Seraph: Exploring and Innovating Web3 AAA Games

By: blockbeats|2024/12/02 13:15:01

Source: Wu Shuo

Seraph: Exploring and Innovating Web3 AAA Games

After the temporary decline in the popularity of the TON mini-game, the volume of the chain game track seems to have quieted down. However, at recent major industry events such as Token2049 in Singapore, THBW2024 in Bangkok, and Binance Blockchain Week in Dubai, the vitality of chain game projects can still be seen, with active presence of both new and old chain games at key booths. Among them, Seraph has attracted a lot of attention with its positioning as a next-generation AAA chain game and its eye-catching design. This article will attempt to analyze Seraph's game design, economic model, and globalization strategy, exploring how chain game projects can break through bottlenecks and the insights they may bring to the future development of GameFi.

Project Background

Seraph is a AAA-level loot game developed by Seraph Studio. The project has received over $10 million in investment, and ample funding is conducive to achieving its goals in technology research and development, game development, and ecosystem building.

Starting from April 2023, Seraph went through Alpha Testing, Beta Testing, Chaos Legacy Test, Preseason, and Season 0, and will soon start Season 1, with official reports indicating a player base of 90,000 and its current status as a top game on the BNB Chain. Seraph booths were set up at BNB Incubation Alliance (BIA) events, and at the Dubai Binance Blockchain Week event, it was showcased near the main hall entrance, with Binance CEO Richard Teng taking a photo and tweeting, showing BNB Chain's strong support for its flagship project.

From the data presented by Seraph, its player base is widely distributed globally, covering many countries and regions, with particular prominence in the European, North American, and Southeast Asian markets where user growth is fast and engagement is high. The Southeast Asian market, possibly due to a higher acceptance of chain games, shows a more significant player base and growth rate. Currently, Seraph has generated over $10 million in revenue, mainly from in-game player payments and service fees from the free trade of NFT-equipped items among players.

Game Content: Market-Proven Classic Gameplay

Seraph currently supports PC and Android, and will be available on Steam, Google Play, and iOS in the future. The game's graphics and gameplay belong to the classic ARPG (Action Role-Playing Game) genre. Players in a dark, Western fantasy-style world use magic or combat skills to kill minions and bosses. As they face higher difficulty challenges, they continuously improve their attributes through monster loot, obtaining more powerful and visually appealing weapons and equipment.

In simple terms, upon entering the game, you first create a game character, then take on missions to experience the storyline. You control your character to move, attack, and use skills to defeat enemies and complete a series of challenges. Throughout this process, you become familiar with your character's abilities and the game mechanics, continuously leveling up to level 60. After reaching level 60, you enter the core gameplay of the game, known as the Gear Farming Gameplay. Players repeatedly challenge monsters and bosses in more difficult dungeons to obtain higher-level and rare gear to enhance their characters, creating a positive loop of gearing up. Combined with multiple difficulty levels and seasonal modes with different gameplay styles, you can experience higher difficulty challenges and refreshing gameplay experiences.

It's worth noting that the division between Seraph's Web2 and Web3 occurs after this level 60 gear farming stage. Although gear farming can still be continued, if you want to play the game, farm gear, and trade to earn profits, you need to purchase an NFT gear piece using real money as an "entry ticket" and initial investment. Then, you can participate in specific challenges to receive randomly dropped treasure chests containing valuable NFTs, NFT fragments, or limited edition costumes.

Having seen many common clicker games and casual gameplay games in the blockchain gaming market, Seraph's graphics and content are undoubtedly a "pleasant surprise," truly comparable to Web2 AAA games. The game's fundamental systems such as character progression, skills, and gear are well-developed and deep, allowing players to create powerful builds through skill learning and equipment combinations. If you are a fan of deep Web2 games, these elements will feel familiar and easy to grasp. This gameplay style almost spans the entire Web2 gaming era and remains popular to this day, proving to have stood the test of time and received full validation from the market.

