The company posted an article on its blog entitled "Minecraft and NFTs" and acknowledged that some developers and companies have begun to launch NFT projects that are based on Minecraft world skin packs and files. The post suggested that Minecraft creators could use the game to create and sell collectible NFTs. These NFTs could be earned through the activities on a Minecraft server or as a reward for their activities in the real world.
"To ensure that Minecraft players have a safe and inclusive experience, blockchain technologies are not allowed to be integrated inside our Minecraft client and server applications, nor can they be used to create NFTs for any game-related content, such as worlds, skins, persona items, or any other mods," Mojang wrote in the post.
"We will also be keeping an eye on how blockchain technology evolves over time to ensure that these principles are withheld, and to determine if blockchain technology will enable safer gaming as well as other inclusive and practical games," the company stated. "We do not plan to incorporate blockchain technology into Minecraft in the near future.
In response to backlash from players, and the soaring of the cryptocurrency market, the traditional game industry has been trying to separate itself from NFTs in recent months. Sony recently announced that it would be launching an online collectibles feature as part a new PlayStation rewards program, but stated clearly that its collectibles were "definitely not NFTs." Ubisoft was the first major game publisher to test with NFTs last fall, ended its experiment after four months. Valve, the Steam marketplace's owner, announced in October of last year that it would not allow any games using blockchain technology or NFT. However, Epic Games, Fortnite creator, has recently opened access to these games through its gaming store for PC.
Microsoft has not provided a clear opinion on the issue with regard to its gaming properties until now. But Xbox chief and Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer told Protocol last year he was "leery" of the "near-term kind of hysteria around NFTs" and the possibility of scams, fraud and the pyramid scheme nature of the crypto market leading to consumers losing huge amounts of real money quickly. 30tt.com Spencer said to Axios last fall that NFTs could be exploitative , and that there were "a number of things that are likely not to be sold in your store."
Mojang's blog post expresses similar opinions. "Each of these uses of NFTs and other blockchain technologies creates digital ownership that is based on exclusion and scarcity, which does not align with Minecraft values of creativity, inclusion and playing together," the company wrote. "NFTs are not inclusive of all our community and create a semblance of the haves and the have-nots.