Don't expect to buy the creeper skin as an NFT (non-fungible token) and plug it into your Minecraft server in the near future. Mojang has taken a strong position against the hugely popular game's involvement with NFTs and blockchain technology. "[To] ensure Minecraft players have a secure, inclusive experience, blockchain technology is not allowed to be integrated into our Minecraft client or server applications, nor may it be utilized to create NFTs linked to any game content, including skins and worlds, personsa objects, or other mods," Mojang stated in a statement. The game will soon be updated with the game’s guidelines accordingly.
Minecraft offers a marketplace where users can sell their work to other players. Mojang notes that some companies recently began offering NFTs that are connected to the game. Certain NFTs are available for purchase in exchange for Minecraft skin packs or world files. The studio said it might be possible for players to earn Minecraft NFTs through activities they performed within the game, or elsewhere. Mojang isn't in agreement with any of this.
It stated that each of these uses of NFTs or other blockchain technologies creates a digital owner based on scarcity, exclusion, which is not in the spirit of Minecraft values of creative inclusion. Minecraftservers "NFTs are not inclusive of our community and create a situation of the haves and the have-nots."
While Minecraft server owners are allowed to charge for access, Mojang rules state that everyone should have access the same features and content. "NFTs however, may create models of scarcity and exclusion that conflict with our guidelines and the spirit of Minecraft," the studio stated.
Mojang also expressed concerns about the speculative nature of NFTs and pointed out that some have been sold at "artificially or fraudulently high prices." In light of the fact that Minecraft has millions of young players It's not a great look for the game to support NFTs. "The speculative pricing and investment mindset around NFTs distracts players from the game and encourages profiteering which we believe is incompatible with the long-term joy and the success of our players," Mojang said.
The studio and its parent company Microsoft have a reason to be wary of NFTs and blockchain tech. There has been a significant backlash from the wider gaming community against these technologies. Another reason is that the prices of cryptocurrency have plummeted and the NFT market is dwindling. The former leader in the blockchain gaming space, Axie Infinity, was the victim of a major hack (with victims losing money as a consequence) and its daily player numbers have plummeted by over two thirds over the past few months.
Other major players in the gaming sector have also resisted NFTs or the blockchain. In October of last year, Steam banned games that enable cryptocurrency and NFT trading. Sony recently announced the PlayStation Rewards program that offers digital collectibles. However, the company stressed that these cannot be traded, and the program does not involve NFTs or blockchain.
Mojang does not necessarily have to be against blockchain technology. The studio stated that it will monitor the development of blockchain technology to "determine whether it can be used for safer gaming experiences or other useful and inclusive uses in gaming."
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