Within such a gameplay framework and without compromising the underlying fun of the game, Seraph seamlessly integrates NFT gear and a player-driven free-trade market into the game to build a self-sustaining in-game economy. This approach is quite reasonable and easily acceptable to a game player.

Economic Model: "Everything is Tradable" and "Play and Earn"

The economic model of Seraph is based on the concept of "Everything is Tradable" and combines with "Play and Earn," allowing players to trade in-game equipment NFTs to create a self-sustaining, sustainable game economy:

1. NFT-ized Equipment: Gold farming equipment in the game is all tradable NFTs that players have a chance to obtain from treasure chests by clearing dungeons. These equipment items not only have in-game attributes but also possess different levels of rarity and collectible value, allowing players to sell them on the in-game marketplace to earn profits.

2. Player-Driven Free Market: The in-game marketplace enables trading of all in-game assets, where players can set their prices. Market dynamics based on supply and demand determine price fluctuations, and a decentralized market mechanism allows players to truly own in-game assets.

3. Revenue Mechanism and "Play-to-Earn" Mode: Players earn equipment and items through in-game activities such as treasure hunting, monster slaying, and cooperative challenges, then trade them on the market, enabling them to receive real economic rewards for in-game actions.

4. Self-Sustaining Economic Ecosystem: With the continuous growth of the player base, the in-game market demand will expand, driving more transactions and liquidity. This, in turn, enhances the overall ecosystem's stability, continuously improving the gaming experience and revenue potential.

Comparison Analysis of In-Game NFTs and Artwork NFTs

As mentioned earlier, Seraph has currently generated over $10 million in revenue, with a portion of the revenue coming from in-game equipment NFT trades. While the NFT sector seems to have had its heyday and even faced some backlash, the NFT ecosystem based on in-game weapons, equipment, and items in Seraph presents a different picture. Here is a simple comparison between mainstream artists/celebrities' NFTs and in-game NFTs:

1. Source and Acquisition Method: Artist/Celebrity NFTs mainly derive their value from personal branding, with their creation having no direct utility but relying more on the creator's fame and fan base. The acquisition of such NFTs is unidimensional, usually obtained through purchases, lacking interactivity. On the other hand, game equipment NFTs are acquired by players through dungeon runs or synthesis, directly linked to players' efforts. This acquisition method adds fun and a sense of accomplishment, while also increasing players' attachment to the items' value.

2. Functionality and Use Cases: Artist/Celebrity NFTs are often used as collectibles, only possessing aesthetic value or symbolic meaning, lacking practical functionality. Their value mainly comes from fan emotions or limited scarcity, rather than actual use cases. On the other hand, Gaming Equipment NFTs are relatively functional, able to enhance player character attributes, improve gold farming efficiency, etc. Players can not only collect them but also trade them in and out of the game, realizing economic value. This practicality makes them more appealing.

3. Market Driving Force and Value Stability: Artist/Celebrity NFTs rely on the creator's brand influence. If the creator's popularity declines or market interest shifts, their value can easily fluctuate or even drop to zero. On the contrary, Gaming Equipment NFTs' value is determined by the in-game ecosystem's supply and demand relationship. Rare equipment is directly linked to market demand. If the game remains active, the liquidity and value of equipment NFTs will remain stable.

4. User Participation and Interactivity: The process of acquiring Artist/Celebrity NFTs is straightforward; users only need to purchase them, lacking a sense of active participation. This passive consumption model may lead to unsustainable user enthusiasm. On the other hand, Gaming Equipment NFTs are obtained by players through in-game activities, making the participation process interactive and engaging. This model encourages players to invest time and effort continuously, enhancing community engagement.

In summary, compared to the single attribute and volatility of Artist/Celebrity NFTs, Gaming Equipment NFTs perform better in terms of functionality, market driving force, and user participation. Artist/Celebrity NFTs overly rely on the creator's personal influence. Once their popularity wanes, it is challenging to sustain their value. On the other hand, Equipment NFTs are part of the gaming experience, allowing players to enhance their in-game achievements through use and gain actual profits through trading, making them more sustainable. Although Gaming NFTs' applicability is limited by the game's audience, their design logic and transaction value are more rational.

