When Pixels originally migrated from Polygon to Ronin, many people bought land NFTs to gamble on appreciation. However, the game itself did not provide sufficient use for the land, so these NFTs once became useless. Now the situation is reversing.
The true meaning of resource scarcity reform
Currently, the resources in Pixels are basically produced infinitely. Any land can grow crops, and any player can craft tools and items themselves. The consequence of this is that the value of resources continues to depreciate. The carrots you spend time growing today might drop in price tomorrow because there are too many in the market.
The core of the reform is: high-level resources and scarce items can only be produced from land. This creates a critical bottleneck.@Pixels If only land can produce certain items, then all other players must obtain these resources from landowners.
This changes the entire flow of the economy. It is now a 'self-sufficient' model, which has transformed into a 'land-centered' model after the reform. Players without land must either rent land or buy resources. Players with land possess real economic value.
Three tiers of land value
After the reform, Pixels' land will be divided into three distinct value tiers.
The first layer is location. Land in good locations, surrounded by more NPCs, shops, and quests, will yield higher-level resources. Poorly located land produces inferior resources. This is akin to the differences in real estate locations.
The second layer is resource production type. Some land can only produce wood, while others can yield rare minerals. As the game evolves, certain resources will inevitably become particularly scarce and valuable. Owning land that can produce those resources will be worth a lot.
The third layer is the rental relationship. Landowners can rent to tenants and collect a portion of the earnings. This is a real income model. After buying land, it’s not about waiting for appreciation, but actively renting it out to generate cash flow.
Why the Guilds system has become crucial
With resource scarcity, it becomes difficult for individual players to gather all the necessary items. This is the opportunity for Guilds.
A good Guild should own multiple pieces of land, covering different types of resource production. This way, the Guild can meet the various needs of its members. Guild members help each other, share resources, and complete challenging tasks together.
From an economic perspective, the Guild has become a micro-economy. Some players provide land resources, others process and produce, and some handle market transactions. Everyone has a role, and overall efficiency is much higher than that of individual retail investors.
The Guild's reputation system has become a tangible asset. High-reputation Guilds provide members with more benefits, which is valuable. Thus, competition will arise—whichever Guild can organize better will attract more members.
Business models that cannot be seen in reality
This reform introduces a real existing business model to Pixels—the landlord system.
In reality, landlords own real estate and collect rental income. Pixels' landowners are virtual landlords. They invest in purchasing land and then earn stable income through renting. This is a far more sustainable profit model than 'flipping land.'
For the game itself, this model addresses a key issue: how to provide long-term players with real economic benefits, rather than solely relying on token appreciation. Now landowners have two sources of income: rental income and token earnings. Both sources hold value.
NFT assets finally have a purpose
For a long time, NFTs in Web3 games have faced skepticism. Critics say these things are just speculation, with no real purpose. The resource scarcity reform directly responds to this criticism—NFT land now indeed has a purpose.
This also changes the way NFTs are valued. Previously, the value of land depended primarily on speculative hype. After the reform, the value of land will depend on how many resources it can produce and how much it can rent for. This is a fundamental-based valuation, rather than an emotion-based valuation.
Valuation based on fundamentals is more stable. A piece of land that can produce high-level resources has value regardless of fluctuations in the currency market. This is important for long-term investors.
The natural differentiation of player classes
This reform will lead to an inevitable result: the differentiation of player classes.
The first category is landowners. They own assets and earn stable income through renting and resource production. They are at the top tier of the economic system.
The second category is Guild managers. They are responsible for integrating resources, organizing members, and controlling a small economy. Their earnings come from the operation of the Guild.
The third category is ordinary players. To obtain scarce resources, they either rent land, join a Guild, or buy directly. They earn income through labor and trade.#pixel
This layering is actually quite healthy. It’s not that the rich monopolize everything, but rather that different roles have different play styles. Landowners earn stable passive income, Guild managers rely on operational ability, and ordinary players rely on hard work.
What to look at next
The speed and details of the reform's execution are crucial. If implemented hastily, without providing a sufficient transition period, it may lead to market collapse. Do players have time to adjust their strategies? Can newcomers still enter the game?
Another consideration is whether this reform will lead to the game becoming too intensive. If resources are too scarce and it becomes too difficult for ordinary players to obtain them, they may abandon the game. The balance point is crucial.