More playing and less earning will make better Metaverse games

cointelegraph.com:

If you’re not keen on joining Mark Zuckerberg in the Metaverse, I have bad news for you: You’re already there. You don’t need a virtual reality headset to enter a virtual world. Humans have been representing reality since our distant ancestors first painted on cave walls. If TV, radio, books or newspapers have ever given you access to events that you did not physically attend, you have experienced a kind of metaverse already. 

Sport and games are another reality that we often partake in virtually — in the stands or behind a screen — when not on the field.

So, it’s no coincidence then that, thus far, games dominate what most people understand as the Metaverse, or more widely, Web3. Our innate love of play, our understanding that fulfilling games depend on rules and structures and our willingness to ascribe value to events that unfold in them are integral to our cultures — from soccer to chess to Roblox. They’re also an important part of the economy: The global sports market reached nearly $400 billion in 2020, even after pandemic lockdowns and market estimates for video gaming to reach $178 billion annually.

Therefore, it’s entirely natural that games are likely to lead the journey into more immersive and interconnected metaverses. It’s also likely that games will continue to deliver financial value to consumers, companies and countries in their meta-realities. Microsoft’s recent bid to purchase Activision Blizzard in an all-cash deal certainly underscores this point.

How such major online game franchises will integrate into a Web3 metaverse is yet to be seen but blockchain-based games that have risen to prominence so far such as Axie Infinity, Decentraland and Alien Worlds. These games have pioneered a play-to-earn (P2E)