Seraph's revenue data validates the maturity and effectiveness of its NFT economic model, demonstrating its robust self-sustaining capability. The economic rewards players receive during the gaming experience will further enhance the game's appeal, attracting more players. More players will then drive the healthy development of the in-game trading market. Seraph continuously updates its game content based on this foundation to provide players with a fresher gaming experience, creating a positive economic cycle.

Asset Management System: Lowering the Entry Barrier for Web2 Players to Enter Web3

The main obstacle Web2 players face when entering Web3 games is the complexity of blockchain technology, including wallet creation, private key management, and on-chain transaction processes. Seraph integrates the ActPass account with the asset management system in the game. Players can log in via email/account, abstracting away the encrypted wallet and private key management process. It incorporates an MPC wallet to manage assets and transactions within ActPass. This design has the following advantages:

1. One-Click Wallet Generation for Easier Operation: Most Web3 games require downloading and setting up a separate wallet. ActPass is integrated within the Seraph game, allowing players to generate a wallet with a single click and bind their account directly, without the need to switch to an external application. This design is similar to the email or social login method used in Web2 games, significantly reducing the entry barrier.

2. Built-in Asset Management to Reduce Operational Burden: Asset management in blockchain games typically involves complex on-chain transactions, but ActPass stores digital assets such as equipment and items directly in the built-in wallet, supporting quick in-game transactions and management. Players can complete operations without switching platforms, eliminating the cumbersome signing process.

3. Hiding Complexity for Optimized User Experience: ActPass automatically handles gas fees, allowing players to pay using fiat or stablecoins, shielding most of the blockchain technical details. Players do not need to learn additional complex processes and can focus on game content for a smoother experience. Additionally, thanks to the low gas, speed, and security of the BNB Chain's layer-two network opBNB chain, players can save on gas costs for activities such as transactions and on-chain/off-chain item transfers.

In summary, this design maintains a certain level of isolation between game content and the Web3 asset management system, avoiding the poor experience of repetitive asset verification and wallet interactions in many Web3 games. It effectively lowers the technical and psychological barriers for Web2 players to transition to Web3 games, leading to higher user conversion rates and market penetration. It can be seen as an excellent solution bridging Web2 and Web3.

Exploring the Incremental Market: The Bridge Between Web2 and Web3

In the context of intense competition in the existing market, expanding to new user groups has become a crucial task in the Web3 field. As a representative of the Web3 incremental market, blockchain games, with their high user stickiness and interactivity, are key to attracting Web2 players to Web3. In particular, AAA-level heavy blockchain games, compared to traditional lightweight blockchain applications, offer new possibilities for converting Web2 users through higher technical levels, stronger immersion, and richer ecosystems.

Based on the analysis of Seraph above, here are some design ideas that similar games can refer to:

1. Lowering Entry Barriers: Integrate user-friendly Web3 wallets, simplify asset management and transaction processes, allowing Web2 players to participate smoothly without intricate blockchain knowledge.

2. Strengthening Economic Incentives: Adopt a "Play and Earn" model where players earn NFT equipment through in-game actions (such as treasure hunting, challenges) and realize actual profits through market transactions, enhancing participation motivation.

3. Provide an Immersive Experience: Through high-quality graphics, rich storyline, and diverse gameplay, make the game closer to the experience of traditional AAA games, making it easier for Web2 players to accept and engage.

4. Balanced Economic System: By designing scarcity and market supply-demand relationship reasonably (such as limited-edition equipment or functional items), maintain a vibrant trading market and drive long-term player participation.

