Gaming NFTs, to put it mildly, haven't had a good run so far. It seems like players have been outright rejecting them, no matter how hard developers and publishers try.
There has been a massive backlash against any and all attempts to bring the non-fungible token fad into mainstream gaming, and all you need to do to find it is a quick Google search. But is there a reason as to why so-called core gamers have been averse to it?
Gaming NFTs Remind Core Gamers Of An Old Enemy
According to an article by Forbes, the answer is simple: any kind of NFT implementation in a mainstream game is being considered by people as another form of microtransaction.
For the unaware, microtransactions are a way for developers or publishers to make more money off their games by selling in-game items, such as armor or weapons, for real-world money. Sometimes, they even sell things such as XP boosters that will help players progress through games faster-literally a pay-to-win scheme.
But NFTs aren't just another microtransaction. Since they're based on blockchain technology, gamers see them as just another potential scam, with a community full of bad actors. Not to mention, there's also the negative environmental reputation of blockchain technology as a whole.
It makes sense that core gamers would push back against some other form of monetization in games, given the fact that they're already paying for the games themselves. It also doesn't help that current-generation titles exclusive on the new consoles (namely the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X/S) already cost upwards of $70.
If microtransactions (and by extension, loot boxes) were controversial enough to warrant international legal disputes (via ScreenRant), then NFTs are no exception.
Companies Still Want To Push
Ubisoft is among the biggest names in the gaming industry who wanted to take a chance on gaming NFTs-which immediately backfired.
Shortly after announcing that they're putting NFT items into their game "Ghost Recon Breakpoint," the company's announcement video garnered one of the highest dislike ratios in YouTube history: a brutal 96%.
You would assume that other companies would take the hint. And some of them did, specifically Square Enix president Yosuke Matsuda. But that doesn't mean he still doesn't want to dabble in it.
In a report by PCGamer, it was revealed that Matsuda, despite the obvious, massive backlash against putting NFTs in games, remains hopeful that blockchain technology will "decentralize" gaming.
Matsuda's explanation for the backlash is quite simple: those who only "play to have fun" are often averse to the implementation of non-fungible tokens in their games, which he says he understands.
What's Next?
For now, game developers and publishers are in for an uphill climb. Almost every single attempt has been met with negativity, and some companies have actually been pushed to back off of their plans. If you want to dabble in NFTs as a gamer, you'll have to look elsewhere.
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by RJ Pierce
