Accelerating the play & earn industry

Gamers play for fun, to be challenged or to experience a sense of belonging. NFTs bring gaming to a whole new level by adding an earning element on top of this gaming experience and opening up the possibility to easily create open economies . Play & earn blends video games with in-game economics that reward players with NFTs for their performance. Gamers can sell their NFTs in games and across marketplaces to other players and collectors. Ownership of NFTs can also grant access, rights and benefits from reward schemes, live events and early releases. NFTs make certain aspects of games tradeable and turned the play & earn industry into the biggest development in gaming nowadays. According to Alexis Ohanian, the founder of Reddit, 90 per cent of people within the next five years will not play a video game unless they are being properly valued for that time.

Starting in 2021, Merit Circle focuses on developing the play & earn economy and has already gathered a massive community that’s now the most significant gaming DAO in the industry, both in market value and treasury size. To pave the way for future growth, Merit Circle asked DEPT® to create a revolutionary NFT marketplace that will truly make its gamers’ lives better. Specific wishes were to automate the onboarding process for gamers and enrich their community with coaching and education that goes beyond gaming. And finally, to create a clear financial overview with a pay-out function that integrates multiple crypto wallets.

The community is an essential part of the world of gaming, but onboarding new gamers was very labour-intensive. This goes beyond just creating an account: it’s about getting familiar with the concept of play & earn gaming, helping with the right set-up of the wallet and game device, choosing the right game and teaching newcomers the basics. In a new platform built from scratch, we automated this whole process while still ensuring every single gamer feels comfortable, welcome and heard. By adding elements of comradery, advice and interaction to the community, we aim to make play & earn gaming more accessible.

Currently, Merit Circle provides thousands of gamers with scholarships to play the popular games Axie Infinity, and Vulcan Forged for free. Making actively participating in the games more accessible to the masses, as for some NFTs, prices can run up to thousands of dollars. In exchange, Merit Circle receives 30% of everything a gamer earns. The community platform supports scholars in all kinds of areas. Scholars and more experienced gamers with the right social skills, so-called coaches, come together here to learn from each other. Progress and achievements are tracked via leaderboards. Coaches not only coach their scholars with game challenges and skill learning but also help with operational processes and educate scholars on crypto, finance and personal development. The platform integrates and facilitates learning, earning and community and forms a significant step towards a competitive and scalable platform in the play & earn gaming industry.

The first version of the gaming community platform is set to release early in Q2 of 2022, with more than 30 exciting play & earn games in the pipeline that are sure to attract new gamers. Through open and transparent in-game performance tracking, points for improvement are found and addressed. When the platform is finalised and functioning as envisioned, DEPT® will guide Merit Circle in forming a dedicated team to sustain the platform and improve as the industry evolves. Possible future additions are team play, switching easily between different games and gamification of the whole scholarship process. Merit Circle aims to raise the industry standard by developing a platform that covers everything a gamer could need. With DEPT® in the game, Merit Circle is expected to be a kingmaker in the new land of play & earn.