Minecraft Says No To NFTs Because They Create 'scarcity And Exclusion'

Players of Minecraft will not be able to purchase in-game content such as worlds, skins, persona items and other mods in the form of NFTs.

Minecraft, the most successful video game ever, will not allow NFTs. NFTs create a "scenario of the haves" and "the haves and the havenots".

Mojang Studios posted a strong statement on the Minecraft website yesterday (20/7/2017) that NFTs were against the game's values.

"NFTs or other blockchain technologies create digital owner based on scarcity, exclusion which is not in alignment with Minecraft values for creative inclusion and playing along," the company wrote.
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"Speculative pricing of NFTs and the investment mentality surrounding them takes the focus off the game and encourages profiteering. This is contrary to the long-term joys and success of our players."

Minecraft explained that the statement was in response to feedback received from members of the community asking for clarifications on the studios stance on NFTs/blockchain.

This change means that Minecraft won't allow blockchain integrations to its client and servers, unlike many other virtual game worlds. NFTs can not be used to build in-game content like worlds or skins, mods, and other items.

Mojang, owned by Microsoft, stated that it is also concerned with third-party NFTs. This could lead to players being charged more for their services. It cited scenarios where third-party NFT managers could "disappear without notice" or NFTs could be "sold at artificially or fraudulently inflated prices".

"We know that the creations within our games have intrinsic value and we work to create a market where those values are recognized."

Online gaming has seen an increase in interest in blockchain technologies like NFTs. This topic was also discussed at Future Human earlier in the year.

GameStop and other companies have expressed their confidence in NFTs, and launched its own NFT marketplace.

Other companies are not yet ready to go all in. EA's CEO had previously stated that blockchain and NFTs could become the future of gaming. But, he said recently, "Right now, we are not driving hard against it."

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