Next Telegram Gaming Boom Will Come From Reinventing Classics: ‘Notcoin’ Founders – Decrypt

Telegram sport Notcoin kick-started final yr’s tap-to-earn revolution that amassed a whole lot of hundreds of 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 yr 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 subsequent Telegram gaming growth.

Sasha Plotvinov, co-founder of Notcoin, advised Decrypt that he believes that demand for tap-to-earn video games didn’t considerably improve after Notcoin’s launch, although the variety of video games on provide grew exponentially. This oversaturation of the market, he mentioned, is the principle purpose 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 to earn in-game factors. This was all accomplished within the pursuit of a future airdrop, which more and more upset 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 can be specializing in the gameplay above token reward schemes.

“We’re taking a look at 10, 15, 20 years again… for examples of video games that have been well-liked as a result of individuals simply wished to play them,” Sasha advised Decrypt at Token2049 in Dubai this week. “And we simply take these mechanics and attempt to replicate this in a brand new format, and likewise 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—as a consequence of 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 pressured that they wish to keep away from “pay-to-win” mechanics in any respect prices.

Sasha seems to be on the Counter-Strike pores and skin economic system, which is estimated to be price $4.2 billion, and thinks that Telegram gaming wants this too. He factors to the large success of cellular 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.

However why do that all on Telegram?

“It’s a lot simpler. If you wish to play a basic sport, it’s good to get it on the App Retailer and obtain it,” Vladimir advised 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 friends in trade for in-game rewards. Uliana Salo, head of design and product lead for Not Video games, believes that reinvented classics may also make the most of this Telegram characteristic.

In 2024, WeChat claimed that 500 million customers have 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 anywhere on this planet to only push a button and [play a game],” he mentioned. “From that perspective, I don’t see a purpose 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 sport Agar.io, known as Void, however extra video games are within the works.

The Plotvinov brothers didn’t anticipate Notcoin’s viral success, saying that its success got here nearly too shortly to understand. From this expertise, they realized that you just 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 fashion,” Vladimir mentioned. “Typically I meet with builders who’re attempting to construct rockets, but it surely’s actually not essential. You can also make a small batch of options, launch it, see it, get suggestions, and work with it.”

Edited by Andrew Hayward