This is a different topic from my usual game development blogs, but potentially beneficial

My son started talking about using steem for games

I've been involved in game development for decades, and I am big on game play. My son Hive account@theanubisrider and I work pretty closely on a lot of game development projects. Another person that works with us on this Hive account@kados is also on steemit and is an artist, but has not posted any blog entries yet.

We've seen people like Hive account@andrarchy discuss games using steem. I think a discussion I just had with my son might be beneficial to anyone considering using steem right now for their game.

How could you utilize steem right now?

1. Create an account on steemit for the game.
2. Blog about the progress of the game using that account.
3. Keep the steem dollars (SBD) where they are. Only tap into them if absolutely required to finish the game.
4. Use steem power (power down) if you need to get steem for funding. Otherwise, leave steem power alone until you need it. Let it grow.
5. Once the game is LIVE do not touch steem dollars again, leave them for the game. (will explain)
6. Blog daily (or whatever interval works) about the game in some interesting fashion.
7. Blogs should result in up votes which hopefully lead to steem dollars and steem power.
8. Tie features of your game so they can pull from the pool of available steem dollars on this account and reward players for completing certain actions, etc. Further Incentivizing people to play.

If people like your game your blogs should hopefully be able to keep useful funding coming in. The steem dollar pool could incentivize people to play your game.

What not to do.

• Do not assume your game will always have steem dollars. Make sure the game is playable and fun without requiring steem dollars. Steem dollars should simply be an incentive mechanism that is provided as interest in the game makes it available.
• Don't assume you can pull or add to steem power. Currently this would not be possible and could easily be exploited to devalue steem and the blockchain, so this is likely never to be available.

Steem Power

You could make things in the game that look at a players steem power and give them abilities or actions based upon their steem power. You would want to be careful with this as this could give the perception of Pay To Win, so if you do this be sure to think it out very carefully and consider perceptions it is likely to cause with players.

The developers could put the account into power down and get 1% of the steem power per week converted to steem which they could then convert to a spendable currency to fund the game. If the blogs are popular there is a good chance your steem power will grow faster than what that 1% takes out each week.

Steem Dollars (SBD)

Steem Dollars should be considered as a pool. Perhaps every time someone completes a level, or a game, or gets and achievement they are awarded 1% (or whatever works) of the pool. They would be visibly rewarded and incentivized to play the game and keep playing it. Furthermore, to keep this possible they would be incentivized to up vote your daily (or whatever) blog posts which will increase steem power (used to fund the game) and replenish the pool.

It is important that this steem dollar pool not be tapped into by the game developers once it goes live to avoid scandals. The wallet will be visible on the blockchain so your players will be able to check to see if you are honest or not, or are simply syphoning off the steem dollars. Perception is important.

Some things you could reward people for

Here are a few examples that I quickly brainstormed on from a large variety of game types.

• Complete a level in a single player campaign
• Complete an achievement
• Your character levels up
• Your team wins a match in a competitive game
• Selling crafted goods in a player generated economy
• Winning the Game
• Completing a quest
• Releasing a MOD for the game - perhaps this one on going based upon how many people use it

I think you get the point

This does not have to be used for game development only, it could essentially be a method of crowd sourcing almost anything, backed by steem. You really wouldn't need anything like kickstarter, indiegogo, etc. This could potentially replace those.

This is tagged steemit as well as it is very relevant to the steemit platform.