How Sustainable Are Web3 Game Economies? Sugarverse Raises $1 Million to Prove It | HackerNoon
Summary
The studio plans to use the money to develop titles with economies designed to reward players over time, starting with Sugar Match, a mobile game set to launch on the Tezos Layer-2 network Etherlink this summer. A 2023 report from CoinGecko found that 70% of Web3 games launched since 2018 have either shut down or seen their token values drop below initial levels, often due to reward systems that favor early players and collapse under inflation. Sugarverse plans to bridge this gap with Sugar Match, offering a guest mode that lets users play without immediate Web3 integration, adding blockchain features as an option later.Mitev said the goal is accessibility: Players want fun first, not tutorials on crypto. By launching on Etherlink, which promises faster transactions and lower fees than many Layer-1 networks, Sugarverse hopes to reduce friction further, though it remains untested whether casual players will embrace the Web3 elements over time.Critics of Web3 gaming argue that blockchain often overshadows design, with mechanics built around earning rather than enjoyment. This saga concept draws from Web2 trends like cross-game ecosystems seen in franchises like Candy Crush, which has sustained players across multiple releases since 2012.Mitev hinted at broader ambitions: This is step one.