Off The Grid: What to Know About the Crypto Shooter Game Launch?

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As a seasoned analyst with years of experience in both gaming and blockchain industries, I find ‘Off the Grid’ to be an intriguing blend of two worlds that are typically kept apart. The game’s approach to integrating blockchain technology seamlessly into its core gameplay is refreshing, especially considering the usual focus on token rewards in many blockchain games.

‘Off the Grid’ – A Top-Grossing Free-to-Play Blockchain Battle Royale Shooter on Epic Games Store

The game prioritizes high-quality gameplay within the realm of blockchain gaming, emphasizing this aspect more than the rewards from token mechanics. Incorporating blockchain technology into the game is intended to enhance its features rather than serving as the game’s primary focus.

Creating unique gaming items like weapons and skins as Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) on Avalanche’s AVAX network for GUNZ means that players have full ownership of these items. This empowers them to engage in additional markets, making the items both useful within the game and tradeable outside it, enhancing their value.

‘Off the Grid’ – What is It All About?

‘Using blockchain technology via the Avalanche AVAX branch known as GUNZ, ‘Off the Grid’ establishes an autonomous blockchain environment for generating NFTs depicting in-game items like weapons and skins. Since the game announcement, the value of AVAX has increased by over 9% within a week.

Crafted by Gunzilla Games and underpinned by the Avalanche blockchain, this game combines an old-school approach to battle royale with the innovative world of blockchain technology. As a result, it presents a unique gaming experience that appeals to both traditional gamers and enthusiasts within the crypto community.

Through on-chain minting, the game awarded players with actual ownership of certain items. Consequently, this setup facilitated trading opportunities within secondary markets. This enhancement not only adds worth but also proprietorship that surpasses conventional in-game acquisitions. The reason being, these assets are transferable and potentially profitable for their owners.

That is a big deal, as the game is an AAA title – the blockbuster equivalent of movies within gaming. This also represents a pivot from the current model Web3 gaming. Other games were usually focusing more on token rewards than the actual gameplay.

In contrast to typical blockchain games that are often mislabeled due to their primary focus on reward-based gameplay which attracts players initially but results in a significant decrease in user numbers post-airdrop, ‘Off the Grid’ prioritizes an immersive gaming experience above all else. Blockchain elements serve as supportive features for the ecosystem rather than being the main driving force.

Blockchain Gaming to Focus on Gameplay, Not Tokens

The design choice also reflects industry leaders’ calls for blockchain games to focus on an engaging gameplay experience, leveraging tokenization to enhance gameplay rather than as a primary driver. However, tangles in joining crypto wallets, for instance, are yet to be overcome for increased blockchain game adoption.

Indeed, a study carried out by Elympics, the Blockchain Game Alliance, and PlayToEarn found that more than 10% of those surveyed had never engaged in blockchain-based gaming. This could indicate that streamlining user onboarding processes might be crucial for the expansion of blockchain gaming.

‘Off the Grid’ aims at enhancing and making eco-friendly the world of blockchain gaming, focusing primarily on gameplay experience rather than relying heavily on token incentives.

Overcoming Barriers to Blockchain Gaming Adoption

Ever since its debut, ‘Off the Grid’ has consistently held the number one spot in Epic Games Store’s Most Popular Free-to-Play PC Games category, outperforming many of Epic’s blockbuster titles. Furthermore, it dominated the trending list, demonstrating the game’s widespread popularity. On Twitch, its performance has been equally impressive, with approximately 148,000 viewers tuning in last Friday, making it the platform’s most-watched game.

Currently, early access for this game offers a restricted selection, including just one map and gameplay mode, across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC systems. While the in-game market utilizing GUNZ tokens is functional, the core blockchain elements like NFT-backed unique items and weapons are not yet fully implemented.

A significant chunk of the fast-growing popularity of ‘Off the Grid’ can be attributed to a massive marketing effort: an influx of gameplay videos on social media, often labeled with #OTGpartner, and broadcasts featuring well-known streamers such as Matthew “Nadeshot” Haag.

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2024-10-14 18:54