The potential of the Play-to-Earn market cannot be ignored. According to BusinessResearch's forecast, the GameFi market is expected to reach $905.1 billion in 2031, with a growth potential of 10 to 15 times. In the current bull market, the Play-to-Earn track has not yet fully exerted its strength. It is hoped that with the emergence of more high-quality Play-to-Earn games, the rough impression of Web3 games will gradually change, bringing more players to the Web3 industry.

Original Article Link

Editor's Note: Citrini7's cyberpunk-themed AI doomsday prophecy has sparked widespread discussion across the internet. However, this article presents a more pragmatic counter perspective. If Citrini envisions a digital tsunami instantly engulfing civilization, this author sees the resilient resistance of the human bureaucratic system, the profoundly flawed existing software ecosystem, and the long-overlooked cornerstone of heavy industry. This is a frontal clash between Silicon Valley fantasy and the iron law of reality, reminding us that the singularity may come, but it will never happen overnight.

The following is the original content:

Renowned market commentator Citrini7 recently published a captivating and widely circulated AI doomsday novel. While he acknowledges that the probability of some scenes occurring is extremely low, as someone who has witnessed multiple economic collapse prophecies, I want to challenge his views and present a more deterministic and optimistic future.

Never Underestimate "Institutional Inertia"

In 2007, people thought that against the backdrop of "peak oil," the United States' geopolitical status had come to an end; in 2008, they believed the dollar system was on the brink of collapse; in 2014, everyone thought AMD and NVIDIA were done for. Then ChatGPT emerged, and people thought Google was toast... Yet every time, existing institutions with deep-rooted inertia have proven to be far more resilient than onlookers imagined.

When Citrini talks about the fear of institutional turnover and rapid workforce displacement, he writes, "Even in fields we think rely on interpersonal relationships, cracks are showing. Take the real estate industry, where buyers have tolerated 5%-6% commissions for decades due to the information asymmetry between brokers and consumers..."

Seeing this, I couldn't help but chuckle. People have been proclaiming the "death of real estate agents" for 20 years now! This hardly requires any superintelligence; with Zillow, Redfin, or Opendoor, it's enough. But this example precisely proves the opposite of Citrini's view: although this workforce has long been deemed obsolete in the eyes of most, due to market inertia and regulatory capture, real estate agents' vitality is more tenacious than anyone's expectations a decade ago.

A few months ago, I just bought a house. The transaction process mandated that we hire a real estate agent, with lofty justifications. My buyer's agent made about $50,000 in this transaction, while his actual work — filling out forms and coordinating between multiple parties — amounted to no more than 10 hours, something I could have easily handled myself. The market will eventually move towards efficiency, providing fair pricing for labor, but this will be a long process.

I deeply understand the ways of inertia and change management: I once founded and sold a company whose core business was driving insurance brokerages from "manual service" to "software-driven." The iron rule I learned is: human societies in the real world are extremely complex, and things always take longer than you imagine — even when you account for this rule. This doesn't mean that the world won't undergo drastic changes, but rather that change will be more gradual, allowing us time to respond and adapt.

The Software Industry Has "Infinite Demand" for Labor

Recently, the software sector has seen a downturn as investors worry about the lack of moats in the backend systems of companies like Monday, Salesforce, Asana, making them easily replicable. Citrini and others believe that AI programming heralds the end of SaaS companies: one, products become homogenized, with zero profits, and two, jobs disappear.

But everyone overlooks one thing: the current state of these software products is simply terrible.

I'm qualified to say this because I've spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on Salesforce and Monday. Indeed, AI can enable competitors to replicate these products, but more importantly, AI can enable competitors to build better products. Stock price declines are not surprising: an industry relying on long-term lock-ins, lacking competitiveness, and filled with low-quality legacy incumbents is finally facing competition again.

From a broader perspective, almost all existing software is garbage, which is an undeniable fact. Every tool I've paid for is riddled with bugs; some software is so bad that I can't even pay for it (I've been unable to use Citibank's online transfer for the past three years); most web apps can't even get mobile and desktop responsiveness right; not a single product can fully deliver what you want. Silicon Valley darlings like Stripe and Linear only garner massive followings because they are not as disgustingly unusable as their competitors. If you ask a seasoned engineer, "Show me a truly perfect piece of software," all you'll get is prolonged silence and blank stares.

