Many game developers hate NFTs, too

theverge.com:

NFTs have been a contentious topic in the video game industry as of late. Fans did not respond well to Ubisoft’s NFT plans, and the outcry to NFTs in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl was so vehement that the game’s developers decided to cancel them entirely. But it’s not just video game fans that are skeptical of the new technology; many game developers have similarly strong feelings, according to the Game Developers Conference annual survey, which was released Thursday.

“When asked how they felt about the possibility of cryptocurrency or NFTs in games, a few called it ‘the future of gaming,’” the survey said. “However, a vast majority of respondents spoke out against both practices — noting their potential for scams, overall monetization concerns, and the environmental impact.”

Many quotes directly from developers were scathing. “How this hasn’t been identified as a pyramid scheme is beyond me,” one wrote. “I’d rather not endorse burning a rainforest down to confirm someone ‘owns’ a jpeg,” said another. “Burn ‘em to the ground. Ban everyone involved in them. I work at an NFT company currently and am quitting to get away from it,” said another.

Not all were so critical. One positive response called cryptocurrency / NFTs “the wave of the future.” But according to the survey’s data, 70 percent of respondents said their studio had no interest in NFTs, which could indicate that we won’t see a lot of gaming NFTs in the near future.

The survey also showed growing support for unionization in the industry, a topic that has come to the forefront as workers have protested Activision Blizzard and after Vodeo Games organized the first certified video game studio union in North America. Fifty-five percent of respondents said