Minecraft Says no to NFTs because they Create scarcity And Exclusion

Minecraft players Minecraft are not able to purchase in-game content, such as worlds skins, persona items and other mods through NFTs.

Minecraft, the top-selling video game of all time does not support NFTs because they "create an environment of haves and the have-nots".

In a shrewdly worded blog post on the Minecraft website yesterday (20 July) the developer Mojang Studios said that the incorporation of NFTs could be incompatible with the game's principles.

The company claimed that NFTs and other blockchain technologies create digital ownership that is based on the concept of scarcity and exclusion. This is not in accordance with Minecraft values of creative inclusion playing with others, and sharing our resources.

"The speculative pricing and investment mindset around NFTs take the focus away from playing the game and encourages profiteering, which is incompatible with the long-term joy and the success of our players." Presta live

Minecraft stated that the statement was in response to comments from members of the community who asked for clarifications on the studio's position on NFTs and blockchain.

The change means that, unlike many other virtual world games Minecraft does not allow blockchain integrations in its server and client applications. The NFTs can't be used in the game for content such as skins, worlds, and other items, in addition to other mods.

Microsoft-owned Mojang said it is also concerned that some third-party NFTs may not be reliable and could end costing the players who purchase NFTs. It cited scenarios where third-party NFT managers could "disappear without notice" or NFTs could be "sold at artificially or fraudulently inflated prices".

"We acknowledge that the work we do in our game is intrinsically valuable and we aim to provide a marketplace in which those values are recognized."

The online gaming community has seen an increase in interest in blockchain technology like NFTs which was discussed at Future Human earlier this year.

Companies like GameStop have expressed confidence in NFTs as an important feature in future gaming, launching its own NFT marketplace.

Some companies aren't yet all-in. The CEO of EA has stated that blockchain and NFTs could be the future of gaming. However, he recently stated: "Right now it's not something we're pursuing."