20 Playbour in Web3: Cryptogames and Playing to Earn

Abstract

Videogames, a globally dominant form of media entertainment, are increasingly sites for experimentation and new technological developments. One such example can be seen with the intersection of games and blockchain technology. Cryptogames, as they are known, have recently created a model known as “play-to-earn” (P2E); specifically, where players accumulate and trade crypto assets, such as coins and nonfungible tokens, in exchange for real-world currency. For its proponents, play becomes analogous to work, adding to the tradition of games intersecting with labor and money. In this chapter, I argue that P2E, while promising financial prosperity, can perpetuate economic disparities that foster exploitative practices while exposing players to financial risk. This chapter challenges the commonly touted utopian narrative of P2E ushering in economic prosperity, particularly for users in the developing world.