Blockchain gaming company Azra Games is taking a different approach to NFTs in the Web 3 game, focusing on the gameplay itself rather than the crypto elements.
In a recent interview, Azra Games founder and CEO Mark Otero said that web3 games have to be good enough that people adopt it for the gameplay and not the NFTs or its in-game tokens.
“Web3 is not in the foreground or the forefront of the player experience,” he said during a Recent Interview with Decrypt, “Really, we should make a game so the good guys don’t care. And they shouldn’t know they’re playing a Web3 game.”
Otero said that the game’s Web3 elements should only reveal themselves after players “fall in love with them”, enhancing the user experience and bringing added value to the game.
He added that this unique vision was part of the reason Azra received investment from venture capital firms such as Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), NFX, Coinbase Ventures and Play Ventures.
Otero, a former general manager at global gaming giant Electronic Arts, founded Azra Games in 2022 with the goal of creating games that incorporate Web3 elements such as NFTs and in-game tokens.
The company has raised a total of $25 million to date. Its latest fundraising round was in February this year when the company raised $10 million at an undisclosed valuation.
At the time, the company said it was working on a game called Legions and Legends. “Legions & Legends is an opportunity for us to build something for a new platform with a potentially new business model,” Otero said.
Otero is working with fellow entrepreneurs Sonny Mayugba and Travis Boudreaux. The company has also hired veterans from Capital Games.
Otero shows skepticism about play-to-earn games
During a recent interview, Otero also expressed skepticism about the concept of pay-to-earn, a blockchain gaming mechanic where players earn crypto tokens by completing tasks, winning battles, and competing against other players. as a reward for.
He said that there are different types of players. First, there are traditional players who are looking for entertainment value and are “intrinsically motivated” to play games.
However, crypto native players have different motivations. According to Otero, these players are often “extrinsically motivated”, meaning they want to earn money in return for playing the game.
“Our philosophy has always been gameplay, entertainment value, and fun first. Period. Why? Because it’s sustainable.”
Otero’s statement comes as blockchain plays out saw a sharp decline In the number of users and trading volume over the past few months.