Is P2E Gaming The Death of Traditional Video Games?

The death of traditional video games may not be imminent—but it’s certainly on its way with P2E Gaming gaining momentum.

With the rise of Play2Earn (P2E) gaming, many people wonder if this is the beginning of the end of traditional video games. It’s no secret that gamers have long been asking for a way to earn money while playing their favorite games. Finally, companies are listening: P2E gaming has taken off in a big way as companies like MetaStream and OneRare try to capitalize on this “Gold Rush” opportunity. But does this mean the end of good old “Just For Fun” games?

Read below to find out if traditional games will be extinct because of P2e gaming.

What Is P2E Gaming?

The idea behind P2E gaming is simple: you play games to earn money. You can choose from various games ranging from classic arcade-style games similar to the iconic traditional game Pac-Man to metaverse games spearheaded by Axie Infinity. The criticism against P2E gaming is premised on playing to earn takes the fun away from just the simple desire to have fun. That’s because traditional video games are often designed with an emphasis on fun over profit, which means they can be played for free by anyone who owns a computer or console. 

P2E gaming is different because it allows you to earn money by playing your favorite games. This is attracting more players who want to elevate their reason for enjoying the games that have shaped their lives. On the other side of the debate, many gamers are not taken to monetizing something they call pure and precious.

Is Monetization Necessary?

Not all gamers are in favor of injecting this kind of monetization. Popular comments on Quora believe that this had ruined the gaming industry ever since the first memorable microtransaction took place in 2006 when Bethesda was able to sell a horse armor in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion for $2.50, as reported by Screenrant. It’s even easy to read a flood of news of gamers who are not too keen to be forced to join a game and be distracted by microtransactions. 

Some gamers just want to have fun. Or do they really? If they were given a game that lets them earn from crypto without being forced to adjust to changes that remove the fun in gaming, would they really mind making money while playing?

So the closest answer to this debate is surprisingly simple. Yes, P2E gaming will be the beginning of the death of traditional games if, and only IF, gamers can find a P2E game that retains all the fun and joy of gaming whilst gaining rewards. So P2E game developers should be on their toes to achieve that.

P2E Gaming Wins; If Developers Get It Right

Suppose P2E game developers can’t get this right, and they keep churning out games that mimic traditional games in the worst ways. In that case, P2E gaming will just be a novel curiosity people are temporarily hyped about but will soon immediately forget.

Fortunately, as the trend shows, and I’m using the P2E game Ni No Kuni: Crossworlds as a case study, the P2E games today are too fun and gorgeously designed that no amount of annoying microtransactions appears to get the fun out of the game. Now that is the real threat.

And not only that. There are billions of dollars now being injected into developing more and more P2E games. That’s a specific indication that the market is leaning towards games developed for more than just fun. If investors such as Konvoy Ventures are too rich to get wrecked by their investments but still pay for developers to make a game about galloping cats, there’s a market study telling them there is a demand for that. The rich always follow the money. 

And suppose there’s a market for that. In that case, it’s a red flag signal that traditional games previously paid for by the rich will most likely be discontinued. Even if players still want traditional games, no billionaire will seem to risk the money to develop them. Why? Because there won’t be enough market.

Here are more reasons why the trend/ gaming industry today is leaning towards agreeing that P2E gaming is the end of “Play For Fun, And Fun Is Your Only Reward” traditional games.

Major Reasons P2E Gaming Is The Future

1) P2E gaming allows you to earn money for playing games that you already love

Imagine this: what if your P2E game is still so fun, and nothing changes after earning real cash from it? You finish your game, AND at the same time, you withdraw the money and buy Starbucks, convert the crypto tokens you earned in the game for real money. What reasonable person would not want that?

2) You don’t have to spend any additional money on new devices

Imagine getting wealthy just by using the old pens and papers in your home and the decrepit smartphone you bought years ago. That’s the best analogy for P2E gaming. You don’t have to invest in an expensive smartphone to play Axie Infinity. You don’t need expensive computer knowledge and technology to enjoy profitable P2E games.

3.) You get infinite payoffs, and limited downside

The P2E games right now are so meta and advanced that they become works of art, which you can even auction and trade as NFTs.

Many games never even require you to pay money or anything more than just opening an account and grinding it out. So you have plenty of upsides but limited downside. Ask trusted successful stock traders on Reddit forums, and you’ll always get that this is always the kind of deal you have to keep looking for in life.

Final Takeaways:

What is the most practical takeaway here about this debate? P2E gaming, done right, is better than traditional games in multiple ways. And the emphasis is on DONE RIGHT. You can lose everything in P2E gaming if you don’t know what you’re doing. 

And to answer the question: P2E gaming is a considerable threat if the game developers do it right. Traditional games will suffer the same death that Friendster did when Facebook entered into the game. But, only time can tell.

Time is the real expert.