Steam, the popular video game purchase and download app, has officially banned all games containing cryptocurrency and NFT, preventing more than 50,000 titles from being added to the platform.
According to Steam Developer Policy, any ” An application created using blockchain technology that allows the exchange of cryptocurrencies or NTFs It can no longer be distributed by Steam. This means that many blockchain games will be immediately removed from the platform until further developments occur.
developers age of rustA blockchain video game where players can collect NFTs, talked about the issue. ” We have chosen to be at the forefront of blockchain gaming and NFTs. As a result, we eventually lost the battle against Steam‘, they said on Twitter. While we are disappointed with the removal of Age of Rust, the fact remains that it will affect the entire blockchain gaming genre. It’s a big hit for everyone. “
Community: A few minutes ago, we were informed @steam *All blockchain games* will be kicked off the platform, including Age of Rust, because NFTs have value. Behind the scenes, we had good communication and were candid with Steam. #BlockchainGames #NFT
1/4 pic.twitter.com/W4pR3Xl63q– Age of Rust (SpacePirate_io) October 14, 2021
Valve, the company behind Steam, has not released an official statement explaining the reasons for the blockage. Some users speculated that this might be because Steam didn’t want games to contain items marked with ” The actual value in their store.
Another possible reason is that if a Steam game contains cryptocurrency or NTF, the game’s functionality will become ” shop in shopDue to the decentralized nature of blockchain games, it can be difficult for Steam to regulate the situation if the protocol does not allow it. As a business, Steam will not be able to regulate or control the hard code contained in the blockchain. .
The future of gaming and decentralized ownership of player assets is inevitable. # bitcoinAnd # EthereumAnd #engine, and the #NFT Community is the way forward in gaming. We are part of this future, part of this choice, and we are proud to be an independent game developer that makes blockchain games. pic.twitter.com/YcMAKvDHuU
– Age of Rust (SpacePirate_io) October 15 2021
In addition, blockchain gaming is a disruptive technology where some titles allow players to make profits instead of the distributor, such as Steam. For this reason, blockchain games are viewed as a product that in its current state is in conflict with Steam’s interests. However, it may be possible for Steam to monetize a blockchain game if its code allows it.
In the future, Steam could develop its own iterations of blockchain, or NFTs. Although Steam’s direct competitor, Epic Games, has confirmed that ” Won’t touch NFTsThe possibility of developing its own Steam is not entirely ruled out.
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