Gamers are ready for NFTs, whether they know it or not
Presented by Enjin
2021 was a breakthrough year for non-fungible tokens (NFTs), with total sales amassing a record $23 billion. The trend has already carried over to the world of gaming, with major publishers including Square Enix, Ubisoft, and EA all declaring blockchain and NFTs as the future of the industry. NFTs open a world of new possibilities and utility, and are perfectly positioned for lasting success in gaming.
That being said, there has been plenty of resistance to blockchain gaming — be it Valve’s decision to block all NFT games on Steam or skeptical discourse in the gaming community on their use. Much of the critique stems from uncertainty about the role of this new technology, which wouldn’t be the first time anyone resisted change within the gaming community. Does anyone recall the apprehension about Xbox One’s diskless console?
Now, digital consoles are comparable in function and more cost effective for hardcore gamers. In the same way, as long as NFTs remain poorly understood by the wider gaming community, resistance and hesitancy will remain. Education is crucial to the growth of blockchain gaming.
It’s not surprising that gaming would be a driving force behind NFT adoption; the industry has long been a proving ground for emerging technologies. Augmented reality’s (AR) best moment arguably came in 2016 with the explosion in popularity of mobile game Pokémon GO, while virtual reality (VR) eventually came good with Beat Saber and Half Life: Alyx.
Invisible innovations abound on the back end, too — for example, most probably aren’t aware that Fortnite has deployed in-game bots since season 11, and while they’re not very challenging, this showcases the capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI).
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