To Start
I've been on the fence about participating with Web3 gaming dApps for awhile. Many of the Web3 games were either cash/hype grabs, went inert due to lack of funding, were too similar to Facebook type games from the early 2010s (click and wait) or just weren't feasible enough for a Blockchain only method and required third party / software downloads. The whole space exploded but took much of the potential and changed peoples outlook on Web3 as a destination for games.
There have been some standout successes but not enough to really rock the boat outside the community that continually participates with it. The smaller an ecosystem the less potential things have to grow beyond their means. There does have to be a flow of new to resurge an ecosystem but that isn't the point of this post..
One thing I noticed when I first started participating in Web3 dApps was that thrill of 'earning'. I've never been a collector nor has obtaining things been overly exciting for me, probably due to me being desensitized from having to constantly move on after losing several valuable collections when I was younger, but something definitely shifted in me when I realized what these dApps offered and it totally changed how I viewed my time playing video games for a long while, even to the point of semi-depression related to gaming.
Once I broke out of that thought process (and the depression) and continued playing games I realized that I kept buying games but never actually bothered to keep playing them because they didn't bring me joy. I would play them if my friends had the same game aswell but beyond that I wouldn't turn on the game for myself, not unless I was creating a post about them. I had Web3 to blame but it wasn't actually a bad thing. I was spending less money on new video games and just stuck to what I had available because I had invested enough time to keep playing them and they scratched whatever gaming urge I had at the time (PVP, Puzzles, Gathering/crafting, social experience, something to do inbetween work/downtime, etc) but I kept asking myself 'What is my purpose in playing this game?'.
Some might say 'You've grown up and games don't entertain you anymore. Time to find a hobby!'. Well, funny thing. I did create several hobbies within gaming and actually posted about them on Hive and have won some contents / honorable mentions. Fun!
Resurgence of Interest
I recently had to go a few weeks without my computer (gasp) due to a move and after I dealt with everything associated with moving and finally got an internet connection set up I sat at my computer and pondered what I should do. I turned on Steam and checked the game list but had those same thoughts as before, I looked at my current games list and wasn't ready to play those either. I did want to 'reward' myself by purchasing something for me but what?
I turned on Hive and saw a post from the eXode Developer about how their development was progressing and they had a new gameplay loop active. I haven't purchased anything on Hive or on any dApp in awhile so I figured I would buy some card packs to support eXode and perhaps feel a thrill of revealing some cards (Lets go gambling! )
After my cards were revealed I sat there and felt okay with my decision. Did I get an awesome card? I don't really know. Was there a thrill or joy? I was tired from moving but bemused as I turned over each card. Did I feel like I wasted my money? Not really. I knew it would go to support eXode, a dApp I am interested in participating with more, and also the 'value' tied to the cards would / could be circulated in Hive, a Blockchain I enjoy creating on, so it wasn't really a waste of my time or money and it did bring me a level of joy after a tiring move.
What's the point of this post?
I suppose creating a purposeful post for myself and have another goal for 2026. The difference between saying and doing is action.
Feeling great unpacking those card packs gave me understanding that now that the Web3 / Blockchain space has exploded, experienced its aftermath, and now has a better realization of what the decentralization space is and what it can offer has lead me to once again do research on Web3 gaming dApps to see what other projects are now reasonable(feasible?) to play.
I know EvE Frontier is a Blockchain game that is vastly different from EvE Online in that it is a survival (Similar to Rust) game in space but with assets tied to value on a blockchain. Would I perhaps enjoy that game more than I do playing Rust or EvE Online normally?
What about the other dApps on 'Gaming' Blockchains? Did they survive and grow to a level where the gameplay loops are both fun to play and not deceptive with what it offers? Have Web3 gaming dApps evolved beyond 'Facebook Clickers'?
I mean, in order to find out I have to wade through the dredge that is Youtube with their hype people (1000x Coin, You must play this to win!), Going to each and every dApp listing site and figuring out the white papers for each dApp listed, joining discords without being scammed by links and/or unscrupulous people in that community (Including the developers/creators of the dApp), and other methods to learn about a gaming dApp.
Is this drive over an obsession to 'earn money'? No. Playing games to earn money have always been around from account sellers to item/game service sellers for CASH MONEY. I think my drive is to feel good or better about spending money and knowing that funding is going towards a project. Nowadays so many game companies release a game and then go bankrupt immediately afterwards with any possible sequels being made by a whole new team of people that don't understand what the original game was about. (Seriously, so many game companies released a great product and then immediately shut down this year alone.)
Could the dApp developer still rugpull and make off with all the funding? Possibly but that could happen with any game, even normal games published on Steam have had reports of creators/developers leaving the game unfinished and going dark despite all the promises.
I suppose I am tired of spending money only to feel no real satisfaction over the purchase and the product going by the wayside because it doesn't fulfill the role I thought the game would fill in my gamelog. Are there better solutions? Definitely! But this is what interests me and I am willing to pursue in hopes of solving this issue for myself and potentially others when they search for something similar. The whole point of a blog, to me, is to focus on a passion/hobby and share information about it. That is why this post is on the 'My Blog' part of Hive and not on any other community.
Lots to do and with a new year approaching with certain things that were nebulous now set in stone I feel like I can now focus on things of interest for ME (and others interested). So while I am (somewhat) consistently publishing a mini-series on the 3 different MMOs I am playing to appease my gaming urges in lieu of New World. This Web3 venture will probably bring me more joy if I do find something worth spending my resources on.
We'll see.
Merry Christmas!