2018 is not the best year for traders.
you are mistaken because your definition of a "trader" is flawed. you are calling newbies who were playing around (gambling) in the cryptocurrency market as "traders" which is obviously wrong. they weren't traders, they were gamblers and that is why they are having troubles this year, because they simply have no idea how trading works and what they should do. their idea of trading is buying some shitcoin, then bag holding it while it goes to the moon making them magically rich!
That is why some crypto enthusiasts pay attention to blockchain games: you play and you earn. As they say. And I see some news in crypto community: more and more people get interested in blockchain games.
i haven't really see any increased interest in "blockchain games" mostly because there aren't any proper ones and not to mention earning from any of them has always been a big waste of time.