Mojang Studios, the makers of Minecraft, has clarified that they are not in support of integrating non-fungible tokens (NFT) in the all-time best-selling game.
In a blog post, the Microsoft-owned game maker stated that NFTs and blockchain technology do not align with its goal of making Minecraft a safe and all-inclusive experience. Hence, it is banning all integrations of the technology. The post said:
“To ensure that Minecraft players have a safe and inclusive experience, blockchain technologies are not permitted to be integrated inside our client and server applications, nor may Minecraft in-game content such as worlds, skins, persona items, or other mods, be utilized by blockchain technology to create a scarce digital asset.”
Mojang noted its qualms with NFTs and blockchains technology to include the promotion of speculation, as well as the creation of ownership models based on scarcity and exclusion. It added that it is equally concerned that some third-party NFTs “may not be reliable and may end up costing players who buy them.”
“NFTs are not inclusive of all our community and create a scenario of the haves and the have-nots. The speculative pricing and investment mentality around NFTs takes the focus away from playing the game and encourages profiteering, which we think is inconsistent with the long-term joy and success of our players,” Mojang added.
Regardless, the company says it is still studying areas in which it can deploy blockchain technology in its game but has currently not found any such use cases. Notably, Mojang’s policy review is coming after Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates slammed NFTs, describing them as being “100% based on greater fool theory,” according to a report from CNBC last month.
Other game makers still looking to adopt NFTs
The announcement is likely to affect the previously thriving ecosystem of NFT projects themed after the popular game. One of those is NFT Worlds, a web3 gaming project that focuses on NFT integrations on Minecraft. The project’s token, WRLD, has plunged 61% in the last 24 hours, per data from CoinMarketCap.
Meanwhile, several other gaming industry giants are looking to utilize NFTs as they venture into metaverse and Web3 gaming. Japanese game maker Square Enix, which sold some of its IP to invest in web 3 gaming, has this week announced its first game that integrates NFTs—Final Fantasy VII.
Another game maker looking to integrate NFTs is Electronic Art (EA) which announced last year that it considers NFTs to be a part of the future of gaming, as noted by the BBC.
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