Good Day Manager! Exploring Social Relationships In NFT-based Play-to-Earn Games

Title of the Paper

Good Day Manager! Exploring Social Relationships in NFT-based Play-to-Earn Games

Paper Information

• Subject Area: NFT, cryptocurrency, NFT game design, and player economic behavior research
• Keywords: NFT, cryptocurrency, wallets, perceptions, Axie, Play-to-Earn, gaming economy, digital labor, social relationships

Research Background and Problems

• Issues and Challenges:

  • In recent years, blockchain-based Play-to-Earn (P2E) models have been regarded as a new source of income, but they also face issues of regulatory absence.
  • The organizational structure of P2E games (e.g., the Manager-Scholar model) reflects new trends in the future online labor economy, but potential risks and abuses have raised concerns.
  • P2E games like Axie Infinity helped some players earn additional income during the pandemic but faced numerous challenges due to market volatility and economic issues within the games, such as declining user numbers and token value.

• Significance of the Research:

  • Exploring social relationships and behaviors in P2E games can better promote the integration of digital economy and game design.
  • The research provides insights into addressing the challenges of applying blockchain technology in gaming, economics, and social structures.

• Motivation and Related Work:

  • Existing research primarily focuses on the technical characteristics of NFTs and cryptocurrencies, with limited studies on their social and economic impacts.
  • This paper focuses on the relational dynamics of P2E game players to uncover the unique features of this form of digital labor and propose improvement suggestions.

Solution

• Methods and Research Steps:

  1. A mixed-method approach was used, including surveys and in-depth interviews, collecting 69 survey responses (30 managers and 39 scholars) and conducting 9 manager interviews.
  2. Eight themes (e.g., management, finance, social aspects) were extracted from the data, and four relational dynamic models were summarized.
  3. The motivations and behavioral patterns behind the phenomena were analyzed, and suggestions for game design and economic improvements were proposed.

• Innovative Contributions:

  • Proposed "Four Relational Dynamics" (as follows):
    1. Direct Manager-Scholar relationship
    2. Investor-Manager-Scholar relationship
    3. Coach-Mentee mentorship model
    4. Scholar transitioning to Manager
  • In addition to describing these dynamics, the study delves into player motivations, profit-sharing schemes, and shortcomings in game design.

Research Findings

• Specific Findings:

  1. Revealed the impact of social relationships and motivations on user behavior in P2E systems, particularly in Global South regions like the Philippines.
  2. Proposed practical suggestions for P2E game design, such as enhancing gameplay design, improving economic systems, and reducing reliance on external tools.

• Experimental and Evaluation Results:

  • Through surveys and interviews, it was found that:
    • Scholars spend more time on gameplay, while managers focus more on team management and return on investment.
    • Most scholars use their income for daily expenses, while managers tend to reinvest.
    • Major dissatisfaction among players includes unstable economic systems and an overemphasis on "earning" rather than the gaming experience.

• Strengths:

  • Provides in-depth qualitative and quantitative analysis of P2E games.
  • Extracts design models applicable to the digital labor economy and NFT games.

• Limitations and Future Directions:

  • Limitations:
    • Data primarily comes from the Filipino player community, which may not be globally representative.
    • Participants are concentrated in small team manager roles, lacking perspectives from large-scale corporate teams.
  • Future Directions:
    • Expand the scope of research to include P2E communities in other regions (e.g., South America and Southeast Asia).
    • Study the differences between various roles (e.g., motivations and experiences of managers versus scholars).
    • Explore globalization and broader design optimization strategies for P2E games.

Conclusion and Applications

This study not only describes the complex social relationships in P2E games but also clarifies their significant impact on game design and the digital economy. It calls for more large-scale research in this field and proposes a comprehensive set of improvement suggestions, providing reference guidance for the next generation of game design and digital labor platforms.