What is Metaverse Gaming or Gaming in Metaverse?
Metaverse Gaming comprises two words – Metaverse and Gaming. While Metaverse is an ecosystem that integrates
Metaverse & Gaming comprises two important key terms.
While Metaverse is an ecosystem that integrates immersive technologies like Virtual Reality(VR), and Augmented Reality(AR) with advanced enabling technologies like Web 3.0, A.I., and Blockchain.
Gaming is an activity that involves a user’s interaction with digital components through an input device to generate visual feedback.
Thus, combining the two, Metaverse Gaming is the next-generation of immersive gaming experience that utilizes the Metaverse ecosystem to combine social networking and financial opportunities.
Users enter this virtual three-dimensional environment to play and interact with other users as if they were living in that world.
Play-to-Earn (P2E) in the Metaverse
Further, talking about the financial opportunities. This blend of metaverse technologies helps users own the digital assets they gain through the course of gameplay. They can earn these rewards in the game, having real-world value, by completing in-game tasks while progressing through the game.
These rewards can be in-game assets, virtual lands, and other NFTs. They can even win crypto tokens i.e. denomination of a cryptocurrency. This concept of Play to Earn(P2E) is attracting more players than ever witnessed before.
Interestingly, businesses are finding innovative ways to reward users to play their games. Some popular types that are gaining traction in the Metaverse world are Move to Earn (M2E) or Sleep 2 Earn (S2E).
Move-to-earn games associate movement with earning. It uses technology to track the movements of the players. Users earn cryptocurrency as a reward for every move they make. Some examples of M2E games are:
- STEPN,
- Sweatcoin,
- Genopets
- Step
- and MetaGym
Along the same lines, Sleep-to-earn games reward people for getting a good night’s sleep. These rewards can be in the form of cryptocurrency, NFTs, or any digital assets that can be used on the app or exchanged.
Thus, it is quite evident that with each passing day, the virtual world of Metaverse is getting more and more magnetic. In the next section, we will compare gaming before and after the advent of Metaverse and see how the gaming aspect of this immersive world has evolved.
Pre-Metaverse Era Gaming
Before Metaverse, gaming was only a leisure activity, at least for most of us. People use to indulge in it only for the sake of pleasure. Friends will gather together to have a good time and enjoy the game.
Just 15 years ago we were debating that PlayStation 2 (PS2) was the most significant game console of all time. Likewise, Online gaming was oriented to multiplayer games and associated gaming tournaments. Notably, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) games had not crossed our minds and the meaning of Metaverse was, by and large, restricted to the original novel version.
Post-Metaverse Era Gaming
Cut to the current times, we are living in a hyperconnected world. The information is floating in a fraction of a second. Soon the third iteration of the world wide web (Web 3.0) will take over and the world is expected to move towards decentralization.
It is in this new egalitarian world, that the true metaverse will surface riding on the back of gaming.
It will be a new form of gaming where gamers get their fair share. They would have better control over their data and the gaming experience thanks to blockchain technology. The technology will assist the decentralization introduced by Web 3.0.
Moreover, it will enable NFT and Cryptocurrency to tokenize gaming assets and trade in them. So much so that the Decentralized Ledger Technology (DLT) will integrate the real-world economy with virtual world gaming and will revolutionize gaming.
Top distinguishing characteristics of a Metaverse Game
Earning real money in the digital world
Metaverse technologies safely integrate real-world economy into the Metaverse experiences. Hence, depending upon the game, players may win virtual assets, NFTs, as well as crypto. They can sell these to earn real-world money. Sounds incredible, isn’t it, but it’s the real deal in the virtual realm!
Immersive Reality for a realistic experience
There comes a time when gamers are so into the game that they want to enter that world. Metaverse games leverage immersive technologies like 3D modeling, Augmented Reality, and Virtual Reality that makes up a realistic gaming experience. Players can be in the game, explore the world and unfold a whole new reality.
Gamers can be themselves in the game
One of the most intriguing features is that players will participate in the game through their unique avatars. This way, the game will be more connected to the gamer and vice versa. What happens in the game will affect their other activities in the Metaverse, thereby trickling down to real life. For example, they may come across other players located in different locations while playing the game. They can later choose to participate in other activities together as well. Thereby, expanding their social network in real life.
Socialization with no borders
Players can collaborate with other players from around the globe. Indulge in as many different games as they want. Plus, they can invite their metaverse friends along with social media friends, colleagues, family members, and others for gatherings to enjoy their social life.
So, what are those promising technologies that Metaverse games make use of? The answer is in the next segment.
Technologies powering Metaverse
The technologies that power the Metaverse are the same that strengthen Metaverse gaming as well. We have covered this topic in great depth in our recent blog. Here we discussed how Metaverse technologies can be divided into two groups – Core technologies and Immersive technologies. Also, how they tag together for a completely robust and immersive experience.
We will also touch upon these futuristic technologies in this piece. After all, it’s these technologies that will conjure up the portal to a whole new fantasy world. They should get their due attention wherever and whenever possible. So let’s start with the core technologies.
