What is Initial Game Offering (IGO)?

An initial game offering (IGO) is a term used to describe a form of crowdfunding where people can invest in blockchain games in hopes to receive huge returns after the game has been launched. If a game is launched on major crypto exchanges, or reaches the masses and becomes popular, the investors can expect substantial returns on their investments (ROI).

The initial game offering design is similar to the initial coin offering (ICO) except that IGOs use non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and/or tokens as rewards as well as in-game currencies.

IGOs are becoming more popular in the crypto world due to the huge success garnered by blockchain games.

Axie Infinity (AXS) is on top of the blockchain gaming market. AXS has brought in over $1.3 billion US dollars in 2021 alone. It has an ever-growing daily player count that’s at over 1000 users at the moment. Other blockchain games such as CryptoBlades (SKILL), Alien Worlds (TLM), and Splinterlands (SPS) are not too far behind in that regard.

When it comes to Axie Infinity, this blockchain game implemented the Smooth Love Potion (SLP). AXS players can collect SLP by participating in daily quests, player-vs-player (PvP) matches, and engaging in adventure mode (PvE). This gives them the ability to earn income by exchanging their SLP for fiat currencies.

Since blockchain games are gaining popularity with the rest of the gaming community, IGO launchpads started popping up such as Seedify (SFUND), GameFi (GAFI), and Enjinstarter (EJS), among many others. Gaming enthusiasts can utilize IGO launchpads in order to invest in blockchain game projects. 

One of the first launchpads that applied IGOs for its games is GameFi. It has launched over 50 gaming projects. Drunk Robots IGO, Vulcano IGO, Rebel Bots IGO, and Spellfire IGO are their most recent IGO projects available for investments. Their initial tokens are being offered to anyone who can hold them until their value increases. Additionally, the investors can use the tokens in-game. 

Another well-known IGO launchpad is Enjinstarter. It operates on Enjin’s Jumpnet which is a platform designated for the purpose of implementing marketing strategies as well as building and maintaining gaming enthusiast communities. Yield farms, DeFi, and NFT-based platforms, among other features, are available on the Enjinstarter launchpad. 

At its core, an initial game offering’s key motive is to allow individuals to invest in gaming assets early on. By getting ahead of the curve, investors can expect a large return on investment after launch.

Just like any other investment, one must do the necessary research on the market and analyze the project. Before investing in a blockchain gaming project, it’s crucial to assess the platform’s standing by evaluating these aspects:

• Look into the holder benefits of the native tokens and compare the percentage of said benefits side by side with other IGOs;
• If an IGO launchpad uses a lottery mechanism, the allocation is not guaranteed. Therefore, you must figure out whether you’ll be guaranteed an allocation;
• Find out if it’s logical to pursue this gaming project by estimating the return on your investment. It’s a good idea to look through the IGOs launchpad’s previous projects and their successes;
• Check how IGOs launchpad performs by evaluating its holder value. The higher the holder value the better;
• If the number of token generation events (TGE) is high, it's suggested that the IGO launchpad hosts high-quality initiatives. Therefore, you should evaluate the number of token generation events.