In-game economies are big business.
Specific resource acquisition can get real-world grindy, and not all players have the same goals, so trading is a logical next step. Each player is drawn to different aspects of the game that engages their particular genius. As in real life, we find ourselves collaborating within worlds as our specific genius translates into ways that can help others have more fun. In-game economies are often global and massive, mimicking the real world down to minute details
One ubiquitous undercurrent is how these game economies bleed into real life. It may be something simple like a big sister helping you get past a tough boss, dropping some high legendary weapons as gifts to newer players (Fortnight PVE I'm looking at you ), or teaming up in MMO's for raiding or building. We naturally specialize and that specialization makes the whole gaming community better than the sum of its parts. These examples though are basically labor examples as most real world money exchange is handled by the parent company itself, and say, selling your high level accounts or accepting money for in-game trading is prohibited throughout the world. This is a way to centralize the income to developers, and, with the widespread inclusion of loot boxes, governments are always in the corner salivating over how to get a slice of what they see as a gambling pie. But, people being people, there are tons of black markets. Black markets by nature always mean high risk for participants and possible real world consequences. I see the blockchain as a way to liberate in-game and inter-game exchange in a way that is revolutionary in both senses of the word: we are moving forward to return to where we once were.
Take Magic The Gathering. You buy your card packs (randomized loot packs), the developer makes their money. You then have the ability to trade those cards with others or sell them if they are highly desired. This is obviously beneficial all around. You as a player can have access through trade to the cards that make as personally enjoyable as possible. Maybe you prefer blue and white so you trade some of your black cards with friends. Or you might not enjoy the experimental process of deck building and buy decks from others to spend your time where you most desire: battling . This is great for the parent company also; players who are having fun will be excited customers. If you are a seasoned player, the time you've put into your collections is exchangeable to someone else. It is a store of value, as it should be.
Blockchain is this incredible way to open up possibilities in online gaming economies and further increase user experience. I see it as a way not just to simply monetize games, but to transform inter gaming exchanges. In my opinion, people who view crypto solely as speculation or stores of USD are ohhing and awwing over the beautiful tip of jaw-dropping, breathtaking iceberg. If you thought that was cool, then the big picture is going to knock your ass over.
A project I've eyed for a while and have recently become more and more involved in, called Laser Chain, has me really stoked on where the gaming industry is going. I see similarities with the in-game coin (aptly called Laser) to Steem/Sbd, and how people within a certain ecosystem can trade and operate seamlessly. I also see how gaming as a whole will benefit. Looking back at the Magic example, when I was a kid (I'll date myself) we played POGs at recess. And then also Magic. Then came Pokemon. Most kids wanted to play a lot of different games, and having these physical cards or POGs (which interestingly enough were like little tokens haha) meant inter-game trading was easy. Trading cards for POGs or cards of a different game is a natural next step to just trading within a certain game. You could play in and out of games and your value was easily transferable. Most of us in the Steem ecosystem see this, and the community as a whole is constantly inventing ways to better value our talents and trade them. So whether it is teaching, creating art, entertainment or even more ambitious almost-here uses such as hiring each other or homesteaders connecting with rest of us, we are using this as a way to facilitate trade within and without the game.
Gamers are soon going to be able move through all of their favorite games and retain the stored value of their work with the blockchain. @SteemMonsters has been taking the platform by storm despite its infancy because people are hungry for the inclusion of Magic/Pokemon type games, and @SPL 's Lucksack lets us donks get our poker fix. Laser Chain is bringing a war strategy hybrid to the mix with the Laser currency functioning both as an in game source of power (think Steem Power and the SBD transfer we do with each other) and a tradable token (Steem proper). We will get the best of both worlds: highly skilled and creative developers creating arenas for us to compete and play in, while bringing back that physical, outside-world value and interchangeability many of us crave. The blockchain is coming for us, and as daily gamer, card player and overall multi-faceted human, I think it can't come fast enough.
Photos:
1. Wanelo.com Shirt design
2.Could not find original posting of iceberg image- widely used.