Are you a game enthusiast? Has the thought of web3 game development ever passed your mind? If yes, you are absolutely at the right spot.
Undoubtedly, online games offer a refreshing experience, but only a few gamers are familiar with the work behind it. Almost every gamer looks at it the way it is introduced. And only a few look into how to develop one.
However, it’s great to come up with a gaming idea, but what about the alignment of all ideas? The integral part that most game developers overlook is the breakdown of game development costs. But, it really plays a significant role in forming the base of any web3-based game.
When anybody talks about the cost of web3 game development, it’s required for you to checkmark numerous things. Do you have any ideas regarding all those things? If you are curious to know them, you’ll surely get to know about them in this article. But, before jumping on the actual cost value of web 3.0 game development, let’s have a glance at the statistics:
Statistics Related To The Gaming Industry-
- The global gaming market is projected to increase by $125.65 billion.
- By 2025, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is expected to rise by 12.40%.
- Around 22.6 mn gamers in the Asia-Pacific region have a remarkable ownership rate of cryptocurrency.
- APAC’s share of global cryptocurrency income is approximately US $157.3 mn, or 49%, while North America’s share is around US $80.3 million, or 25%.
- By 2026, the number of online gamers will be around 3,197 million users.
- The gaming industry is anticipated to generate more than 321 billion US dollars in 2026.
- The revenue generation is forecasted to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 8.17 percent, with a projected market volume of 239 billion US dollars by 2026.
- The global gaming income system in 2021 was around 16.2 billion USD. It is projected to generate about 100 billion USD in 2023.
An Overview Of Web3
Web 3.0, the third generation of the internet, is a collection of a plethora of advanced technologies: Blockchain, AI, AR, IoT, VR, and ML. These technologies are helpful in creating a virtual environment. Web3 is a more efficient technology than other technologies. According to research, the Web 3.0 sector will generate around USD 64.38 billion in sales by 2025 and will increase at a pace of 35.4%.
How Does Web3 Work & What Are Its Key Characteristics?
Method Of Working
- Makes it easy for all users to process the most complex search terms more swiftly & efficiently
- Enables users to interact with the programs & communities
- Allows individuals to intercommunicate with advanced applications
Characteristics
Have you been familiarized with what Web 3.0 is and how it works? So, now you can learn more about it. Let’s have a glance at a few characteristics of Web3, one of the fully-functional and cutting-edge technologies to enable you to make a web3 based game your business-
- Decentralization of content control
- Elimination of middleman trader
- Allows users to speak privately & openly on the network
- Connects individuals to the network without channels & authorities
- Offer users a realistic surfing experience
Web3 Gaming: What Are Its Prominent Features?
Web3 Gaming
Web3 technology has brought a great level of innovation to the gaming sector. It allows gamers to experience the game in a democratic way. Gamers can earn rewards in the form of NFTs. These games offer creative techniques like-DAOs- decentralized autonomous organizations, which involve-
- Decentralized gaming ecosystems
- Play-To-Earn
- Blockchain-based game asset ownership
- Metaverse gaming
- Crypto-secured gaming wallets
A few of the latest & prominent highest-earning web3 games-
| Game | Daily Revenue( in $) | Upfront Cost( in $) |
| The Sandbox | $117 | $2300 |
| Decentraland | $65 | $1375 |
| Decentral Games | $53 | $200 |
Features
Now it’s the perfect time to discuss the fundamental features of web 3 gaming, open-source & decentralized gaming. So, let’s have an eye on them-
- Allows gamers to own in-game assets in the form of digital NFTs
- Players can keep their in-game assets in case they change the gaming platform
- Provides users with complete control & ownership of in-game assets
- Allows gamers to retain their in-game assets
- Decentralizes & extends classic games to Metaverse & Blockchain
- Requires no maintenance because of its autonomous nature
- Free from interference from any entity
- Entirely player-oriented games
- Minimal maintenance cost
- Provide a high level of transparency to players
Technology Stack Required To Develop A Web3 Game:
After acquiring information related to the prominent features of web3.0 gaming platforms, now it’s absolutely the right time to move further to the tech stack required to develop a web3 game. Below are a few significant web3.0 gaming platform tech-stack; let’s have an overview of each-
Web3 Libraries
It helps players & developers interact with the blockchain platform. This way, it becomes easy for the players to intercommunicate with Smart Contracts, support assets, and in-game transactions as well.
Digital Wallets
Web3 wallets are beneficial for gamers, as they can store in-game assets and collectibles. This way, digital wallets are a boon for developers to help them identify players.
XR Hardware
XR hardware includes- haptic gloves, smart glasses, scammy sensors, and more that enable gaming developers to link the gaming environment with the Metaverse. It’s advantageous for enhancing the gaming experience. Furthermore, it offers players an exciting, immersive, and rewarding gameplay experience.
