Minecraft developer Mojang Studios is taking a strong stance against NFTs.Minecraft servers In a blog post titled "Minecraft and NFTs," the studio, which is owned by Microsoft, wrote that "integrations of NFTs with Minecraft are not something we will support or allow."
"To ensure that Minecraft players have a safe and inclusive experience, blockchain technology is not allowed to be used inside our client and server applications, nor can Minecraft game-specific content, such as skins, worlds, personal items, or other mods, be utilized by blockchain technology to create a rare digital asset," Mojang said.
According to Mojang, some companies have come up with "NFT implementations that are associated with Minecraft world skin packs and files." The studio also suggests that there might be Minecraft "collectible" NFTs or that players could earn NFTs by doing things in Minecraft on a server, or earning them outside of the game.
Mojang claims that these practices promote digital exclusion and scarcity, which is contrary to Minecraft's core values. "NFTs are not inclusive of all of our community and create a semblance of the haves and the have-nots," the studio said. Mojang goes on to declaring that the speculative nature of NFTs "encourages profiteering."
The blog post is worth reading in all its entirety. It outlines many critiques of NFTs and blockchain projects in a clear and understandable manner. (There are many more quotes that I could have included.)
Valve has also taken a firm stand against NFTs and blockchain-based games on Steam. A majority gamers have been against NFTs. Ubisoft stopped making NFTs to Ghost Recon Breakpoint only a few months after the initiative launched. Epic Games said last year that it is "open" to blockchain games available on the Epic Games Store, and the first blockchain-based game was added to the store in June.
While Mojang doesn't completely shut the door to adding blockchain technology in the future, it concludes by declaring that "we do not have any plans for implementing blockchain technology into Minecraft at the moment."
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