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NFTs are not inclusive of all our community and create a scenario of the haves and the have-nots. “Each of these uses of NFTs and other blockchain technologies creates digital ownership based on scarcity and exclusion, which does not align with Minecraft values of creative inclusion and playing together.
MOJANG MINECRAFT SKIN
The studio notes that some companies have recently launched NFT implementations associated with Minecraft world files and skin packs: Mojang specifically highlights scarcity and exclusion as factors. While the studio is currently updating its usage guidelines for more specificity, Mojang says that integrations of NFTs with Minecraft are “generally not something” it will support or allow. Recently, it says, community members have asked Mojang to clarify its position on NFTs and blockchain. In a post titled “ Minecraft and NFTs,” the studio gives a lengthy but clear explanation of its decision. In a new statement, Mojang puts the foot down on any blockchain or NFT technologies integrating with Minecraft. But the release was widely criticized by both gamers and Ubisoft employees, and the company shut the platform down last April.Microsoft and Mojang are making their stance clear on NFTs in the world of Minecraft. Late last year, French developer Ubisoft made waves with the release of its NFT platform for its best-selling games, which would allow players to purchase in-game content as NFTs. Mojang isn’t the only gaming studio to behave cautiously around the future of NFTs and gaming. Mojang said it would pay “close attention to how blockchain technology evolves over time to ensure that the above principles are withheld and determine whether it will allow for more secure experiences or other practical and inclusive applications in gaming.” In its statement, Mojang expressed concern that third-party NFTs could be unreliable and highly risky ventures for Minecraft users, highlighting evidence of NFTs being sold for artificially high prices.īut while the game developers said that there are “no plans” of implementing blockchain or NFTs at the moment, they did not shut the door on NFTs permanently. Since first hitting the mainstream market little more than a year ago, NFTs have blown hot and cold, as for seemingly every user to become an overnight millionaire, many more have fallen victim to scams or fraudulent sales involving NFTs. “NFTs are not inclusive of all our community and create a scenario of the haves and the have-nots,” the developers wrote, adding that NFTs could lead to a less joyful gaming experience for users, who might be pressured into focusing more on profits and making money rather than playing the game. Mojang’s main gripe with NFTs is that the technology can create “models of scarcity and exclusion” on the platform, as NFTs are by their very nature unique and scarce, leading to a user experience that would “conflict” with Minecraft’s guidelines and values. In their most recent criticism, Mojang developers identified several cases where NFTs have encroached on Minecraft’s servers, including NFTs made by external companies that are ”associated with Minecraft world files and skin packs,” or NFTs being used as incentives to guide players’ actions in-game. In April, a group of developers including several Mojang representatives launched a pledge urging gaming studios to reconsider implementing NFTs due to their heavy environmental impact. It isn’t the first time Minecraft’s developers have expressed disapproval for NFTs.
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“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,” the developers wrote. Minecraft turns away from NFTsĪs of Wednesday, NFTs and the blockchain technology they run on are no longer permitted in Minecraft’s procedurally generated open world, the game’s developers at Mojang Studios announced in a blog post. And earlier this month, video game retailer GameStop launched a much-awaited NFT marketplace online that generated over $7 million in sales in its opening week.īut Minecraft’s refusal to even accept NFTs on its platform might be a signal that not everyone in gaming is buying into the NFT hype.
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Later this year, Epic Games-the developer behind the battle royale Fortnite game-will be releasing its first game powered by blockchain, the technology that supports NFTs. NFTs, or non-fungible tokens-unique digital assets, often in image or video form-have been turning heads in the gaming world recently.
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