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Mojang Studios, the developers behind the popular game Minecraft, has taken a hard stand regarding the use of NFTs (non-fungible tokens) on Minecraft. The company in a blog post said that the game won’t support NFTs and ‘blockchain tech’. Also Read – How to turn off automatic updates in Windows 10: A step-by-step guide
“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,” Mojang Studios wrote in a blog post. Also Read – Microsoft has detected a new phishing attack that can bypass multi-factor authentication: What it is, how it works
For the unversed, Minecraft has a marketplace that enables third-party developers and creators to sell (and gamers to download) content such as skins, textures and whole worlds. These transactions happened via Minecraft Coins. Of lately, some creators had started selling NFTs that are connected to the game and are needed to cross certain levels in the game. Now, Mojang Studios has clarified that it does not support any of that. Also Read – Netflix teams up with Microsoft for its cheaper ad-supported subscription tier
In the post elaborating its Community Guidelines on the use of NFTs and Blockchain-based technology, the Microsoft-owned game developer said, “NFTs can create models of scarcity and exclusion that conflict with our Guidelines and the spirit of Minecraft.”
The game developer also said that NFTs create a digital divide of ‘haves and have nots’ within the game and prevent all users have access to the same features through out. “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. NFTs are not inclusive of all our community and create a scenario of the haves and the have-nots,” the company wrote.
Mojang Studios also said that NFTs take the focus away from playing the game and encourage profiteering and so it is banning the use of these technologies within the game.
However, this is not an outright ban. The developer did say that it will continue to monitor the evolution of blockchain technology to determine if it could be used for providing a more inclusive experience in the game.
This is a similar stand that a lot of gaming companies have taken regarding the use of NFTs of lately. Steam has already banned games based on NFT trading on its platform. Sony recently announced special rewards program for PlayStation Plus users. However, it clarified that the collectibles within the program were not NFTs.
