Not All Game Devs Like NFTs And Not All Gamers Dislike Non-Fungible Tokens: Study

Gaming studios and publishers were on the receiving end of a lot of wrath from gamers when they tried to incorporate Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) in their games, however, a new study reveals that not all game developers like NFTs and not all gamers hate the opportunity to earn NFTs via games.

Game developers made their feelings known recently through the annual GDC survey. Based on the survey, 29% of surveyed game developers said their studio is either interested in or already developing NFTs.

Likewise, 28% of the respondents revealed their studio was either interested in or already using cryptocurrency.

While this may seem worrying, particularly to those who are not interested in NFTs, the breakdown says it all.

Only 1% of the respondents said their gaming studio is developing NFTs as a payment tool, 6% of the respondents noted their studio is very interested and 21% said their studio is "somewhat interested." Going by these numbers, it appears that non-fungible tokens are unpopular among game developers at the moment.

Interestingly, the survey also revealed that 72% of the respondents are still not interested in NFTs, integrating NFTs in their games, or developing tokens for their games. Apparently, these game developers, like some gamers, are skeptical about the new technology.

A majority of respondents indicate that NFTs could serve as a ground for possible scams, are concerned about its environmental impact, or are very particular about its overall monetization. Some developers who responded to the survey had harsh words to say about the new tech trend.

One respondent said, "How this hasn’t been identified as a pyramid scheme is beyond me," while another stated, "I’d rather not endorse burning a rainforest down to confirm someone ‘owns’ a jpeg." Another respondent noted, "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."

Another study conducted by the market research firm Interpret, revealed more than half of its gamer respondents are interested in earning NFTs through gaming. However, it is worth noting that this study does not necessarily mean that gamers accept NFTs since a lot of gamers view this new trend as gaming companies' latest strategy to "nickel and dime" them.

"Building a collection is not the major motivator right now. Gamers are not yet viewing NFTs as they would Pokémon cards or collecting a complete set of similar items. Gamers just want to be able to participate in this new business and engagement model," Interpret’s Jesse Divnich said.

"Currently, becoming an NFT owner is a cumbersome process with numerous steps across multiple systems and programs. Gamers are likely looking to the industry to help create a more streamlined process towards NFT ownership and participation," the executive added.