You know that meme about how "men think about the Roman Empire" daily?
Well, it's hilarious – and maybe true – and I've got to admit I feel a little called out. When I'm not knee-deep in KOMPETE, I end up deep down the rabbit holes of history pretty often. A few days back, predictably enough, that hole led me straight to ancient Rome. As I was learning the story of the 'Praetorian Guard,' something clicked. My mind jumped to the current landscape of web3 gaming – specifically, to our dear influencoors. Weird, huh? Actually, I don't think it's so strange after all.
They say history repeats itself, so let me break it down for you…
'The Guard' was an elite squad of the ancient Roman army, established by Emperor Augustus around the turn of the era. At first, these guys were just glorified bodyguards for the Imperial family, tasked to lead out front and cover the flanks. They were remarkably effective, as you'd expect. And, when you've got a good thing, more is always better, right?
Soon enough, they were doing everything from playing spy games to cracking down on uprisings in order to keep Rome more civil. They started to build up a lot more 'utility' than was initially intended for their role. These dudes were a real force to be reckoned with, and they certainly learned to flex their muscles.
Now, here's the kicker – and this is crucial for where I'm going with this – while they were tasked with protecting the Emperor, it was ultimately supposed to be in service to the Roman people. Sounds noble, right? Well, not exactly… because it didn't shake out that way.
As their influence grew, so did their egos. It turns out that when you're in proximity to power you usually end up developing a taste for it. They learned to start taking more self-serving liberties. Eventually, this led everyone down the road to chaos, with The Guard stepping way outside their now murky role and attempting to call the shots. In case you're not enough of a man to understand what that means in Ancient Rome, it meant they murdered the Emperors they deemed unfit. And when I say "unfit" I really mean "not serving our interests." They overreached bigly and ended up as the jury, the judge, and the executioner.
This whole arrangement didn't end well for anyone. The Guard, the Imperials, and most of all the people ultimately suffered badly. It turns out that in Rome – and I'd argue in Web3 gaming too – power has a nasty potential to corrupt, and people will seek it out if left unchecked.
But here's the thing… Just as the meme suggests, we're drawn to history. Why? I'd argue it's because we're looking for the wisdom our ancestors already paid for in blood and treasure. In my opinion, the lesson of The Praetorian Guard is crystal clear. If it's 'real gainz' we are after in Web3 gaming, we're better off when everyone sticks to the roles where we provide the most value.
At the risk of it not being obvious, I should clarify a few distinctions in my analogy. Our Web3 Influencoors are autonomous – there's no Imperial oversight, and they can do what they want. Taking it a step further, I don't believe Influencoors owe games anything beyond standard respect. However, just like the Praetorian Guard, I do believe they have a moral obligation to the communities they've built trust with and are supposed to serve. In fact, I think the responsibility that comes with their influence cannot be overstated.
In their proper role, I'd argue that web3 gaming influencoors are among the most important contributors to our collective success. Here are some of the things they do so effectively:
Organize and amplify: The best ones share, promote, and even help create gaming experiences in an authentic way that brings players together and creates culture.
Educate: They introduce newcomers to complex web3 concepts, lowering barriers to entry and building trust. But it's not just about normies – they also keep the OGs in the loop, tracking the latest developments and trends for everyone in the community.
Save time: By acting as authority figures and doing research, they showcase the best options for their community.
Provide feedback: Using their reach, they serve as strong advocates for their community.
This isn't meant to be a comprehensive list. The point is that there's tremendous value for everyone – both Games and Gamers – in having Influencoors who can amplify the signal and help drown out the noise. They deserve our gratitude, respect, and even our money for these services. Just like 'The Guard', however, they're exposed to great power in their role, and like any of us, have the potential to use it badly if left unchecked.
At their worst, influencers can be a huge liability, capable of causing significant damage to both their trusting followers and the games they cover. Here are a few ways some have acted unethically:
Promoting unrealistic returns or "get-rich-quick" opportunities to capture more attention.
Getting their audiences "high on the fumes" by repeatedly suggesting unrealistic results are normal or expected.
Requiring increasingly out-of-touch payments in return for baseline objectivity.
Gatekeeping their audiences unless they've been incentivized (and prioritized) above that same audience in advance.
Advocating for Games to take actions that are unambiguously not legal, either through ignorance or malice.
Misrepresenting game development realities by speaking with authority on technical topics without understanding the complexities involved.
Now, I want to be clear that these criticisms genuinely aren't meant to disrespect anyone who's put themselves out there in good faith to create content and build a business. Anyone in the ring trying to build an honest brand is someone I highly respect. It's not easy. I think the line between what is 'fair play' and what should be universally looked down on is pretty easy to distinguish. If you're reading this as an Influencoor, I'm sure you know where you stand and we're probably even friends. :)
So, what's the sweet spot? When are Influencoors at their very best? After all, we saw The Guard take on a range of liberties beyond basic protection, and for a while along that spectrum, everyone was better for it. In my opinion, Influencoors (and projects) should aim to create and contribute to culture as their north star. It's what truly connects people at a deeper level, and I believe it's the lynchpin that will take Web3 gaming to the next level. And no, I don't mean the degenerate culture we saw in the second list of bad behavior. To grow, we'll need to promote ideas and experiences that are palatable outside the siloed walls of Crypto Twitter (X) and have a more universal appeal.
What's cool is that we're already seeing some excellent examples of Web3 culture starting to flourish:
Gamers like Brycent, Spike, Stache, YinNGMI, Gaspode and more are creating genuinely impressive game-focused communities that have appeal even beyond Web3.
Pudgy Penguins has expanded beyond the digital realm of NFTs by making a line of widely-loved children's toys, now available in stores like Target.
Karate Kombat has built an entire real-life fight league on top of their blockchain project. Influencoors duke it out in the ring against each other. Special shoutout to Paisan for being KOMPETE's first sponsored Influencoor fighter!
As we navigate the evolving landscape of Web3 gaming, the parallels with the Praetorian Guard serve as both a cautionary tale and a blueprint for success. Just as the Guard's role expanded beyond mere protection, our Influencoors have the potential to shape the future of this industry as they define it on the front lines. The key lies in striking a balance – leveraging their influence to create authentic value, foster inclusive communities, and promote sustainable growth, all while resisting the corrupting allure of unchecked power. Ultimately, it's up to all of us to hold this standard by supporting the Influencoors that are doing the hard work and pushing back on the ones that deserve it.
By learning from history and focusing on culture creation, we can ensure that Web3 gaming evolves into a thriving industry that benefits not just a select few, but all participants. After all, isn't that the real promise of Web3?
It's up to us – developers, gamers, and yes, Influencoors – to make it a reality.
Ethan Jablonowski
