In an apparent move to maintain the game’s values, Mojang – the gaming company behind the worldwide blockbuster hit Minecraft and the subsidiary of Microsoft – banned NFT technology. In a statement released on July 20, the company stated that “integrations with Minecraft are generally not something we will support or allow.”
“Worried about the Community”
Mojang claims that is worried that NFTs will create models of scarcity. Basically, in their mind, it would exclude some parties from being able to participate, and they need to ensure that Minecraft remains a community where everyone has access to the same content.
So because NFTs are not 100% inclusive of everyone in the space, they are saying that if they are utilized, they will create an exclusionary system of haves and have-nots.
You know, sort of like how literal reality is. They also state that they have also to ensure the safety of the player experience with the ban and note their concern with some third-party NFTs requiring an asset manager who could disappear with gamer’s funds without notice.
For instance, Roblox, the most successful inspiration for the current NFT landscape, has had many scandals about abusing its platform’s third-party development.
While it’s understandable to want to protect the people utilizing your platform, the letter doesn’t go into as much detail as one would expect after implementing a massive, all-encompassing ban such as this.
What about the Money?
Mojang’s Minecraft has a revenue model that makes money in many different ways, including selling their in-game currency, Minecoins. Minecoins are Minecraft’s way of allowing users to purchase items like Skins, Texture Packs, and Worlds, so one might conclude that one of the bigger reasons that the company decided to ban blockchain technology is their business model isn’t destroyed.
It seems as though, all too often, these gaming companies would rather stifle technological advancement than risk having to change the way they conduct business to stay alive. Historically, companies that didn’t evolve with the times were doomed to die off and fade into nothingness eventually.
Gaming World’s Reaction
According to reports, 70% of developers say that they have no interest in merging NFTs into their video games, and the narrative behind a vast number of articles online is extremely negative as well. Perhaps this is one of the factors behind why so many gamers are celebrating and have voiced their joy in favor of the ban on Twitter.
One user on Twitter stated, “We’re doing everything we can to avoid developing an actual game of our own. More details to come”, and the anti-NFT statement is just one of a vast many.
So it is evident that the sentiment seems to be widely in favor of Mojang’s NFT expulsion.
Still, that could be because of the very large number of people who don’t fully understand the technology’s potential or because financial interests take precedence over progression.
What Now?
Of course, this is terrible news to anyone who has invested in NFT projects such as NFT Worlds or Gridcraft/Llamascape – but don’t be too upset just yet. New technologies take a long time, in some instances, to create the needed support behind them to make an impact on the world, and this ban will most likely also have the effect of furthering much more needed innovation in the NFT gaming space.
Over thousands of years concerning our technological history, there have always been tensions between the need for innovation and the pressure to maintain continuity.
Most people don’t truly appreciate or understand just how these technological controversies manifest themselves.
Still, one of the common themes throughout time has been distrust in both public and private institutions. In other words, it might take time before we start seeing more of a welcoming embrace regarding NFTs and other blockchain technologies being incorporated into the gaming world.
Leaving the Door Open…
Mojang said they wouldn’t lose sight of the ever-evolving NFT space and will be paying “close attention.” They want to ensure that their principles are retained as the technology grows, as long as it allows for more secure experiences and perhaps other practical or inclusive gaming applications.
So at the moment, they have “no plans of implementing blockchain technology into Minecraft right now,” but they certainly left the door open for it in the future.
