Blockchain and NFT technology have been on the agenda recently. The use of these technologies began quite recently compared to their popularity. As a matter of fact, the areas where they can be used are just being discovered. One of these areas is games.
Steam announced that it will remove blockchain-based games on the platform with a decision it has taken. Although there are not many games with these features, game projects with blockchain and NFT-based systems for both computers and mobile devices continued. Now the answer to the curious question is “Why did Steam take such a decision?”
NFT based game? How?
Let’s say I made a game and you collect tiny monsters (a mix of monsters and dinosaurs) called Hobidik in the game. When I end support for the game or remove the game from the store, you will have to say goodbye to all your hobbies. After all, you only had these monsters in the game.
In NFT-based games, you can “really” own your in-game assets. It is possible to sell a hobby that is your own NFT to someone else you want for real money. In other words, you do not need to trade on the game platform and only in-game. It’s more like selling a photo you took in Pokemon GO as an NFT.
Does the control of the game pass to the players?
We’ve traded games so far, I don’t know, we’ve “sold Wed” in Knight Online, but when NFT technology gets involved, the situation actually changes. Control in NFTs is now vested in the game’s makers. Game publishers and gaming platforms also mean they won’t be able to interfere with the content.
A scenario where players can earn income separately from almost everything created in the game is actually not a distant concept to anyone. In online games, there are people who buy in-game money to “scramble” and sell that money for real money. The thing that changes the color of the business here is that players will be able to trade instantly around the world.
Different economic systems are subject to different controls and a truck will do the paperwork, but the army of lawyers owned by Steam or other platforms will surely be able to handle it. After the loot box fight, they found a way, of course there is work for NFT and blockchain. Something else needs to be looked at here, the monetization models of games.
Is it about money again?
Yes, what else would it come to? After all, the purpose of these companies is not to entertain us, so it is, but it is not. Their main purpose is to make money and maintain their existence. Naturally, they want to earn money from all game transactions. If the fact that the game has a billion-dollar economy will not provide any profit to the companies, they do not want to do this job.
In the design of games, how to make money from this game also comes to the fore. Since the day we pay per game for arcade games, which we know as arcades, games have to make money somehow. Today, one of the most important ways to earn this income is in-game purchases. Every purchase means commission. If there is no commission, unfortunately the game does not make money. If he doesn’t make money, that game won’t live long.
Every technology changes over time and leaves its place to a different version. There is always the possibility of a return to an NFT in the gaming industry. It seems that even if this transition is going to be, it will be quite difficult and will not happen anytime soon.
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