Blockchain gaming pitches' latest curve ball | This Week in Business

gamesindustry.biz:

Brendan Sinclair

Managing Editor

Friday 11th March 2022

This Week in Business is our weekly recap column, a collection of stats and quotes from recent stories presented with a dash of opinion (sometimes more than a dash) and intended to shed light on various trends. Check back every Friday for a new entry.

Almost exactly a year ago, we adopted an editorial policy not to cover blockchain start-ups.

Sadly, it has done almost nothing to stop the tide of pitches we receive asking us to interview and write about blockchain start-ups. However, it has made it easier to spot emails that we don't need to concern ourselves with.

QUOTE | "We are a disrupting force in the fusion of blockchain tech and financial freedoms, with a plethora of ground-breaking products in GameFi, DeFi and NFTs." - One press release pitch we received this week, because apparently the problem with the blockchain space is that it's too entrenched and conservative, that its ancient institutions and risk-averse conventional wisdom have made it ripe for disruption.

And honestly, that's fine. I don't expect everyone to keep track of our own editorial policies and create separate mailing lists just to accommodate our own quirks and preferences. In fact, I actually appreciate that outfits like the one who sent us the above email are at least upfront about who they are and what they're doing.

But as we've seen the backlash over blockchain gaming grow in recent months, we've increasingly seen a truly disappointing number of pitches that don't take that approach. These pitches are trying to get coverage for blockchain gaming start-ups, but curiously neglect to mention the blockchain part of their business when they approach us.

While we're still trying to stick to our policy