Building a Web3 Game? Don’t Follow in the Footsteps of Bored Ape Yacht Club

TL;DR

• Yuga Labs’ Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT series absolutely nailed the whole ‘exclusivity + limited run’ release formula.

• Now, unknown brands that launch new Web3 game titles have a tendency to want to follow in Yuga’s footsteps…

• Problem is: labeling something as ‘exclusive’ doesn’t hold much weight if you’re not an established brand – and these high-cost Web3 games can damage the space:

• Gamers get gouged on an underwhelming NFT-gated game → they assume most Web3 games are scams → they don’t come back.

• A solution: make games that are fun as hell to play (duh), come at a fixed price, let players collect in-game NFTs free of charge, and give them a place to trade them.

Full Story

When Gretchen Wieners says you ‘you can’t sit with us,’ it means something.

But if Steven Glansberg were to tell you the same thing, it’d be a nonissue.

Why? Because one seat is coveted, and the other is not.

Point is: labeling something as ‘exclusive’ doesn’t hold any weight if no one wants to be a part of your crew.

Yuga Labs’ Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT series absolutely nailed the whole ‘exclusivity + limited run’ release formula.

And because of that, it means Yuga can successfully weave exclusivity and limited supply mechanics into all of its other projects.

(Think: the ‘Otherside’ metaverse, Dookie Dash, and the upcoming ‘HV-MTL Forge’ game).

…now, here’s our excuse for this article’s spicy headline:

Unknown brands that launch new Web3 game titles have a tendency to want to follow in Yuga’s footsteps…

Essentially attempting to capture lightning in a bottle, with games that require an exclusive NFT to play (often priced in the hundreds, or even thousands).

The problem is:

1. These attempts have big ‘Steven Glansberg reserving seats for non-existent friends’ energy (and gamers can see right through it).

2. It damages the reputation of the broader Web3 gaming space: Gamers get gouged on an underwhelming NFT-gated game → they assume most Web3 games are scams → they don’t come back.

‘Alright Debby Downer, what’s the solution?’

(Yep. Fair play!)

While we can’t speak from a game maker’s perspective, we can absolutely speak from that of a game buyer.

A Web3 game we’d throw money at might look something like this:

• Fun as hell to play (duh)

• Released at a fixed price

• Lets players collect in-game NFTs free of charge

• Gives them a place to trade them (also in-game)

• Makes recurring revenue through royalty fees on secondary sales

(If anyone knows of a game that fits that criteria, hit us up!)