First i have to say that i am a fan of Drug Wars. What can i say, i like mafia style games and i like the fact i can steal peoples stuff and get some money doing it. :D.
Would i play Drug Wars if i werent earning a couple Steem a week? Probably not. lol. And i think thats the mindset of many folks here. (Why thats important, i talk about later)
But lets be realistic for a moment. This is a browser game that is basically 15 years old, tech wise. Its outdated in almost every way. Even the game idea itself is dated. The only thing thats not outdated is the fact that STEEM is associated with it and its “kind of” a use case example for cryptocurrencies.
This isnt something that i think will stick around by the time we hit mass adoption if it remains in this form. It just doesnt have mainstream appeal and theres really nothing original about it. It doesnt feel different, its doesnt look different, it doesnt play different then old school Mafia games. The game needs to be unique in some way and i dont think the devs achieved that yet outside associating the game with STEEM. (Not saying that they cant over time)
But lets think short term for a second.
Ever since the launch, the initial hype and the followed disappointment and frustration, Drug Wars has had numerous problems. Loading issues, gameplay problems… etc.
But the biggest problem that i think might lead to the downfall of the game is its Ponzi economics.
Ive been talking about this from day one, tried speaking to folks that are better known then me here. Tried replying to the “hype monsters” explaining the economics, etc. No one listened. Not a single person i ran into could be convinced that the games economy is a basic ponzi scheme and that it shouldnt be regarded as an “investment” but only as a game.
The response i would get was:
But look at my ROI dude!
It took a whole month after the launch until @themarkymark wrote a post about the games economics for people to start using their heads. By that time it was too late and folks started going into tantrums because they overspent.
Although the game devs did say something in line of: “We take 20%, players get 80% back” (not sure the exact numbers).
.…which should make it absolutely clear to anyone with elementary school education that this is a poor investment…..
you could still say that the devs werent honest with their advertising and didnt “really” try to explain the economics of the game to the players.
So whats the solution now?
Well i can think of only a few ways for the devs to fix the game. The issue is that im unsure in the dev capabilities due to them proving themselves inept at anticipating the reactions of the players and “misguided investors”; inept at anticipating the “end game” of a “Ponzi economy” they chose while having no other revenue streams.
Anyways..
Heres what i think they can do.
- Somehow (no idea how) introduce ads to the game and use it to fill the reward pool. Always the go to option when things go sour. 🙂 The game has an asset in player attention and it can probably monetize it. Sure, it will make the game look cheaper, but at least it will keep it from dying.
- Introduce in-game goods that can be traded on the market. How theyre going to do it, i dont know. Again the problem here is that theyre simply copying an old browser game and adding very little original ideas. They would have to rework a lot of things and im unsure they have the talent for it.
- “Haejin” their posts and fill up the reward pool that way. Buy some delegation on @dlease or whatnot. Its crude and probably would piss off a lot of people but it works. lol
Let me know what you think. Can the game be salvaged or are we looking at a forever reducing reward pool and players slowly leaving once they see the money just isnt there yet? I think it has been reducing by around $100 these last few days.
Ill see you around.
