Game developer association opposes the adoption of NFTs in gaming

The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) has released a report on the use of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in the gaming sector. Over the past year, there has been increased interest in integrating NFTs in gaming projects, but the issue has been controversial, and it has been supported and opposed by some users.

Game developer group says NFTs were an ethical issue in gaming

The director of the IGDA stated that the introduction of NFTs into the gaming industry came with “ethical issued”, and it could signal a “socio-political explosion” waiting to happen.” The IGDA is one of the largest groups in the gaming sector, and it is comprised of game developers and programmers.

Recently, there has been a rise in companies adopting NFTs. However, the IGDA noted that despite this NFT craze, notable problems could be presented if NFTs are adopted into the gaming culture.

The interim director of the IGDA, Jakin Vela, stated that the organization was working on taking measures to boost awareness of the problems arising from NFT gaming. Raising these issues would caution companies or gamers that want to adopt this innovation.

In an interview with Ars Technica, Vela noted that the organization was “in the process of revising our stance to be a little stronger because there are actually a lot of ethical issues that come with NFTs.”

The organization is also worried about developing pyramid schemes because of the adoption of NFTs in gaming. Some NFT games seem to be offering a pyramid scheme feature to their participants where they can only be sustained if new users sign into the platform. Their economies can only be salvaged if there is a growing user base on these play-to-earn platforms.

Vela said that gamers were affected by the lack of regulations in the NFT sector. In this sector, gamers can be lured toward receiving full employment benefits in an ecosystem whose future is uncertain. The official noted that such an environment could lead to a “socio-political explosion.”

The future of the gaming sector

Despite the opposition, some companies have noted that the adoption of NFTs and play-to-earn initiatives was the future of the gaming sector. There has been a massive backlash from gamers in traditional gaming companies that have shifted their models to integrate NFTs.

The IGDA remains opposed to matters to do with the adoption of NFTs in gaming. This is not the first time that the organization is publicly issuing a statement regarding the threat posed by NFTs in gaming.

In a statement released in July 2021, the IGDA said that “NFTs should never be used when a simple and far less costly database table can be managed to provide the same information and benefits.

There has been a debate that gamers rejected NFTs because they were not fully aware of the sector’s benefits. IGDA has also supported proof-of-stake blockchains compared to proof-of-work blockchains because of energy efficiency.