Ready Player One? The Gaming Thematic is here
Daniel De Lophem
Product Manager
Level up your portfolio with the fastest-growing trend in crypto.
The gaming industry is undergoing a revolution as incentives are moving away from big corporations and back into the hands of players and fans. Millions are onboarding crypto games and platforms, making it one of the most promising opportunities for this next market cycle.
Invest in what millions will play.
Why Web3 Gaming: A perfect storm is brewing
It has become impossible to ignore games.
Gaming has gone beyond mere play; it has established itself into the fabric of our daily lives, becoming a staple activity as we navigate an increasingly virtual world. One in every two European adults aged 18 to 35 already identifies as a gamer—a trend that promises to spread globally in the years to come.
From the pioneering days of the 1970s, when Atari launched “Pong” - often celebrated as the first video game, we believe the industry is now entering its 4th era.
Initially, video games gained popularity through the pay-to-play model of arcade classics like Pac-Man, where each game came at the cost of a coin or two. This model gave way to the era of home consoles, with Nintendo paving the way, followed by Sega, and later, Sony and Microsoft, with their PlayStations and Xboxes dominating living rooms worldwide. The most recent shift has been from physical hardware to online experiences, allowing games to be downloaded rather than purchased on physical disks. This third era saw the rise of free-to-play games and in-game monetisation. Games like Fortnite have become cultural phenomena, with players having dedicated 3.8 billion days to them since 2020 - more than the entire span of human existence.
Today, the gaming industry continues to boom, partly fueled by the isolating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. It boasts 3.38 billion gamers globally and generated close to $200 billion in revenue in 2023. For Generations Z and Alpha, who seamlessly blend digital and physical realms, gaming is not just a pastime but a significant part of life, averaging 15 hours a week.
Yet, as gaming becomes increasingly integral in young people's lives, there's a glaring issue: the need for more reciprocity for time and effort spent in these digital realms. Major gaming studios and corporations are reaping billions from player data for continuous monetisation without sharing the wealth with the data's creators.
This imbalance is precisely where Web3 technology steps in, propelling the industry into its 4th era: the Play to Own and GameFi age. For the first time, decentralised technology allows us to bypass the gatekeeping of big studios and realign incentives with the players themselves. Web3 technology transfers gaming power back to the individuals contributing to its growth, fostering a direct and equitable economic ecosystem where value creation is rewarded.
Web3 Gaming is the centre of two major tailwinds: 1) the industry's inherent growth post-Covid. 2) the paradigm shift that places value back in the hands of players and fans.
The result is millions of players and fans boarding the Web3 Gaming train, marking it as a leading trend toward crypto mass adoption. With tangible benefits for hundreds of millions and early successes like Axie Infinity indicating market fit, a perfect storm is brewing in Web3 Gaming. The year 2024 is poised to be its breakout year.
Gaming undergoes paradigm shifts every couple of decades, and the rise of Play-To-Own today mirrors the ascent of Free-to-Play about 15 years ago. We believe that in the next decade, most games will weave in Web3 tech and ownership elements, positioning Web3 to become the leading business model in gaming.
Understanding the evolution of business models is key to grasping any industry's current state and potential future. In the gaming world, the prevailing model faces critical ownership issues. It's an inevitable shift that gamers will start to demand ownership of their virtual assets, and Web3 is positioned to answer this call.
What is the Gaming Thematic: The Future of Gaming bundled into one investment
Thematics are carefully curated living portfolios that evolve with expert insights into the market.
Until now, our Thematic offering has covered various risk levels horizontally. Our Golden Thematic appeals to the risk-conscious, while our most recent collaboration, the Banter Bundle, targets those with a higher risk appetite.
The Gaming Thematic, however, marks our first deep dive into a specific investment vertical, focusing squarely on the booming world of Web3 Gaming, a sector positioned to dominate the next market cycle.
The top games, supporting infrastructure, communities, and moonshots, are united in one investment.
As the industry’s expansion unfolds, the Gaming Thematic combines the most promising games, essential infrastructure, vibrant communities, and high-potential projects into one investment. Our investment specialists meticulously select and regularly update these as the market and industry evolve.
Here is its starting allocation:
Backtesting against Bitcoin's performance, the Gaming Thematic has already shown to be an asymmetric play with substantial upside potential. With the past year laying down a solid foundation, this Thematic is primed to eclipse most major caps as this bull cycle continues.
Further projects under strong consideration for future reallocations include:
- WEAPON
- AURY
- Gala
- Sandbox
- APE
- UOS
- MANA
- GHST
- BIGTIME
- PRIME
- RON
Rebalancing: Every 90 days
Market drift correction to return to the defined ideal allocation for each token. Sell the most-performing assets that have gained proportionally more weight (thereby taking profit) to buy the lagging asset (buying low).
Reallocations: Up to quarterly
Based on SwissBorg investment team’s assessment of the market and the industry, the thematic composition will be re-weighted, with new tokens added and existing ones removed.
Global Launch: 20/02/24
Wait, there’s one more thing…
The Gaming Thematic is unlike any other Thematic we have released in the past, and to celebrate this milestone, we're rolling out the red carpet for our early investors with a special celebration of your commitment.
Just before the rest of the world joins in, we're offering our most dedicated users an exclusive early investment opportunity in the Gaming Thematic. This opportunity is about more than just being first; it's a chance to be rewarded for your pioneering spirit.
Step into the Early Bird Phase, and you'll become eligible for an exceptional airdrop of XBorg's native XBG token just as they're gearing up for its official launch.
Be one of the first to invest in the future of Gaming and get an XBorg airdrop before their token goes public!
Circle these dates for the Early Bird access:
- Tuesday, 13/02: A special day for Pegasus, Genesis and XBorg Users (incl. Prometheus Holders and XBorg Early Investors)
- Wednesday, 14/02: All other premium users take the stage.
- Thursday, 15/02 and Friday, 16/02: We open the floor to all users.
Remember, places are limited - once this window closes, it's gone.
How does it work?
The more you invest, the greater your rewards - distributed through a 3-tiered Reward System. Investors qualifying for the highest tiers receive the highest amount of XBG tokens.
Though the exact numbers will remain secret until the Early Bird phase concludes, you can trust that the reward will reflect our value for early adopters like you.
The airdrop promises a quick one-month cliff followed by a 12-month linear vesting period. This setup ensures you'll receive monthly token payouts for a year, anchored at the launch price.
Gaming Thematic Airdrop Eligibility
- Exclusion of UK Users: Due to regulatory constraints within the United Kingdom, UK residents are not eligible to participate in this Airdrop promotion. As such, any contributions made towards the Gaming Thematic will not be considered for the Airdrop.
- Investment Intention: This Airdrop is intended to reward long-term investment in gaming's future, not short-term gain. The following backstop conditions apply: - Eligibility is limited to purchases made during the initial promotion period. - Airdrop calculations are based on the USD investment value at the snapshot moment, regardless of posterior market volatility. - Snapshot Moment: A snapshot will be taken on Tuesday, 20/02/2024, at 23:59 CET to determine eligibility and the investment value for the Airdrop. - If the market declines, the asset amount eligible for the Airdrop will correspondingly decrease but may recover to the initial investment value if the market rebounds. - Airdrop rights will be forfeited if a user sells any portion of their Thematic and their account balance drops below the USD value of their initial Airdrop-eligible investment.
- Vesting Conditions: Airdrop vesting commences from the Token Generation Event (TGE) date, not the conclusion of the Early Bird phase.
- Please note, additional purchases post-promotion will not increase eligibility, and the company reserves the right to final interpretation and enforcement of these terms.
