A16z Survey: Web3 Games Are Still in the Early Stages, but Players Prefer Hardcore Games
Web3 gamers tend to be more hardcore and seasoned than traditional players; they are often less interested in passing the time and have more experience in trading digital goods.Author: Robin Guo, a16z Games Investment Partner
Compiled by: DeFi Dao
Who are the Web3 gamers, are they casual players or hardcore players? To explore this, A16z Games conducted a survey to gain further insights.
Here are some highlights from the survey results:
- 87% of Web3 gamers have previously traded digital items in games ⚖️
- 72% of Web3 gamers are male (compared to about 59% of traditional gamers) ??
- Compared to traditional gamers, Web3 gamers are twice as likely to prefer MOBA games ?♂️
Let's start with the market. Among the existing sample of American gamers I surveyed, the adoption of crypto is increasing, but Web3 gaming is still in its infancy, with only 6% of gamers having played such games.
Among these players, a small portion are opposed to crypto, and critics often come from two groups: either casual players who are new to the field or hardcore gamers who have played many games.
In addition to the obvious suggestions for expanding the field (such as player-centric approaches, addressing UX/FTUE issues, improving security, etc.), I will delve into the following aspects in this post:
A) Considering an economy where a reset balance could have significant financial implications.
B) The launch of NFTs has created a community of incentive holders that requires active management.
C) Finding the right type of players, that is, finding the fun.
Let's dive deeper?
Over time, sentiments have shifted somewhat, and at a16z games, we will continue to monitor the factors driving some of these changes. When Web3 studios launch inherently fun and engaging new games, the perceptions of traditional gamers should change.
Interestingly, gamers seem less concerned about the volatility and security issues of certain Web3 games. 31% of respondents simply "don't know enough" about the games, which is the main reason. Understanding the mechanics of the games can be difficult, and setting up a wallet, figuring out self-custody, buying tokens, then purchasing NFTs, signing smart contracts, paying gas fees, etc., represents a significant cognitive load for many, making it take too long to enjoy Web3 games compared to mobile games they are already familiar with.
Compared to the non-Web3 gamers I surveyed (of which 59% are male), Web3 gamers have a higher proportion of males (73%), and most of them are affluent young adults aged 25-34 living in urban areas.
Current adopters of crypto games often come from high-income urban centers and are also quite tech-savvy.
So… what do the survey results tell us about gamers? The players in our sample tend to be hardcore gamers, and compared to the overall average, Web3 gamers play games on consoles/PCs 22-25% more frequently each week.
Web3 gamers also prefer traditionally more "hardcore" game types, such as MOBA and MMO, while puzzle games and life simulation games are less favored by them.
Web3 gamers seem to have more experience trading digital items in previous Web2 markets (like Steam, WoW auction houses, etc.), which naturally translates into experience trading digital items in the new crypto/NFT markets.
Interestingly, I encountered many people who spent thousands of hours playing old-school MMOs, trading goods, purchasing expensive items, writing bots, and have been scammed once or twice.
Compared to the traditional gamer demographic, the surveyed Web3 gamers tend to be more interested in competition, community, and brands, rather than just playing games to "pass the time."
Game studios should consider whether they want to market to the hardcore group of early adopters of Web3 games or to a broader audience of casual players, as the go-to-market strategy will differ.
To summarize some thoughts:
1) In the U.S., surveyed Web3 gamers tend to be more hardcore and sophisticated than traditional gamers, showing less interest in passing time and having more experience in trading digital goods.
2) To achieve scalability, Web3 games can leverage some of these gaming motivations and types to better understand the fit with gamers. Targeting core or broadening the audience.
3) Besides addressing issues like UI/UX, FTUE, scams, etc., building a robust Web3 gaming economy is a complex task, even difficult to achieve in Web2 games. Games like Diablo, World of Warcraft, and Runescape can provide lessons in design.
Note: The over 2,000 gamers who participated in this survey are all from the U.S. and play games multiple times a month.
