07: Understanding game mechanics
Success can be a surprising enemy. Just ask the creators of ZED RUN—a viral web3 game where players can own virtual racehorses and compete for real money in global races. While crypto enthusiasts flocked to the digital racetracks hoping to get rich, traditional gamers stayed away. Success with the wrong audience was pushing us further from our original vision.
Unlike traditional games, web3 players can own their in-game items on blockchain technology and use cryptocurrency, which can quickly change in value. This combination of gaming and money-making features had major challenges on gameplay quality and user experience. Many players left after making as much money as they could from the game.
We forgot the basic rule of gaming—people play for the fun and competition. For ZED RUN to succeed, it needed to stand out as a great game in the traditional gaming market. The solution was both simpler and harder to execute than we expected.
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Virtually Human is an Australian-based studio that develops web3 games.
I worked on the team driving onboarding and activation metrics for ZED RUN where I grew the online community and designed an in-game economy that allows players to earn, spend, and trade virtual currencies and items sustainably and fairly.
