchain
Published by HackerNoon on 2023/01/03