The GDC Game Developers Conference will be held soon to take stock of the upcoming Web3 games.

Author: Tiger Research

Compiled by: Deep Wave TechFlow

Summary

• The cryptocurrency market has been booming recently, and blockchain technology is expected to make a comeback at GDC 2024, the world's largest game developer conference.
• In particular, with the participation of major Web3 companies such as Avalanche, Arbitrum, and Oasys, discussions around Web3 games are expected to be more active than ever.
• Web3 games from AAA projects including Nexon's MapleStory Universe and Wemade's Night Crows are setting new directions for the entire industry.

introduce

The world's largest gaming conference, Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2024, will kick off this week. This conference brings together game developers from around the world to learn about the latest trends in the gaming industry and share their perspectives to help shape the future of the gaming industry. The more you learn from GDC, the better prepared you will be for the future of the gaming industry. In this report, we will introduce you to the popular Web3 games that you need to pay attention to before attending GDC 2024.

Web3 games are back

With the recent resurgence of the cryptocurrency market, it is expected that blockchain technology will once again be the focus of GDC 2024. Last year, Nexon, Wemade and Com2uS launched their blockchain games, drawing attention to the Web3 gaming market. This year, Nexon and Wemade plan to launch their blockchain games "MapleStory Universe" and "Wemade" respectively, and Wemade is expected to participate as a major sponsor for the third consecutive year.

In addition to the participation of various gaming companies, the GDC 2024 keynote will also involve many Web3-related companies, such as Animoca Brands and The Sandbox. This will be an important opportunity to further explore the applicability and impact of blockchain technology in the gaming industry.

Mainnet actively participates

This year’s conference will feature more mainnet participation, including Avalanche, Arbitrum, and Oasys. These mainnets have set up their own booths and are working hard to find gaming partners, demonstrating their commitment to contributing to the innovation and growth of the gaming industry driven by blockchain technology.

The involvement of Avalanche and Oasys is particularly noteworthy. Avalanche has become increasingly influential in the Web3 gaming space, recently releasing the Avalanche-based FPS game Shrapnel and announcing a partnership with MapleStory Universe. Oasys is also active, having recently formed partnerships with Kakao Games' Metabora, Com2uS's XPLA and Ubisoft. Additionally, Gala Games will host a $1 million hackathon at the conference, which will bring even more hype to Web3 game development.

Well-known Web3 game companies participating in GDC 2024

Nexon Universe，MapleStory Universe

Presented by Nexon Universe, MapleStory Universe is a Web3 game based on the MapleStory IP with over 180 million global users. The game features a much-anticipated community-centric C2E (Create to Earn) ecosystem that encourages users to create driven content within the game.

The company plans to launch the game this year and recently released several trailers for MapleStory N. Stay tuned as they plan to reveal details of their partnership with Avalanche at this GDC.

Wemade，MapleStory Universe

WeMade's MapleStory Universe is a Web3 MMORPG game that was released globally in March this year. The game received a warm reception after its release in 180 countries around the world, reaching 200,000 concurrent users within two days of release. WeMade is solidifying its role as a leader in the Web3 gaming industry, so it's worth keeping an eye on the Web3 gaming ecosystem they envision.

Other Game Conferences

Interest in blockchain technology is particularly high at GDC 2024 compared to other regional gaming conferences. At last year's G-STAR 2023 gaming conference in South Korea, only 4% of the nearly 300 exhibiting companies were related to blockchain technology. This low participation rate can be attributed to the strict regulatory environment of the Korean gaming market. Currently, the operation of Web3 games in South Korea is restricted as the Korean Game Rating Management Committee continues to refuse to classify blockchain-based games.

TGS 2023

On the other hand, gaming conferences held in Japan and China last year focused more on Web3 games. In South Korea, it is difficult to see other Web3 game companies except Wemade. On the other hand, at the Tokyo Game Show (TGS) 2023 held in Japan, there were more participation of Web3 projects, such as Oasis and Double Tokyo Jump, as well as a joint booth of large gaming companies Gumi and Crooz Blockchain Lab.

China Joy 2023

Contrary to strict regulatory concerns, China hosted a session on Web3 technology at China Joy 2023, the country's largest gaming conference.

in conclusion

Many P2E games have failed to succeed, but the Web3 game market is still full of creative and disruptive attempts. GDC 2024 will further illustrate these efforts. As blockchain infrastructure technology advances and lessons are learned from past trials and errors, the possibilities for AAA quality Web3 games are growing day by day.

Different values for wallet address

With the cryptocurrency market recovering and the number of GameFi users significantly increasing, expectations for Web3 games are even higher this year. Take a look at the GDC 2024 conference to see where the future is headed.