Fast-paced arcade shooting game Project Ape Shooter, a new attempt at GameFi 2.0?
The Development and Challenges of GameFi 2.0
As the next phase of integration between gaming and finance, GameFi 2.0 does not currently have a unified definition and standard. However, there is still a relatively consistent consensus among various vendors - that is, efforts are being made to optimize and improve existing issues in GameFi 1.0, such as improving the sustainability, playability, and retention rate of the economic model. The development of GameFi 2.0 aims to address these issues and bring more stability and sustainability to the gaming finance sector.
In GameFi 1.0, the economic model design of most projects was not reasonable enough, leading to instability and unsustainability in the economic system. GameFi 2.0 projects like Stepn aim to improve the stability and sustainability of the entire gaming finance ecosystem by introducing more robust economic models (dual tokens, synthetic mechanisms, and resource consumption mechanisms), allowing players and investors to gain long-term profits and increase their retention rate.
GameFi 2.0 is also committed to enhancing game playability. Early GameFi projects were heavily focused on finance and lacked game elements, even completely abandoning gameplay for a while to promote a "left foot stepping on the right foot" internal loop. Although this approach attracted users in the short term, once the economic model no longer functioned, speculators would exit. GameFi 2.0 attempts to increase player engagement and enjoyment by introducing more diverse game mechanics, challenges, and reward systems. This will encourage players to spend time and effort in true gameplay, rather than solely for the financial aspects of the game, thereby increasing the ecosystem's activity and attractiveness.
However, the development of GameFi 2.0 also faces some challenges. Different vendors may have different interpretations and practices regarding GameFi 2.0, and there is still no consensus within the industry, whether it's for early "AAA games" or later chain upgrades. This lack of consensus slows down the overall development until a new model emerges. Secondly, most GameFi 2.0 projects still focus heavily on the robustness and recyclability of the economic model, lacking interaction with real users. This trend is unlikely to change in the short term.
Exploration and Innovation
However, many developers are still exploring the path of GameFi 2.0 through their own ideas and exquisite designs. "Stepn" is a typical example, which integrates offline scalability and social attributes into Web3 games, and combines real-world running with "Play-to-Earn" in the virtual world. Stepn provides comprehensive feedback for players in terms of economy, social interaction, and physical and mental health.
The success of Stepn lies in achieving the long-awaited "breaking the barrier effect" within the industry, extending the concepts of blockchain and NFT to a wider audience that traditional GameFi games can't reach. By combining running with gaming, Stepn creates a brand-new gaming experience that encourages players to actively engage in physical activities. Players can earn economic rewards by completing tasks and achieving goals. This unique gameplay not only increases the fun of the game but also inspires players' awareness of health and their desire to actively participate in social interactions within the community.
The success of Stepn provides valuable references for the development of GameFi 2.0. It proves that by incorporating innovative gameplay, offline scalability, and social attributes, it can attract a wider range of players to participate in GameFi games. At the same time, Stepn also provides inspiration for other developers, encouraging them to explore the future development direction of GameFi 2.0 with similar innovative thinking and design concepts.
Platforms like Block Ape Scissors are taking a different approach. They focus on promoting on social media while enhancing the economic system and model on the basis of appropriate gameplay, combining DeFi, NFT, and gaming organically, ultimately achieving a stable ecosystem that "walks on three legs."
Another Attempt
Block Ape Scissors recently launched its first game, Project Ape Shooter. This is a fast-paced arcade shooting game primarily presented in a third-person perspective. It combines the latest technology of Unreal Engine 5 with a comprehensive Web3 ecosystem and adopts a free-to-play model. Players can enhance their experience by purchasing NFTs and Tokens. The NFTs will store statistical data and characteristics used for upgrades during the player's gameplay, allowing players to personalize their game style.
In Project Ape Shooter, players will have the opportunity to equip and craft their own NFTs, giving them 5 attributes (Strength, Agility, Stamina, Intelligence, and Luck) and combining them with 12 different traits to gain special abilities in battles. Players can also unlock and customize 21 unique weapons, which are categorized into 3 types and 5 levels. There will be more weapons added in the future.
Furthermore, players can increase the progress of the Battle Pass by holding Banana tokens to unlock special items such as weapons and character cosmetics. By equipping NFTs, players can unlock exclusive customizable playable characters and climb the ranking ladder through participating in ranked matches to prove themselves.
Currently, the early access version of Project Ape Shooter has been released and isbeing showcased through live streams on Twitch. The early access version is available on the Epic Games Store and includes multiplayer functionality. To display NFT assets in the game, players only need to link their wallet with their Epic Games account ID. This early access version will provide initial support and lay the foundation for the Web3 ecosystem of Block Ape Scissors.
The Vision of Block Ape Scissors
Block Ape Scissors is a Web3 gaming platform incubated and supported by Binance Labs. Its goal is to become the most vibrant gaming platform on the BSC, connecting developers and players to create and promote games, and participate in game decision-making. Block Ape Scissors seamlessly integrates games, NFTs, and DeFi, connecting the gaming experience with liquidity mining, paving the way for a new world of gaming rewards system, and incorporating successful gaming models into the new world of DeFi. Through this fun, exciting, and profitable way, players can enjoy the game while achieving the objectives of Play-to-Earn (P2E) and personalized experiences.
As a decentralized gaming platform, Block Ape Scissors aims to provide a new fair, transparent, and non-monopolistic gaming ecosystem for game creators and players through its DAO governance model. This vision disrupts the power structure of the traditional gaming industry, enabling game creators to have greater influence and income in the market. Additionally, the community consists of a large number of gamers and game developers who collectively manage the ecosystem within the framework of DAO, facilitating the integration and fusion of IP, content, games, guilds, and more.
At the same time, Block Ape Scissors also provides users with Banana Miner functionality. Users who purchase Banana Miner can stake or unstake their NFTs, and users who create mining pools are called "miners". After creating a mining pool, miners need to submit an application for official approval. Once the mining pool is activated, miners will receive regular rewards and additional rewards when other users join the mining pool. A portion of the income brought by new users will be automatically rewarded to the miners. Miners can stake or unstake their NFTs at any time. Earnings are calculated based on the staked amount; no earnings will be generated if NFTs are not staked. The income of miners who create mining pools is related to the number of NFTs in the mining pool. If there are no NFTs in the mining pool, they will receive regular rewards; if there is a certain number of NFTs in the mining pool, the staking calculation logic of the mining pool will be used.
Technically, Block Ape Scissors also adopts zk-SNARKs technology to ensure the privacy and security of platform transactions while maintaining efficiency and low cost. The introduction of AIGC allows game developers to generate more realistic and diverse game content, thereby providing players with a more immersive gaming experience. Compared to traditional methods, content creation efficiency is higher.
