Take-Two CEO says blockchain-based online worlds "may not end well"

gamedeveloper.com:

Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick has taken the unusual step of publicly downplaying the role of blockchain technology in powering interconnected online worlds, commonly referred to as "the metaverse" by modern technologists. In a conversation with GamesIndustry.biz (spotted by Video Games Chronicle), Zelnick offered a frank perspective on the trend that's fueling billions of dollars in venture capital spending.

The full conversation covered a number of topics, but Zelnick specifically criticized the number of businesses assembling themselves on the idea of the metaverse or blockchain-based worlds. "When lots of money is being thrown at a word, and there is some of that happening, you can probably guess how it’s going to end for a lot of people, and I think the answer is "not well,'" he stated.

At a distance, you might view his comments as general investing advice, saying that he's against the idea of people investing in "buzzwords" that "mean different things to different people." This criticism both applied to the phrase "metaverse" (a shorthand for interconnected online worlds that let players socialize and move between experiences), and blockchain technology (decentralized game networks that are currently used to create "play to earn" or "play and earn" business models).

Zelnick's comments sharply contrast what we've heard from other game industry executives. Both EA CEO Andrew Wilson and former Nintendo of America CEO Reggie Fils-Aimé have voiced enthusiasm about blockchain tech. 

Zelnick was upbeat about what the metaverse represents, and considering that he's the CEO of the company that publishes Grand Theft Auto Online, he has every right to be. He called himself a "dyed in the wool" believer that players will