Notes

Popular Block Game 'Minecraft' Says no to NFTs and Blockchain

Mojang Studios, the Microsoft-owned developer behind the wildly successful procedurally generated Sandbox game "Minecraft," announced Wednesday that NFTs and other blockchain-related products will not be backed by the studio or permitted in the game.



As a form of blockchain technology an NFT or non-fungible token is basically an unique receipt linked to the blockchain for any digital asset like illustrations, a video or character model in a video game or anything else you can access through a computer that proves the holder to be the sole owner of the asset. If a player from "Minecraft" had the NFT for the pickax that resembles an actual lightsaber, they can claim to be the legal proprietors of the original lightsaber-shaped pickax.



Mojang declared that NFTs violate the values of the game, collaboration and cooperation. The virtual assets are rare items for collectors.



"NFTs are not inclusive of all members of our community and create a picture of the haves and the not-so-haves," the statement reads.



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Mojang added that the mind-set NFTs would introduce into "Minecraft" could harm players' long-term enjoyment the game. Mojang expressed concern that players would spend more time appraising NFTs values and trying to make money from "Minecraft" over playing the game itself.



Mojang also had concerns about NFTs in fraud cases, quality control and NFTs being sold at inflated prices. However the restriction on NFTs was a conditional; Mojang said it would pay "close attention" to the way in which technology develops. The statement says that blockchain technology is not allowed to be integrated into Minecraft client or server applications, nor can they be used to create NFTs with any in-game content including worlds and skins, persona items and other mods. "We have no plans of implementing blockchain technology into Minecraft as of now."



This is a bold position, especially for a title that is as wildly popular and moddable as "Minecraft." The 10 years-old sandbox game has sold over 238 million copies, according Statista which makes "Minecraft" the top-selling video game of all time. The reason for this is obvious: "Minecraft" is simple, easy to run and extremely flexible. Players have utilized "Minecraft" to create an online Harry Potter game set in the exact replica of Hogwarts and made a fictional cult-like commune dedicated to the streamer MoonMoon and even created a working CPU.



Long-time players make money from building for the game



The gaming platform "Roblox" is often mentioned in the same breath as "Minecraft" due to both titles' customizability and popularity among younger gamers. Roblox Corporation has yet to support NFTs, though in an interview with VentureBeat, Chief Business Officer Craig Donato voiced enthusiastic support for implementing them into the game in the near future.



According to a recent study more than $2.2 billion was raised by private blockchain and NFT gaming companies in the first half of 2022, which reflects a wave of interest among investors in the video game industry. On Wednesday, Lee Trink, CEO of the gaming and esports lifestyle brand FaZe Clan, spoke glowingly about the potential for the newly-public company to explore opportunities related to blockchain technology.



However, NFTs have also been viewed as a skepticism by many developers. According to Bloomberg Ubisoft's venture into NFTs was criticized by its employees. In an interview with Wired, Frost Giant Studios co-founder Tim Morten said that play-to-earn games on blockchain were "dangerously similar to an elaborate pyramid scheme". Potential investors might be put off by a company like Mojang using the term NFTs in a negative light.
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