Why more Web3 gaming projects are switching to casino-style games

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If we see a big resurgence in Web3 gaming, it’s probably going to look a lot different. And perhaps that’s for the best.

The Drop’s Kate Irwin told me that she’s seen a shift away from more traditional video games that have a “hidden” crypto element that’s optional, and more of an acceptance that the primary audience for Web3 games are, well, degens.

“Instead of trying to convert the Fortnite gamers of the world, they’re now trying to convert the non-gamers who are just crypto traders, and convince them to play a game that is basically just trading with a with a gaming layer on top that’s kind of a thin veneer in a lot of these titles,” Irwin explained.

Traditional gamers, she added, don’t like crypto. They’re not buying into the games with an NFT element or anything like that. So why keep trying to cater to an audience that isn’t interested?

It explains why, in The Drop’s first official newsletter, Irwin highlighted one such project that’s making the switch: THNDR. It’s swapping over to more of a casino-style game rather than focusing on play-to-earn projects.

The overall shift isn’t surprising, though, because the industry may have “overestimated” its potential and games like Off the Grid won’t be enough to bring in an audience still cautious about crypto. After all, it’s only been a few years since FTX’s collapse and while we — the folks who either stayed or joined post-FTX — have moved on, it’s understandable that non-crypto folks just don’t get it yet.

For me, I’ll be watching carefully to gauge when we start seeing more of an uptick in venture capital funding. More VC activity is one of the tells I use when looking at what parts of crypto are picking up interest.