August 27, 2022
By Sharan Kaur Phillora
There has been a controversial divide between some of the world’s largest video game studios and their employees over the use of NFTs and blockchain technology according to a report by Bloomberg.
Here’s what we know:
Video game studios including Square Enix Holdings Co., Konami Holdings Corp. and Sega have showcased their interest in adopting NFT tokens and blockchain technology in their games with a realization of potential profits.
On the other hand, there is a vast difference of opinion between the leadership and the employees who create the games. They believe that NFTs exploit gamers’ trust, creating tiered communities in games that benefit the wealthiest players while failing to address the risks of crypto scams and inherent environmental costs.
While Ubisoft Entertainment SA and Team17 Group Plc were forced to roll back or entirely abandon NFT projects this year after staff showered leadership with hundreds of scathing comments, an independent group of game developers, artists and staff from Minecraft maker Mojang Studios joined forces to draw up a pledge on digital ownership.
This pledge calls on studios to commit to being fully informed about the downsides of NFTs and cryptocurrencies before implementing them in games.
Cory Scheviak, a Minecraft game developer said, “For us as game developers, NFTs change the meaning of what a game is, and that to us is quite worrying.” He further added, “People can make all of the side arguments they want about giving people jobs and the things they say are positives. But at the end, it’s never really been about players. It’s never really been about helping people. It’s always been about making as much money as possible.”
Among those who promised to sign the pledge prior to its publication are Totally Accurate Battle Simulator publisher Landfall Studios, Scheviak said, as well as a large number of Mojang staff who did not contribute to the guide’s creation. Once live, it will be circulated among developers at most major studios for consideration.
Image: Creative Commons
About the author
Sharan Kaur Phillora’s thirst for knowledge has led her to study many different subjects, including NFTs and Blockchain technology – two emerging technologies that will change how we interact with each other in the future. When she isn’t exploring a new idea or concept, she enjoys reading literary masterpieces.