Here lies a profound truth: even as we approach a "software singularity," the human demand for software labor is nearly infinite. It's well known that the final few percentage points of perfection often require the most work. By this standard, almost every software product has at least a 100x improvement in complexity and features before reaching demand saturation.

I believe that most commentators who claim that the software industry is on the brink of extinction lack an intuitive understanding of software development. The software industry has been around for 50 years, and despite tremendous progress, it is always in a state of "not enough." As a programmer in 2020, my productivity matches that of hundreds of people in 1970, which is incredibly impressive leverage. However, there is still significant room for improvement. People underestimate the "Jevons Paradox": Efficiency improvements often lead to explosive growth in overall demand.

This does not mean that software engineering is an invincible job, but the industry's ability to absorb labor and its inertia far exceed imagination. The saturation process will be very slow, giving us enough time to adapt.

Redemption of "Reindustrialization"

Of course, labor reallocation is inevitable, such as in the driving sector. As Citrini pointed out, many white-collar jobs will experience disruptions. For positions like real estate brokers that have long lost tangible value and rely solely on momentum for income, AI may be the final straw.

But our lifesaver lies in the fact that the United States has almost infinite potential and demand for reindustrialization. You may have heard of "reshoring," but it goes far beyond that. We have essentially lost the ability to manufacture the core building blocks of modern life: batteries, motors, small-scale semiconductors—the entire electricity supply chain is almost entirely dependent on overseas sources. What if there is a military conflict? What's even worse, did you know that China produces 90% of the world's synthetic ammonia? Once the supply is cut off, we can't even produce fertilizer and will face famine.

As long as you look to the physical world, you will find endless job opportunities that will benefit the country, create employment, and build essential infrastructure, all of which can receive bipartisan political support.

We have seen the economic and political winds shifting in this direction—discussions on reshoring, deep tech, and "American vitality." My prediction is that when AI impacts the white-collar sector, the path of least political resistance will be to fund large-scale reindustrialization, absorbing labor through a "giant employment project." Fortunately, the physical world does not have a "singularity"; it is constrained by friction.

We will rebuild bridges and roads. People will find that seeing tangible labor results is more fulfilling than spinning in the digital abstract world. The Salesforce senior product manager who lost a $180,000 salary may find a new job at the "California Seawater Desalination Plant" to end the 25-year drought. These facilities not only need to be built but also pursued with excellence and require long-term maintenance. As long as we are willing, the "Jevons Paradox" also applies to the physical world.

Towards Abundance

The goal of large-scale industrial engineering is abundance. The United States will once again achieve self-sufficiency, enabling large-scale, low-cost production. Moving beyond material scarcity is crucial: in the long run, if we do indeed lose a significant portion of white-collar jobs to AI, we must be able to maintain a high quality of life for the public. And as AI drives profit margins to zero, consumer goods will become extremely affordable, automatically fulfilling this objective.

My view is that different sectors of the economy will "take off" at different speeds, and the transformation in almost all areas will be slower than Citrini anticipates. To be clear, I am extremely bullish on AI and foresee a day when my own labor will be obsolete. But this will take time, and time gives us the opportunity to devise sound strategies.

At this point, preventing the kind of market collapse Citrini imagines is actually not difficult. The U.S. government's performance during the pandemic has demonstrated its proactive and decisive crisis response. If necessary, massive stimulus policies will quickly intervene. Although I am somewhat displeased by its inefficiency, that is not the focus. The focus is on safeguarding material prosperity in people's lives—a universal well-being that gives legitimacy to a nation and upholds the social contract, rather than stubbornly adhering to past accounting metrics or economic dogma.

If we can maintain sharpness and responsiveness in this slow but sure technological transformation, we will eventually emerge unscathed.

Source: Original Post Link

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