Core technologies
Core Technologies are the ones that form the bedrock of the Metaverse. They infuse Metaverse with critical features like decentralization, security, persistence, interoperability, etc.
Web 3.0
Web 3.0 or the Semantic Web is a set of internet protocols that will replace the current iteration of the world wide web i.e. Web 2.0 or Social Web.
These protocols will make sure that the data is not stored on single storage but is distributed all over the web. The aim is to ensure that no single authority has all the control as we say in Web 2.0.
Web 3.0 encourages a decentralized setup. Thereby, the gaming community possesses the governing power of the game. They decide the future course of action as well as other aspects of the game.
Blockchain
Blockchain is the technology that does most of the heavy lifting amongst Core Technologies. It is essentially a digital ledger that records data in a distributed manner. Hence, it also goes with the name Distributed Ledger Technology or DLT. Blockchain utilizes Web 3.0 for its operations and stores immutable data permanently.
Some of the prominent applications of Blockchain are –
- NFTs
- Cryptocurrencies
- Smart Contracts
- Distributed and Immutable Storage
- Transparency in Transaction
It is the blockchain that enables the integration of the economy into the Metaverse through its various application. Likewise, the Blockchain lets players earn while playing the game. The gaming assets are turned into NFT using blockchain. Plus, they can be traded using smart contracts.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial Intelligence makes metaverse responsive and realistic. It enables Natural Language Processing to read human gestures. AI can also analyze complex real-world data and turn them into an executable format.
Similarly, it will create realistic 3D digital representations aka Avatars of the user that will perfectly match their features.
AI integration into Metaverse gaming facilitates life-like responses from the environment as well as the Non-Playable Character (NPCs) in the game.
Immersive Technologies
If Core technologies are the bedrock then immersive technologies are the infrastructure built over it. These technologies bring immersiveness to the Metaverse and make it what it is best known for.
Virtual Reality
Corresponding to Blockchain, Virtual Reality technology does the heavy lifting within the immersive technologies. It is the main facilitator that places users in a 3D virtual environment and lets them enjoy Six degrees of freedom (6DOF). They can roam freely in the virtual world and have a truly immersive experience.
Moreover, with the advancement in technology, Virtual Reality will expand beyond Visuals. Now, users could even touch and feel digital objects as well as even smell them.
VR gaming has gained so much popularity that when we think of Metaverse gaming we visualize VR gaming, and rightly so. After all, as soon as gamers put on VR headsets they are in a whole new world. In this world, the governing laws are different and it is the player that votes on these laws. Metaverse helps them lets lose their creativity and have their best time.
Augmented Reality
Augmented Reality technology extends the Metaverse to the real world. It places 3D digital objects into the real world and allows users to interact with them. With AR, users can manipulate objects and the same information will also get reflected in the Metaverse.
Metaverse gaming also involves AR games. Some of the AR games swept away the gaming world when they entered the market. Remember the times of Pokemon Go, players were going crazy for the cute monsters. There just could not get enough of it.
Recently Pond’s, a Unilever subsidiary, collaborated with Queppelin to utilize AR games for product promotion.
3D Reconstruction
3D reconstruction technologies help the development of three-dimensional objects that make up the digital world. It helps in creating digital objects that follow the laws of physics for a realistic experience.
The advancement in the field is opening the doors for high-definition objects that occupy less storage space. Users get photorealistic visuals when they enter the Metaverse.
When it comes to gaming, it is the visuals that attract most games, and 3D reconstruction technologies for the basis of it. It helps in creating 3D characters, 3D environments, gaming assets, and others.
Categories of Gaming Experience
Using these Metaverse technologies, creators have come up with different categories of gaming experiences. In the next and last section of this blog, we will have a look at these categories.
Social Gaming
It is multiplayer gaming where the player can also build their social network. They can invite real-world friends, make new friends, develop connections, and much more.
Games-as-Platforms
This one is interesting. Games-as-platforms allow users to develop games as content. They can use the tools provided by the platform to develop a complete game from its characters, and environment to its gaming assets or NFT.
Mixed reality Games
These games are the ones that mix different realities to offer a new form of entertainment. While in Augmented Reality games users can see the gaming element placed in their environment, in VR games, players can into the gaming world itself.
Conclusion
Gaming has always been an appealing activity. From time immemorial, it has been attracting audiences of all age groups.
Metaverse is facilitating the evolution of gaming that fulfills the gamer’s long-awaited desire. Gamers can enter the virtual world of gaming, interact with the environment, and experience how it feels like to be in the game, not just in front of the screen.
Astonishing as it is, the Metaverse offerings do not stop there. With the power of enabling technologies like Web 3.0, Blockchain, etc, players own and control their data.
Similarly, the possibilities for businesses in Metaverse gaming are still unfolding. The apparent advantage of reaching out to a larger audience ever is just phenomenal. Businesses would surely like to utilize it.
Further, they can engage audiences more deeply than it was possible before. Thus, with Metaverse gaming, brands can have the strongest presence in the market, outperforming the competition decisively.
If you are a business and want to explore this untapped resource, Queppelin is here to help. We are one of the pioneers of Metaverse technologies and one of the leading Metaverse Development companies.
