Buzz
Although this statement goes against the prevailing trend in NFT game development, it is met with considerable enthusiasm from many gamers.
With significant momentum in development throughout 2021, there was high anticipation for 2022 to represent a golden period, marking a new milestone for the explosion of NFT games. Indeed, early indications emerged in 2022, with numerous notable publishers and studios such as Square Enix, Ubisoft, and even Tencent showing strong interest and investment in this nascent field. However, it appears that this new trend has yet to fully win over gamers, as evidenced by the recent statement from Itch.io - a well-known game store for indie developers - which presented a rather shocking perspective on NFT games.
'NFT games are a scam. If you think they offer any value beyond exploiting content creators, committing financial fraud, and damaging the planet, then we urge you to reconsider your life choices' - a bold and unequivocal message from Itch.io that has sparked significant controversy. Moreover, they continue to criticize companies attempting to develop or integrate NFT applications into existing products, arguing that 'This is simply a means to increase revenue and profits, without delivering any tangible benefits to customers'.
Itch.io's rather startling statement has surprisingly garnered strong support from many gamers who are somewhat dissatisfied with the current NFT gaming trend. This message has received considerable traction on Twitter, with tens of thousands of retweets, over 250,000 likes, and numerous citations.
It seems that for traditional gamers - those who prioritize entertainment and stay true to the essence of gaming - the emergence of NFTs, blockchain applications, GameFi, and the Metaverse not only fails to benefit them but also contributes to providing publishers with more grounds to exploit users.
