5 Mistakes to Avoid in Blockchain Game Development
The gaming industry is facing changes fast, and blockchain is changing the game. From token rewards to fully decentralized economies, blockchain games offer players unprecedented engagement and ownership experiences. However, developing a blockchain game comes with its challenges, and there are various ways to ground your endeavor in failure. It can be a complicated process that requires planning, development, strategic thinking, market knowledge, and not to mention a good understanding of blockchain ecosystems.
In this blog, we will discuss the 5 most common mistakes in blockchain game development that can set your project back in terms of wasted time, money and market trust. We hope that these can help your company, whether you are a new startup or currently have a stable studio, avoid the mistakes that will allow you to experience the success of launching a blockchain game.
Here are some mistakes you should avoid in blockchain game development:
1. Neglecting Game Design for Blockchain Hype
One of the biggest mistakes that many blockchain game developers make is putting too much emphasis on the blockchain side, and not considering the gameplay side at all. Many projects assume that simply adding an NFT or a token is enough to attract players. In reality, gameplay is still king.
The game itself must be fun, engaging, and rewarding to play—blockchain should be something that can enhance it, not replace it. If the gameplay mechanics are not interesting to players, there is no amount of tokenomics or monetary value in crypto to keep people playing the game and keep it interesting.
✅ Tip: Solid gameplay should be the number one priority to parents in choosing the core gameplay loop, then the blockchain aspects such as NFTs, smart contracts, and token rewards can be layered on as complementary mechanics to the gameplay experience.
2. Poor Tokenomics and Reward Systems
Tokenomics can be the lifeblood for or the demise of a blockchain game. The majority of game developers launch with token models that are misleadingly unsustainable, leading to inflation, loss of value in the token, and eventual player departure.
A reward that really works, must balance the reward profile of each of the key stakeholder: player, investor and developer. Which means, setting earning rate, setting some form of deflation (e.g. burning tokens), and preventing the "whale effect."
✅ Tip: Always work with a professional blockchain game development company that understands how to design a strong and scalable value chain economy that benefits all stakeholders.
3. Ignoring Scalability and Blockchain Selection
Not all blockchains are the same. The wrong blockchain platform could result in costly gas fees, minor transaction speeds, and limited scalability, all of which lead to negative experiences for users.
While Ethereum is well established and a popular choice, it often suffers from congestion. There are new emerging Layer-2 solutions and blockchains available such as Polygon, Solana, and Avalanche that are cheap and fast.
✅ Tip: Consult experienced blockchain game developers who can help you select the right blockchain depending on the volume of transactions, speed, cost, and user adoption for your game.
4. Lack of Security Measures
Security must always be a top priority in blockchain game development. But often the unknown risks of smart contracts, integrational security in wallets, or back-end vulnerabilities, can potentially place our players assets at risk from exploits or hacks.
A smart contract once deployed can not easily be altered. Just one minor bug in your code could lead to massive losses and damage to your reputation.
✅ Tip: Partner with a experienced blockchain game development firm that has rigorous security processes and conduct regular audits of your smart contracts and infrastructures.
5. Underestimating Community Building and Marketing
The best blockchain game can die in minutes if nobody knows about it at launch. Many developers make the mistake of launching without a marketing strategy in place - thinking their game is so on fire, it will just go viral on its own. In a Web3 world, community is everything.
A thriving and engaged community doesn't just market the game, they help with governance, evangelism, and in-game economies. You will want to allocate plenty of resources for marketing, airdrops, influencers, and Discord/Telegram groups to engage with your community.
✅ Tip - Build your community in the early phases of your development; AMAs, teasers, giveaways, and dev blog updates are all great tools to increase excitement and loyalty.
Conclusion
When developing a blockchain game, it is critical to understand the in's and out's of game design, blockchain mechanics, and methods for community engagement. By avoiding the pitfalls mentioned above, you will both save yourself an untold amount of money, while increasing the chance your game is successful for years to come. Ranging from poor tokenomics to simply ignoring security, each of the pitfalls has the potential to ruin your project from both a monetary and reputational perspective.
Considering the complexities that exist in this area, you are probably best suited working with an experienced blockchain game development company that understands the intricacies of both gaming and blockchain.
As an industry leader in blockchain game development, Technoloader offers comprehensive development services to suit your needs. Whether you are developing a play-to-earn model based game, or an NFT ecosystem, or anything in between - including a full metaverse game, Technoloader's skilled blockchain game developers can you'll have a one-stop-shop for all your blockchain game development needs.
