Cryptocurrencies and in-game currencies have a lot in common. They both exist in the digital space, and they’re both surrounded by a culture focused on anonymity, free-exchange, forward-thinking. As a group, gamers tend to engage with the latest tech much more heavily than the general population.
They’re used to sinking money into the most powerful gaming rigs to get the best experience from the games they play, so they trust new technology as a whole. Today we’re going to be looking at how cryptocurrencies intersect with the gaming world and what the future of buying digital goods might look like.
What role do cryptocurrencies play in gaming today?
Many virtual goods trading platforms offer cryptocurrency payment options. These platforms allow gamers to buy in-game items, currency, boosting services, and even entire game accounts. For example, a gamer could buy a League of Legends account with whatever rank and skins they want. The prices of these services are more competitive on marketplaces than they are on traditional currency buying and selling sites. Why? Because sellers are competing with each other to get a sale, so fair prices are the norm.
Due to the privacy surrounding the sales of in-game items and accounts, mainly because many games disapprove of this behavior, cryptocurrencies are often preferred. Both buyers and sellers feel more comfortable paying with Bitcoin, where they can remain anonymous, than with their traditional banking accounts. Bitcoin is just more secure and more reliable. Players don’t have to worry about a glitch in the payment process stopping their purchase in its tracks.
Eldorado.gg is one of the most popular in-game goods marketplaces out there today, and they offer cryptocurrency payments. Users can opt to pay in Bitcoin (BTC) or Ethereum (ETC) for the likes of RS GP or Albion Silver. Choosing cryptocurrency over traditional payment means is becoming more and more popular every year.
Games that teach you about cryptocurrencies
If you’re a gamer, who wants to learn more about how cryptocurrencies work, then what better way to do this than play games. These games are designed for people to get to grips with smart-contracts, crypto-tokens, and everything else cryptocurrency. Sometimes jumping into a new tech can be daunting, so games can be a great way of wrapping your head around the basics while having fun at the same time. Here are a few games you can check out:
- Cryptokitties: You collect and breed virtual cats and crack puzzles. Each cat in the game is cryptographically unique, and you can trade it on the Ethereum blockchain for real money.
- Spells of Genesis – Also known as the first blockchain mobile game ever made. It’s a trading card game where players collect and combine cards to create the strongest deck and defeat their enemies. You can store your cards on the Bitcoin blockchain.
- Privateers Life: Players experience life in a 17th-century pirate settlement and do their best to survive all the harsh and bizarre things thrown their way. All goods in the game have to be harvested, mined, or manufactured – you don’t get anything for free! You can sell the goods you made for crypto-tokens worth real-world money.
What will the future of buying digital goods look like?
As we move into the future, we expect to see all virtual goods platforms offer cryptocurrency payment options. In an increasingly globalized world, people are more interested in cryptocurrencies than ever before. And since gaming is such an international activity, it makes sense that businesses will follow suit. Furthermore, we expect games to allow cryptocurrency payment for micro-transactions and other in-game purchases. Gamers, perhaps more than any other group, could be the ones to lead the way to a crypto future.