Subsequent Telegram Gaming Growth Will Come From Reinventing Classics: 'Notcoin' Founders – Decrypt

Telegram recreation Notcoin kick-started final 12 months's tap-to-earn revolution that amassed a whole lot of thousands and thousands of gamers on the messaging app, however enthusiasm for the mannequin has since dwindled following underwhelming token launches tied to more and more overcomplicated schemes.Now, a 12 months after Notcoin’s NOT token launch sparked the frenzy, the sport’s founders imagine that reinventing basic video video games through its not too long ago launched Not Video games platform will immediate the following Telegram gaming increase.Sasha Plotvinov, co-founder of Notcoin, informed Decrypt that he believes that demand for tap-to-earn video games didn't considerably improve after Notcoin’s launch, regardless that the variety of video games on provide grew exponentially. This oversaturation of the market, he stated, is the primary motive why he believes the tap-to-earn style died out so quickly.On prime of saturation, tap-to-earn video games had monotonous gameplay loops consisting of mindlessly tapping your display screen to earn in-game factors. This was all executed within the pursuit of a future airdrop, which more and more dissatisfied individuals as a rule.As such, Sasha and his brother and fellow Notcoin co-founder Vladimir Plotvinov imagine that the way forward for Telegram gaming shall be specializing in the gameplay above token reward schemes.“We're 10, 15, 20 years again… for examples of video games that had been widespread as a result of folks simply needed to play them,” Sasha informed Decrypt at Token2049 in Dubai this week. “And we simply take these mechanics and attempt to replicate this in a brand new format, and in addition introduce the second layer of [a crypto] economic system.”Studying from the tap-to-earn wave, the co-founders imagine that making a sustainable economic system through its Not Video games platform is essential this time round—attributable to the truth that most tap-to-earn token costs plummeted after their respective launches.These economies will make the most of The Open Community (TON) to permit gamers to commerce skins and different cosmetics on an open market. Sasha harassed that they need to keep away from “pay-to-win” mechanics in any respect prices.Sasha appears on the Counter-Strike pores and skin economic system, which is estimated to be value $4.2 billion, and thinks that Telegram gaming wants this too. He factors to the massive success of cell video games like Sweet Crush Saga and Conflict of Clans, and believes {that a} sustainable economic system is the apparent subsequent step for the trade.Sasha Plotvinov, Uliana Salo, and Vladimir Plotvinov (from left) of Not Video games at Token2049 Dubai 2025. Picture: DecryptBut why do that all on Telegram?“It’s a lot simpler. If you wish to play a basic recreation, you want to get it on the App Retailer and obtain it,” Vladimir informed Decrypt. “In Telegram, you don’t need to register as a result of you have already got an account—you'll be able to simply open the net app and play in a single second.”With this ease of use additionally comes elevated potential for social virality, which prompted a lot of the rise of tap-to-earn gaming as devs inspired customers to ask buddies in change for in-game rewards. Uliana Salo, head of design and product lead for Not Video games, believes that reinvented classics may benefit from this Telegram function.In 2024, WeChat claimed that 500 million customers had been enjoying in-app video games on its platform every month. Sasha needs Not Video games to be positioned for the same stage of potential success on Telegram, with the app not too long ago hitting 1 billion lively customers.“Telegram permits anybody from anyplace on the earth to simply push a button and [play a game],” he stated. “From that perspective, I don’t see a motive why Telegram gaming wouldn't succeed.”To assist Telegram obtain its gaming future, Not Video games will proceed to reinvent basic video video games on the messaging app. Not Video games’ first try is a reinvention of the basic in-browser recreation Agar.io, known as Void, however extra video games are within the works.The Plotvinov brothers didn’t count on Notcoin’s viral success, saying that its success got here virtually too shortly to understand. From this expertise, they realized that you simply don’t need to ship an ideal product to achieve notoriety. As a substitute, they plan to launch good concepts shortly, and keep agile when receiving person suggestions. That’s the technique behind Not Video games.“We'll transfer this manner,” Vladimir stated. “Generally I meet with builders who're attempting to construct rockets, nevertheless it’s actually not obligatory. You may make a small batch of options, launch it, see it, get suggestions, and work with it.”Edited by Andrew HaywardGG NewsletterGet the most recent web3 gaming information, hear straight from gaming studios and influencers protecting the area, and obtain power-ups from our companions.