Media-Standards
If the game developers want that the game they have developed will work efficiently, it’s a must for them to handle files in several media files of different formats. Media-file standards include- HD audio, video, texts, and other formats. So, if the developers use high-class media standards, it’ll ensure the smooth running of your web3 gaming platform.
Which Factors Affect The Cost of Developing Web3 Games?
The price of developing web3 games depends on various factors, including its characteristics, design, location, team, etc. Such factors may influence the final price of the web3 game. Here are a few factors that affect the cost of web3 game development. Let’s see what they are-
Web3 Developers
Web3 developers are required to accomplish the web3 gaming project. It means team size matters a lot for developing games based on web3 technology. So, it’s entirely up to you whether you choose internal developers, specialist developers, and independent freelancers for the completion of your gaming project.
Functionality And Complexity Of Web3 Development
It’s also considered one of the most significant decisions to estimate the cost of web3 game development.
Development Strategy
Development strategy is another significant factor determining the cost of building a web3 game.
Platform
If the game developer chooses a blockchain platform or any other centralized platform to develop a web3 game, it directly impacts web3 game development cost.
Complexity Of The Game
| Complexity Of Games | Time Of Development | Development Cost |
| Less-complex | Less time | Less cost |
| Medium-complex | More time than the less-complex games | More cost than the less-complex games |
| High-complex | More time as compared to less and medium complex games | More cost as compared to less and medium complex games |
Skills Of Developers
Web3 game development cost also depends on the experience that the programmer has. There are three types of developers available to develop web3 games. They can be classified based on their work, styles, and abilities.
Development Time
How much time a developer takes to develop a web3 game also affects web3 game development cost. If developers make timely changes, it becomes easier to implement the changes & you have to bear less game development costs. But, on the contrary, the developers take a lot of time to develop the game, and it will become difficult to implement all those changes. Apart from that, it takes a lot of time too.
Development Methodology
One of the crucial elements that affect the cost of developing a web3 game is the development approach. It involves an in-house team or white-label web3 solutions. If the developers purchase white-label web3 solutions and add essential functionality to the game, it’ll surely save you time. Furthermore, it enables web3 game developers to develop less-expensive games.
Location
If the developers prefer to develop web3 technology based in their own region, they can definitely develop web3 games at a low cost. This way, they do not need to pay taxes that will save their hard-earned money. But on the other hand, if they make up their mind to develop in another location, it may cost them a lot compared to developing games in their native country.
Breakdown Of Web3 Game Development Cost
Are you making up your mind to develop a game app on the decentralized platform known as blockchain? You’ll surely wonder about the cost of developing it. Well, the average cost of developing a web 3.0 game can be $45,000-$150,000. But it’s not fixed or an exact figure. Its cost depends on its features. There are innumerable factors that influence the cost of developing a web3 game, that is-
| Web3 Game Development Procedure | Android($) | iOS($) |
| Development of game in native languages | 12K-22K | 15K-22K |
| UX/UI Design | 2K-4K | 3K-6K |
| Backend Development | 4K-6K | 5K-7K |
| Admin Panel | 4K+ | 4K+ |
| QA & Testing | 5K-7K | 6K-8K |
| 10% of the aggregate budget is allocated for project management | 3K+ | Around 4K |
| TOTAL COST | 40K-60K | 30K-55K |
In addition to the factors mentioned above, there are also a few other factors that are involved in developing a web3 game, namely-
- Platform Fees – fees for transaction processing, smart contract deployment & other required services.
- Development Costs – Hiring developers, designers & other professionals.
- In-Game Assets – In-game purchases require design, development, and testing investment.
- Marketing Expenses – Influencer marketing, social media & paid advertising.
- Maintenance & Support Costs – Involves player base’s size, etc.
What Is The Procedure To Develop A Web3 Game?
Web 3.0 game development involves several stages; let’s have an overview of all:
- High-Level Concept Development
- Selection Of A Blockchain Game Development Platform
- Technical Design Phase
- Creation Of In-Game Assets
- Coding The Game
- Comprehensive Testing
- Deployment Of The Game On The Selected Blockchain Platform
- Ongoing Maintenance And Support
Which is The Better Option For Web3 Game Development: In-House or Outsourcing?
One of the crucial decisions that game creators make regarding developing a web3 game is between outsourcing and in-house development. Both solutions depend on several factors- a budget, expertise & project requirements, and they offer benefits & drawbacks too. Where outsourcing offers cost savings & access to specialized expertise, on the other hand, in-house development offers greater control and flexibility. So, take the decision carefully after evaluating each technique and the particular needs & goals of the development team.
To Wind Up Things
The cost of web3 game development depends on innumerable variables. If the game developers long to keep the costs of developing a web3 game in control, it’s essential for them to assess every cost factor & decide on a top-quality management approach. Altogether, web3 gaming development is evolving very swiftly. It makes it more convenient for the developers to create an engaging & innovative game and offer players an immersive experience. So, if the game developers stay up-to-date with modern technologies and leverage the best tools, it’s damn sure that they will develop a high-quality game based on web3 technology in the future.
