Play-to-Earn Endgame
Play-to-earn games like @AxieInfinity have introduced a brilliant new endgame: the management sim
There are more jobs to be done in a P2E game than ever before. Player, manager, scout, breeder, coach etc
Thread on my journey from player to manager in @AxieInfinity
1/ Historically most folks think of games as an activity to complete - "I beat the game"
Free-to-play games can extend player lifetimes through updates and events. Yet eventually power users reach the highest level - the "endgame"
2/ With some rare exceptions, most endgames are pretty boring - players do a set of repetitive activities (ex. raiding, PvP) for decreasing marginal gain. Players slowly churn until the next game comes along
3/ I discovered @AxieInfinity early this year and spent 40+ hours learning the cards / builds. I eventually battled my way up to 1800 MMR across a roster of 12 Axies, some of which I theorycrafted into non-meta teams (triple aqua)
4/ Last month, I hit a skill ceiling and decided to take a break from the game. I felt I had reached my personal best
In a non-P2E game, this would have been the end - i would soon move onto a new game and become the dreaded lapsed power user
5/ But in @AxieInfinity, this was just the beginning of a new endgame
I met a scholar on the Axie Discord who offered to take over one of my teams. Within a week, she had surpassed my prior MMR and was teaching me new strategies - all while being a stay-at-home mom of 2 kids
6/ We grew through referrals. She had a friend who was curious about Axie. I interviewed him and was impressed by his grit - he was a construction worker who had lost his job during COVID, but was a high-ranked League player
We built a team together and he became my 2nd scholar
7/ Today, I have loaned out all 4 of my teams to scholars. I monitor the meta, suggest new strategies, and scout the marketplace for new axies
We have a Discord server where we chat every day. My scholars are my friends and allies in this new management endgame
8/ Most importantly, my in-game assets are positively changing the lives of others vs just collecting dust
My scholars earn $10-20/day and keep the majority of the income. They live in Venezuela which is struggling with the pandemic and would otherwise be unemployed
Wrap/ as someone who's experienced the journey from player to manager in @AxieInfinity, I'm incredibly optimistic on the future of play-to-earn and think we're still in the early innings as new mechanics, ways to play, and jobs are being created