Last week, Google announced its new NFT/blockchain policy for Android-based apps. The TLDR was that developers can implement tokenized assets but provided that they are transparent with users, don’t promote any earning mechanics (play-to-earn = bad), and agree to not leverage gatcha-like gambling features.
Google is clearly trying to capitalize on Apple’s more restrictive blockchain policies and become the de facto home for Web3 applications, but what does this mean for blockchain gaming adoption?
Well, it’s clearly too little, too late for some. Homa Games, a traditional mobile games developer with >$160M in funding, recently let it be known that they would stop work on their first Web3 title. The same can be said for Neopets Metaverse, which also gave up on its mobile gaming app and all things blockchain two days ago.
However, in my opinion, this is more an issue of poor go-to-market strategy and misalignment of incentives than it is of the sub-sector in general. Mobile-native titles like NFL Rivals and Cross The Ages have amassed more than 1M downloads by doubling down on fun core game loops and abstracting away all crypto friction.
Additionally, with industry giants like Voodoo, Nexon, Npixel, and Com2us all entering the space at a time when there is more regulatory clarity, there has never been a better moment to be bullish on Web3 mobile content. Developers that have expertise in targeting Android-heavy regions (SEA, LATAM, Africa, etc.) are best positioned to leverage blockchain to monetize a wider user base and increase lifetime spend.
