AI will save web3 gaming’s competitive landscape

Disclosure: The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of crypto.news editorial.

Web3 games face significant challenges in player adoption. A recent report highlighted that only 7.9% of web3 games have more than 1,000 users. This player scarcity or “player liquidity” results in long matchmaking times, sub-optimal competitive experiences, and economic challenges that impact studios’ ability to generate revenue and sustain development.

The basic solution to these challenges extends beyond increasing the number of players, which is inherently slow. Instead, creating AI avatars (“digital blueprints” of players’ skills) can instantly increase player liquidity. These avatars allow games to run smoothly by populating matches with competent players even when the number of human players is low, effectively solving the player liquidity problem in web3 games.

Game users in chains | Source: Footprint Analysis

This is possible through a process called imitation learning, which applies a rigorous and high-fidelity process to train AI models, ensuring they accurately reflect the player’s playing style and strategies. This isn’t just about allowing AI bots to operate autonomously; It requires careful calibration to preserve the human imprint on the AI ​​while preserving the nuances of player behavior.

The resulting AI avatars can compete independently while reflecting the skill level and strategic depth of their human creators. This meticulous approach preserves the competitive integrity and dynamism of the gaming environment.

By allowing players to transfer their skills to an AI blueprint, games can constantly populate matches with these AI avatars, ensuring there is no degradation in the gaming experience whether human players are online or not. This significantly reduces the player liquidity problem by providing a fuller and more active player pool.

The concept of “parallel gaming” emerges as a secondary benefit of this technology. Players, whose abilities are encapsulated in AI avatars, can simultaneously expand their presence into multiple environments within the same game, or even completely different game modes. This ability not only gives players more opportunities to compete and win, but also enriches the gaming experience by providing more robust and diverse competitions.

While some have expressed concern that the presence of AI could diminish the value of human skill and competition, the reality observed in games like our flagship AI Arena, where players use imitation learning to train AI warriors, suggests otherwise. Players tend to put significant effort into training their avatars, deepening their commitment to the game and improving their own skills by observing their avatars’ performances.

For game studios, this approach promises a consistent, active player base, faster matchmaking, balanced competitions and a superior gaming experience. It also introduces new ways to make money, such as speculating on AI avatar matches and trading or selling avatars.

The benefits for players are many: increased engagement, greater reward potential, flexibility, convenience and an enriched learning environment. Gamers can effectively participate in their favorite web3 games and improve their skills even when they are away from their console or computer.

Looking to the future, it is clear that the integration of AI avatars will revolutionize the web3 gaming landscape by addressing the critical challenge of player liquidity and unlocking vast new opportunities for engagement and monetization. The next era of gaming promises to be more accessible, rewarding and engaging through the adoption of this transformative technology.

Weixie

Wei Xie is the co-founder and COO of ArenaX Labs, a technology company revolutionizing gaming with AI-powered experiences.