Tim Sweeney decided last year that he’d allow NFT games on the Epic Games Store, and months later, he remains happy with that decision.
The Epic Games CEO was tagged by a Twitter user this week who wanted to get his thoughts regarding Mojang’s new guidelines for Minecraft, which include a ban on NFTs, and he said that his stance on the matter “definitely” hasn’t changed. Sweeney thinks that developers should have the freedom to do what they want, and that stores shouldn’t “interfere” with the process.
“Developers should be free to decide how to build their games, and you are free to decide whether to play them,” Sweeney explained. “I believe stores and operating system makers shouldn’t interfere by forcing their views onto others. We definitely won’t.”
This is in stark contrast to Mojang’s position on NFTs. An article that the developer shared on Wednesday can confirm that it doesn’t want blockchain technology anywhere near Minecraft.
To ensure that Minecraft players have a safe and inclusive experience, blockchain technologies are not permitted to be integrated inside our client and server applications, nor may Minecraft in-game content such as worlds, skins, persona items, or other mods, be utilized by blockchain technology to create a scarce digital asset.
Mojang also shared concerns about how some third-party NFTs “may not be reliable” and “end up costing players who buy them.”
Some third-party NFT implementations are also entirely dependent on blockchain technology and may require an asset manager who might disappear without notice. There have also been instances where NFTs were sold at artificially or fraudulently inflated prices. We recognize that creation inside our game has intrinsic value, and we strive to provide a marketplace where those values can be recognized.
The article closes out with a firm statement about how blockchain technologies are not permitted inside the Minecraft client and server applications, “nor may they be utilized to create NFTs associated with any in-game content, including worlds, skins, persona items, or other mods.”
Microsoft bought Mojang for $2.5 billion in 2014.
Source: Tim Sweeney