Remember the 80s arcades that you could walk into with a couple of buddies to play games, have some laughs, and just enjoy the vibe? And regardless of the bad prizes and even worse food, there’s still an arcade cabinet or two you line up for to get on the high score leaderboard. Back then, it wasn’t even about the prizes: crappy water guns, synthetic teddy bears, or too-sticky candies. It was about the glory of triumph and the spirit of friendly competition.
In the 2000s, less of these traditional arcades were present. As more home-based video games became available to the market, the player base dwindled. However, that didn’t spell “THE END” for arcades. Technological innovation transformed arcades into an online ecosystem with sites such as Miniclip, Newgrounds, and Y8 at the forefront. These flash games were usually free-to-play and sustained through pop-up advertisements which would unfortunately show up in the middle of an intense gaming session,
Through the next decade, browser games moved to mobile “freemiums” flooding huge centralized app stores, leaving independent game developers at a loss, while players found themselves dishing out more money towards level-ups and premium content. Plus, the hoops devs would have to go through just to get their games onto the app store/play store.
And this brings us to today. Majority of popular games are from big triple A studios with expansive budgets and an occasional indie success thanks to social media. However, there’s definitely a great number of players looking for hyper casual games with a competitive aspect similar to what traditional arcade games did. This is where Web3 comes in.
The world of Web3 has opened itself to near-limitless possibilities, including a decentralized yet secure and transparent experience for all. In gaming, it allows developers to cut out the middleman and directly publish their games to players while also monetizing their work. For players, it gives them higher stakes with the games they love through digital assets. OP Games is one of the trailblazers in utilizing blockchain to create a robust Web3 gaming ecosystem.
Web3 and the Arcade
Web3 enables the most natural elements of the traditional arcade, for instance, a game token that carries real value and real prizes (prizes on Arcadia.fun are way better than that giant teddy bear worth 5000 tickets). Because at the foundation of any working arcade is a simple working peer-to-peer economy that keeps the gears turning.
Web2 arcade games decided to forego that simple economy for the enticing illusion of “free”. They let players start playing effortlessly but income had to come from somewhere, so players wasted time on advertisements or cash payouts on premium features. With this move, the essence of the traditional arcade was lost.
OP Games has created a platform in Arcadia.fun that combines the simple economy of the traditional arcade with the accessibility of Web2 arcades to build the best evolution yet. Arcadia enables users to essentially play for free and potentially earn winnings in cryptocurrency payouts if they earn their spots in the leaderboards or fulfill certain challenges. With regular tournaments in Arcadia, players also have the opportunity to compete with fellow Arcadians in a variety of skill-based hyper casual titles from indie developers.
Developer Opportunities
Monetizing games in Web2 has been a considerable obstacle for smaller-scale game developers. The centralized game market, monopolized by the big app stores, has made it nearly impossible for smaller games built with fewer resources to get discovered and played. And now, the blockchain gaming market is becoming oversaturated and cut-throat, making it increasingly tough for new developers to enter.
OP Games recognized these challenges and built a platform for any developer to build games with full-scale Web3 features and seamless token economy compatibility and enjoy near-instant discovery by the Arcadia player community. Launching on Arcadia means a lot of things: open-source tools, game ecosystem, developer community, and a growing community of players already on the platform.
The Arcadia Evolution
Furthermore, OP Games is continuously innovating Arcadia.fun into an immersive platform integrated with the ERC6551 standard and artificial intelligence (AI) working in unison to supercharge NFTs that can learn, grow, own digital assets, develop personalities, and act as the player’s persona in the digital arcade.
OPG is building an arcade metaverse from the core, and there is so much in store for the digital arcade community to look forward to!
OP GAMES (OPG)
OP Games is the driving force behind Arcadia, a groundbreaking gaming platform that empowers indie game developers and captivates players with engaging hyper-casual gaming experiences. With its pioneering suite of tools and SDK, known as “game legos,” OP Games enables game developers to seamlessly incorporate web3 elements into their creations.
It doesn’t stop at creating a gaming platform; it’s creating a thriving ecosystem that offers a rewarding competitive experience for players while facilitating a smooth transition into web3 for game developers. At OP Games, we’re ushering in a new era of disruptive games poised to revolutionize the gaming scene.
Founded by seasoned gaming veterans, OP Games is unwaveringly dedicated to reshaping the future of gaming through unwavering innovation and boundless creativity. Our mission is to provide an inclusive space where developers, creators, fans, and players can all find their home. Through our platform, tools, and cutting-edge player economy, OP Games offers something for everyone in the exciting world of web3 gaming.
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