Thread by @amytongwu

1/ @axieinfinity. It took them 3+ yrs to make their first $10M in revenue and 5 days to make their latest $10M. Runrating $1B+/mo of GMV. 350k DAUs. What is going on here…

3/ People compare @axieinfinity to @PokemonGoApp but other than core meta (cute collectible characters with distinct properties) and battle mechanics, the game hook is entirely different.

4/ @PokemonGoApp is free-to-play (F2P) where players collect (“gotta catchem all”).
@axieinfinity is an incredible execution of play-to-earn (P2E), where players earn. There are grinders who earn and spenders who battle, and players doing both.

5/ The most important indicator of longevity is retention, which with a D30 of 90% per @Jihoz_Axie, is worldclass. To maintain high retention over time, the game has to be fun. Otherwise once economy inflation stabilizes, purely speculative players will leave.

6/ How to keep new player retention high over time? Lower player onboarding friction, direct fiat on-ramp, mobile app, deeper meta, live ops (tournaments, events), co-op, guilds, deeper social mechanics, mods/UGC, all of which I’m sure the team is thinking about.

7/ On onboarding friction, I dropped $900 on my first 3 Axies - how many people can afford that before new player growth slows? With 75%+ of revenues coming from breeding, new players are critical, and a player base of tens of millions will also help stabilize game economy.

8/ Fascinating to see @YieldGuild and others solving the cost-to-start problem. Kind of like providing scholarship/loans for school. Players (many in developing countries) also need protection from predatory lenders.

9/ Bottom line, it’s awesome to see the next evolution of post-F2P (more on that here👇) and follow the @axieinfinity phenomenon.

https://twitter.com/amytongwu/status/1411085093389537280

10/ What’s been your experience playing the game and where do you think this goes?