GameFi has an image problem – literally. If you look at the top games in the blockchain gaming space they provide a lot of variation in gameplay and tokenomics, but many share one central flaw: they just don’t look good. One clear picture emerges from the adorable 2D monsters in Axie and the dull, dead-eyed polygonal avatars in Decantraland: Graphics have taken a backseat to crypto-based game designers’ priorities. This shortcoming has dire consequences for an industry that is built around demand for its intangible assets and hampers these games’ opportunities for long-term growth. It also opened up a new market for creative and visually driven projects in blockchain gaming.
Many games boast about their NFTs’ utility, but many are happy with Gamefi’s clipart design. Axie Infinity is the undisputed king of blockchain gaming. It has over 1 million users daily and has surpassed $4 billion in NFT sales, according to TradingView. They are still feeling the pressure. The crypto gaming company has been shifting its attention to improving the gameplay and graphics due to concerns about sustainability.
Graphic design is a growing field in other games. Project Hive, for instance, is a game that has raised the standard of graphics design and artistry within GameFi. They have ensured that the assets include 3D models and immersive environments.
Marcin Rubinkowski has been appointed art director for this exciting, turn-based Play-to Earnn PvP game. Rubinkowski is a veteran in cyberpunk, having worked on Ghostrunner and Destiny2 as well as Netflix’s Love Death+Robots. Rubinkowski brought his best to Project Hive, creating gritty, intense and meticulously designed NFTs.
Project Hive’s first NFT collection is now available on the market. There are many perks to the current collection, such as a guaranteed spot on CyberConstructs’ White List (very limited characters that can be used for starting the game), the possibility of staken NFTs and passive income, an allocation for the private round, where you will purchase the most valuable token, and a boost for stats. Each avatar NFT boosts your character’s stats by one point.
But that’s not all – think of the NFTs as a canvas on which to paint and create your own art. You can create your own products, combine and customize NFTs to make unique skin designs. This collection, which is limited in availability but has a lot of utility for the game’s players, can still be bought at a great price.
Gamefi’s success depends on developers prioritizing high-quality 3D assets, and giving players options to use these assets. If there is no clear design or a versatile purpose for the assets, then hype will fade. This oversight is being corrected by many large games, however we prefer to remain with the developers who have understood it from the start.