How did play-to-earn games appear?

Play-to-earn (P2E) games are a revolution in the gaming industry, made possible by the development of blockchain technologies. The P2E concept is based on the idea that players can earn real money or cryptocurrency by playing video games. The first steps in this direction were taken with the advent of NFTs, which allowed for the creation of unique in-game assets. In 2017, blockchain-based games began to gain popularity, and projects like Axie Infinity took this model to the next level, offering players the opportunity to earn cryptocurrency by participating in games. Since then, P2E games have become increasingly in demand, and integration with cryptocurrencies and metaverses continues to attract the attention of developers and users.