Web3 PC games distribution platform Ultra has released its Ultra PC Gamer Study, revealing that almost half of PC gamers are excited about blockchain, but the number diminishes with the mention of NFTs and crypto.
Based on 2,000 gamers in US and UK – of which 51% played a PC game daily and 21% had played a PC game with blockchain, crypto or NFT integration – the study showed 46% of participants were excited about blockchain elements in their favorite PC games. Almost as big a group, 43%, was neutral, while 11% said blockchain annoyed them.
68% of participants had at some point bought in-game content and 26% were interested in buying limited edition in-game items, however only 19% were interested in NFTs.
Likewise, 34% of respondents were interested in earning in-game currency, but that number fell by 16% when those rewards were specified as cryptocurrency.
This shows there’s still an underlying resistance towards the adoption of web3 technology among gamers, whom are likely tainted by outright rug pulls but also the controversy surrounding play-to-earn and airdrop campaigns.
Ultra co-CEO Nicolas Gilot explains the findings, “Over the past few years, the blockchain gaming community has become embattled and afraid of mainstream gamers’ vitriol. The web3 community has become quite insular, focused on reaching familiar communities rather than trying to talk to everyone.”
He adds, “Our research shows that a significant minority of gamers are in fact excited to see what the blockchain can bring to their favorite games. Using blockchain to address issues of distribution and ownership in PC gaming is a philosophy we’ve long held at Ultra and this data provides a huge boost on our journey to bridge the gap between web2 and web3 gaming.”
One means by which Ultra is working towards web3 adoption in games distribution is by enabling games to become tradable assets, what it calls tokenized games. To that end, 58% of PC gamers said they would sell some of the digital games they own, and 64% would buy more of those titles at full price if they had the option to resell them later.