Large blockchain games have successively entered the internal testing phase

After a large amount of investment and preparation in the earlier phase, several large chain game projects have successively entered the internal testing stage.

According to previous statistics from PANews, there were a total of 334 public financing events in the blockchain gaming sector in 2022, with a total financing scale of 4.4 billion USD. Most projects had financing amounts between 5 million and 50 million USD, while a few projects exceeded 50 million USD in financing. Some large blockchain gaming projects with relatively large financing scales have already started internal testing and are expected to officially launch in 2023. This article will compare the internal testing situations of the three games: Bigtime, Illuvium, and Parallel.

Bigtime

Bigtime is a AAA multiplayer RPG game that combines action fighting, NFT collection, and historical adventure elements. The game is developed by a team led by Ari, co-founder of Decentraland, with team members from well-known games such as Call of Duty, League of Legends, and Fortnite. In May 2021, Big Time Studios announced the completion of a $21 million funding round, led by FBG Capital. The team is also developing the Web3 game asset trading platform Openloot.

Big Time Studio publicly sold in-game Space NFT assets twice at the end of 2021 and in March 2022, selling a total of 60,000, which accounts for 10% of the total supply, generating approximately $70 million in revenue. Additionally, the official also earned over $10 million in revenue through the sale of VIP passes, artwork NFTs, and more.

internal test gameplay

Bigtime opened its PC closed beta on April 19, 2022. Holders of VIP passes can participate in the closed beta, with a chance to obtain rare NFTs. The passes are divided into four levels: Gold, Silver, Emerald, and Ruby, with holders entering the closed beta in batches. The earlier you enter, the higher the chance of obtaining rare NFTs.

In addition to decorative and utility NFTs within the game ecosystem, the in-game token TIME will be launched after the early access ends. This token can only be obtained through the game and is used to purchase NFTs, accelerate equipment crafting, and more.

In February 2023, Bigtime launched an airdrop event, distributing gift boxes to eligible accounts every month, totaling 153,000 NFTs. The airdrop uses a points tier system, where users can earn points by holding assets and completing game tasks.

Market Capitalization

The Bigtime token has not yet been listed for trading. Its main NFT asset, Space NFT, varies in price from $60 to $2799 depending on rarity and size, with a total market capitalization of approximately $88.06 million.

Openloot trading platform supports traditional payment methods such as credit cards, making it convenient for ordinary users to participate.

internal test users

Users participating in the test include early applicants, VIP pass holders, and more than twenty guilds such as YGG and Merit Circle. The website's traffic has been increasing month by month, reaching 152,000 visits in January, mainly from the United States and the Philippines.

Illuvium

Illuvium is an open-world RPG game launched in January 2021 by the brother of Kain Warwick, co-founder of Synthetix, built on the Ethereum Layer 2 network ImmutableX.

In the game, players can explore an open world, collect, and battle with Illuvials. Defeated Illuvials can be captured as NFTs. The game includes multiple modes such as adventure, mining, team building, fusion, and arena.

In March 2021, Illuvium secured $5 million in seed funding. In April, it raised $38 million through a token sale. In June 2022, it raised $72 million through land sales.

internal test gameplay

In March 2022, Illuvium launched the private testing version of Arena and began deploying Overworld in December. Users can obtain internal test qualifications through applications, social media interactions, and other means. On January 6, 2023, the Alpha test of the land management game "Illuvium: Zero" was opened, exclusively for landholders.

During the Alpha testing phase, players can experience on free land or purchase T1-5 level land to participate. The game uses Fuel as currency, which is divided into three types: Crypton, Hyperion, and Solon, for different purposes. Credits are a premium currency that can be used to accelerate operations.

On March 8, Illuvium launched the game Illuvium: Beyond, where players can collect Illuvitar NFTs. Illuvitar is a customizable collection of NFTs that includes accessories of varying rarity.

Market Capitalization

According to IlluviDEX data, the current floor price of Illuvium land ranges from 0.35 ETH to 11.34 ETH, with a total market value of approximately 36.27 million USD. Its token ILV currently has a circulating market value of 181 million USD and a total market value of 789 million USD.

beta test users

Arena and Overworld tests are relatively open, while the Zero test is limited to 20,000 landholders. The official website has had approximately 500,000 visits in the past three months, mainly from the United States and France.

Parallel

Parallel is a sci-fi NFT trading card game based on Ethereum. The team members come from AAA games like Assassin's Creed, and YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley has also joined. In October 2021, Parallel received a $50 million investment from Paradigm, with a valuation of $500 million.

internal test gameplay

The closed Alpha testing for Parallel began on February 28, 2023, and will be conducted in three phases, each lasting about one week, ending on March 26. Participants in the test will have the chance to receive airdrops of PRIME tokens.

The game includes various NFT assets distributed through auctions or sales. Players need to collect 40 cards to form a deck, and the game modes include 1V1, 3V3 teams, and draft mode.

market value of assets

The total supply of PRIME tokens is 111,111,111.111, allocated for multiple purposes. The current circulating market value is $61.92 million, with a total market value of $352 million. There are 1,239 types of NFT assets, with a total of 6 million pieces, priced from 0.0015 ETH to 60 ETH.

internal test users

Parallel distributes testing qualifications through community applications and purchases for testing permissions. The official website's visit volume surged in January, reaching four times the previous amount, mainly from the United States and Canada.

Summary

These three games are all developed by experienced teams with considerable funding. Bigtime raised over $100 million, Illuvium $115 million, and Parallel $96 million.

Bigtime tokens are generated solely through the game, while the other two are distributed through multiple channels. All three profit through NFTs, with Bigtime profiting the most. Bigtime and Illuvium also have a large amount of land yet to be allocated.

In terms of user thresholds, Bigtime supports traditional purchasing methods, while the other two require a blockchain wallet throughout the process. From a development roadmap perspective, Bigtime focuses on gaming, while the other two are developing towards a gaming platform.

Despite being in a bear market in 2022, the scale of game financing remains considerable, with several large projects gradually testing and launching, suggesting that the gaming sector may be poised for a breakout.