Immersive Digital Realms: Exploring the Pioneering Worlds of the Metaverse through Video Games
The notion of metaverse companies is often synonymous with video games, although it's clear that the metaverse will encompass much more than just the gaming world. However, video games will undoubtedly constitute a significant portion of metaverse businesses, as they have already laid the groundwork for this burgeoning technology. This piece explores some of the forthcoming games designed for the metaverse and their potential impacts on the industry.
Blending Genres
Fortnite, a long-standing popular game, is gradually transitioning towards metaverse gaming, offering a glimmer of its future. Building on the success of Travis Scott's in-game concert back in 2020, Fortnite expanded the concept for Ariana Grande's metaverse-based live music event in 2021. During this event, gamers could experience the show in real-time, accompanied by engaging mini-games. These activities combined music and gaming, providing players opportunities to surf, jump, and battle bosses amidst immersive environments.
Roblox, an early adopter of metaverse-inspired concepts, has offered users a high degree of freedom. Players can create and share their own virtual environments, sell in-game products, and even generate income—all practices that align with the progressive values central to the metaverse experience.
Play and Earn: A New Gaming Paradigm
Blockchain-based metaverse games are poised to disrupt the traditional gaming landscape by monetizing player experiences. Known as "Play to Earn" (P2E) games, these offer players opportunities to earn real money by completing tasks, creating and trading non-fungible tokens (NFTs), or selling in-game assets. Axie Infinity is an example of these games, allowing players to raise, battle, and sell digital creatures called Axies.
Collaborative efforts among game developers are giving rise to entire virtual worlds where players can buy, build, and sell digital assets, further blurring the line between gaming and finance. Decentraland, for instance, is one such environment, launched to the public in 2020, claiming over 91,000 plots of digital land traded prior to its release.
Gaming's Future: Overcoming Challenges and Enhancing Potential
While many metaverse games are progressing towards full integration of our digital and physical lives, some face obstacles. Critics argue that high barriers to entry, such as the need to purchase headsets or set up cryptocurrency wallets, may discourage casual gamers. Additionally, concerns arise about the scalability of these metaverses, as server size limits have been a challenge for online gaming in the past.
To overcome these obstacles, the industry can learn from companies like XR Wizards, which have demonstrated success in creating realistic, human-like avatars and complex objects, moving the technology closer to photorealism. Better graphics, better social interaction, and more engaging experiences are key to the widespread adoption of metaverse games.
In conclusion, the metaverse envisions a shared virtual world where gaming, social interactions, and commerce converge. As technology advances, gamers can anticipate increasingly immersive, interactive, and adaptive gaming experiences that transcend the traditional realms of virtual reality and augmented reality.
Smartphones and other gadgets will become essential gateways to the metaverse, as various games designed for this technology-driven platform, such as Fortnite and Roblox, offer engaging experiences that blend music, gaming, and social interactions. The emergence of blockchain-based metaverse games, like Axie Infinity and Decentraland, presents a new paradigm in gaming by allowing players to earn real money through tasks, trading non-fungible tokens (NFTs), or selling in-game assets, further demonstrating how technology is reshaping the gaming industry.
