Most of the gaming destinations with an option to earn real money are constructed in a way where the user is either expected to buy some virtual currency or make an in-app purchase. Most of these gaming destinations are not allowed to be placed in the organized marketplace. These gaming destination apps are distributed via websites.
Play-to-earn gaming destinations with no real investment are very few and limited to find. MOITRIBE is one such destination, where users can engage in casual multiplayer gaming and leaderboard tournaments to win exciting rewards. While none of these rewards is real cash, they are real cash-worthy rewards. An example would be a $5 amazon coupon.
The attempt to share advertisement revenue with the end user via apps has been tried many times. These efforts have never been attempted in developed markets, as most of the users in the markets are sensitive to advertising. These markets also have very strong consumer rights, where a false promise from the service can get the service provider into trouble.
So, what are these no-investment real money attempts made in the market?
There was an effort to build a service, where you could pay for your talk time or voice minutes of your sim card, just by watching ads regularly. While the concept is great, what message does a service like this give to the advertiser? Not a very good one.
If you look at the gaming of all kinds, the reason to play games has evolved. While gaming was only a form of entertainment. Today gaming has many variations. Some popular reasons to engage with gaming can be listed below.
Game to entertain – This was the original idea behind building games. Games are a popular form of media to entertain their users, just like other digital forms of media. Videos, Music, and Games are globally popular forms of entertainment. The reason to play is entertainment.
Game to pass time – This is a new genre of gaming, which has become popular over the last decade. While there are an estimated 3.2 billion gamers globally, 20% of these gamers are engaged in playing games which require dexterity. The balance 80% are playing games to pass time. This genre of gaming which requires limited dexterity is known as casual and hyper-casual games. The reason to play is the passing of time.
Game to win – Another new age gaming format has become very popular globally. Play-to-earn and play-to-win are just a few of the popular names given to this gaming format. Users normally engage with these platforms, with the aspiration to win something in return. While there are many real cash-winning platforms, these platforms are divided into two broad categories. One is where the user invests money and time, while the other requires the user only to invest time. Winning is the key motive of the reason for the user to engage with this form of gaming.
Game to socialize – Another innovation in gaming, is where users from across the world can connect and engage with other users. Classic games like chess have adopted this connectivity feature over the internet, where users can invite friends from anywhere in the world to connect online for a game of chess. Platforms like HAGO brought the concept of randomly connecting with a stranger with the option to do a video chat while playing a game of checkers. MOITRIBE is also inspired by this social gaming focus. Moitribe is trying to build a single destination, where users connect to opt for 50+ multiplayer games to play with friends and family. The multiplayer feature has both options of random connection and invitation. The invitation feature is powerful, as it can give the user the freedom to choose his online gaming partners. This option of gaming to socialize has been a winning proposition for many gaming titles that have incorporated the same.
Winning real money without investment by playing games, sounds impossible. But some platforms like Moitribe and others have made such offerings possible. Engagement on platforms where there is a reward is 10-20 times more, in comparison to a gaming destination where gaming is the only offering.
Not that gaming alone cannot drive engagement. It is all about matching the intent of the user with the service being offered. When users are acquired from different sources, this engagement metric differs. When there is a match in the acquisition sources, intent and service offering, the engagement reaches an optimum level.
Returning to the topic of earning real cash without investment. A few services worth mentioning are listed below.
Participate in online gaming tournaments: Many websites host online gaming tournaments that offer cash prizes. You can participate in these tournaments and earn money by playing your favourite games.
Game testing: You can sign up as a game tester for game developers and get paid for testing their games. This can help developers identify any issues or bugs in their games before they release them to the public.
Game streaming: You can stream your gameplay on platforms like Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook Gaming and earn money through sponsorships, donations, and ads. Building an audience and growing your channel can take time, but it can be a fun way to earn money while doing what you love.
Play and earn on mobile games: Some mobile games offer rewards, virtual items, and in-game currency that can be redeemed for cash or gift cards. For example, apps like Mistplay and AppStation allow you to earn points for playing games on your phone that can be redeemed for rewards.
Participate in game bounties: Game developers sometimes offer bounties or rewards for players who find bugs, glitches, or issues in their games. Check platforms like HackerOne and Bugcrowd to find game bounties that you can participate in.
Sell game accounts: If you have high-level game accounts or rare in-game items, you can sell them on websites like PlayerAuctions and EpicNPC for real money.
Participate in focus groups and market research studies: Gaming companies sometimes conduct focus groups or market research studies to gather feedback on their games. You can sign up with companies like UserTesting and Respondent to participate in these studies and earn money.
Write game reviews: If you have a passion for writing, you can earn money by writing game reviews for websites and blogs. Websites like GameSkinny and GamesRadar offer opportunities for freelance writers to contribute to their websites.
Participate in game referral programs: Some mobile games offer referral programs that reward you for inviting your friends to play the game. For example, you may receive in-game currency or other rewards for every friend that signs up through your referral link.
Participate in in-game events and promotions: Many mobile games offer in-game events and promotions that offer rewards for participating. For example, you may receive special items or in-game currency for logging in every day or completing certain tasks.
While the options to earn from games without investment are limited today. With the growth in advertising and brand interest towards gaming engagement and casual gaming demographic spread, the potential revenues continue to grow. If the gaming business continues to grow with advertisement revenue engagement, we believe there will be more players to offer real money earnings from gaming without investment.
Hope you liked our article about the opportunities available to earn real cash without investing. Will share other insights on the casual gaming ecosystem soon.