The free-to-play game NFL Rivals from Mythical Games has taken the crypto gaming world by storm, garnering over a million downloads despite being launched during a harsh crypto environment and the NFL off-season. Released on April 26 in the Google Play and Apple Stores, the game quickly captured the top spot in the App Store. Mythical Games CEO John Linden expressed excitement not only for the impressive download count but also the overall positive response from players.
The game’s current 4.8 out of five rating on the App Store, with almost 22,000 reviews, reflects a high level of user satisfaction. With players averaging two hours of gameplay per day and nearly 15 million matches played, it demonstrates the addictive nature of this gaming experience.
A key aspect that sets NFL Rivals apart from other games is its integration of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) in the form of player cards. Gamers use these to form their teams and compete, with varying rarity levels and strengths associated with each. It’s worth noting that NFTs are mostly “behind the scenes” for users, as the game allows players to participate without purchasing any NFTs.
Every player receives an in-game wallet, which may go unnoticed until they decide to interact with the marketplace for buying, selling, or trading. Linden approximates that about 10% of players have engaged in these marketplace transactions, exchanging player card collectibles such as pre-released cards for Super Bowl LVII.
As players grow more familiar with NFL Rivals’ Web3 concepts, they also gain a deeper understanding of earning money from their valuable cards. Linden appreciates the game’s subtle approach to introducing users to the realm of Web3 and NFTs.
The NFL’s partnership with Mythical Games for its first Web3 game only marks the beginning of its ventures into this domain. The league has also explored ticketing collectible platforms on Polygon and an NFL All Day marketplace, developed by Dapper Labs.
Besides NFL Rivals, Mythical Games has produced Blankos Block Party, an open-world multiplayer game, and Nitro Nation, an NFT-based racing game. In 2021, the company raised $150 million in funding led by a16z, reflecting its future potential in the growing crypto gaming industry.
Overall, the success of NFL Rivals highlights the potential of integrating NFTs into mainstream games, providing users with a new layer of engagement with the in-game economy. As this trend is set to continue, it raises questions regarding the future role of NFTs in gaming, revenue generation models, and the adoption of Web3 concepts among casual gamers.
Source: Coindesk
