Artificial Intelligence The Vanguard of Web3 Gamings Competitive Terrain Commentary
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The adoption of web3 games faces significant challenges, particularly when it comes to attracting players. According to a recent report, only 7.9% of web3 games have managed to gather over 1,000 users. This scarcity of players, also known as “player liquidity,” leads to long waiting times for matchmaking, subpar competitive experiences, and economic difficulties that affect studios’ ability to generate revenue and sustain development.
However, the solution to these challenges goes beyond simply increasing the number of players, which is a slow process. Instead, the creation of AI avatars, which are “digital blueprints” of players’ skills, can immediately improve player liquidity. These avatars allow games to function seamlessly by filling matches with competent players, even when there are few human players available. In essence, this solves the problem of player liquidity in web3 games.
This is made possible through a technique called imitation learning, which involves a meticulous and high-fidelity process to train AI models. The goal is to ensure that these models accurately replicate a player’s gameplay style and strategies. It’s not about letting AI bots operate autonomously; rather, it involves careful calibration to preserve the human touch in the AI, retaining the nuances of player behavior. The resulting AI avatars can compete independently while reflecting the skill level and strategic depth of their human creators. This approach maintains the competitive integrity and dynamism of the game environment.
By allowing players to transfer their skills into an AI blueprint, games can continuously fill matches with these AI avatars, guaranteeing a consistent gameplay experience whether human players are online or not. This significantly addresses the player liquidity issue by maintaining a larger and more active player pool.
In addition to solving the player liquidity problem, this technology also brings about the concept of “parallel play” as a secondary benefit. With their skills encapsulated in AI avatars, players can simultaneously participate in multiple environments within the same game or even different game modes. This not only provides more opportunities for players to compete and win but also enriches the gaming experience by offering more diverse and robust competitions.
Some may have concerns that the presence of AI could diminish the value of human skill and competition. However, games like our flagship AI Arena, where players use imitation learning to train AI fighters, have shown otherwise. Players tend to invest significant effort into training their avatars, which deepens their engagement with the game and enhances their own skills through observing their avatars’ performances.
For gaming studios, this approach offers a consistent and active player base, faster matchmaking, balanced competitions, and an enhanced gaming experience. It also opens up new avenues for monetization, such as speculating on AI avatar matches and trading or selling avatars.
For players, the benefits are numerous: increased engagement, potential for greater rewards, flexibility, convenience, and an enriched learning environment. Players can effectively participate in their favorite web3 games and develop their skills, even when they are away from their consoles or PCs.
Looking ahead, it is clear that the integration of AI avatars will revolutionize the web3 gaming landscape by addressing the critical challenge of player liquidity and unlocking vast new opportunities for engagement and monetization. The future of gaming promises to be more accessible, rewarding, and engaging, driven by the adoption of this transformative technology.
Read more: Elon’s pursuit of “open-source AGI” disregards users and ethical AI training | Opinion
Wei Xie is the co-founder and COO of ArenaX Labs, a technology company that is revolutionizing gameplay with AI-powered experiences.
