While NFTs have flooded online spaces, game developers aren't quite sold on them, and indeed, many despise the concept.
Previously, The Game Developers Conference conducted a poll involving 2,700 developers. Its main focus was to understand how interested developers are in NFTs and cryptocurrencies. On January 21st, the findings were unveiled, capturing the attention of the gaming community.
Unexpectedly, even though NFTs are gaining traction, the bulk of game developers aren't keen on getting involved with NFTs or crypto as payment options, as shown by the survey. State of the Game Industry 2022 .”
The gaming world was rocked in 2021 by Axie Infinity, the famed Play-to-Earn game that set the stage for GameFi's emergence.
Game Devs Don’t Like NFTs
Major industry players proudly forecast NFTs as gaming's future, with 2021 marking a pivotal year. Early 2022 saw various renowned gaming firms unveil NFT plans. Heavyweights like Konami and Ubisoft have ventured into NFTs, while others like EA, Sony, and Capcom hint at involvement.
It's possible for nearly every game element, whether big or small, to be represented as an NFT. However, such endeavors often face strong backlash from players and even many developers aren't eager to embrace NFTs.
Survey data reveals that about 72% of developers said their studios aren't considering cryptocurrency for payments.
Approximately seven out of ten game developers show reluctance toward NFTs, with just 1% already involved in NFTs or crypto payments.
Players' voices are crucial in a game's triumph or downfall; when they speak up, other factors pale in comparison.
The Voice Of Gamers
EA learned this lesson painfully. Back in 2017, they faced backlash for making players buy characters in Star Wars Battlefront II, drawing severe criticism.
The resulting uproar caught the eye of European regulators, and the Belgian government ended up banning such models, with others like the UK, Netherlands, and Germany tightening in-game item controls.
There's been growing unease over integrating blockchain, digital currencies, and NFTs into certain games.
The past year has been a turbulent one for crypto, witnessing surging values of Bitcoin and Ethereum and spawning a surge of NFTs.
Many are drawn by the GameFi concept, a fusion of gaming and earning. Thus, diverse NFTs, from avatars and outfits to weapons and virtual real estate, keep popping up, enticing enthusiasts to spend big.
Nevertheless, the rapid crypto evolution has overwhelmed some, leaving gamers who play for enjoyment and passion uninterested in its monetary allure.
With NFTs, developers seem singularly driven to extract maximum player spending, often at the cost of gameplay enhancement and quality.
Gamers' displeasure over NFTs or their introduction by key gaming companies is palpable, prompting developers to reconsider their miscalculations regarding NFTs.
NFT and blockchain's place in gaming remains a big question mark. However, it's apparent that both consumers and many developers aren't investing in this direction, based on recent research.
Nicholas Say's diverse life experiences, stemming from his Michigan roots to his time in Uruguay and his current life in the Far East, enrich his writings, found extensively online, especially on future tech.
