Environmental group Climate Replay has called for games companies to be responsible when it comes to the use of non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
In a post on its website, the organisation published the Digital Ownership Pledge, a guide for how NFTs should be implemented within video games. Companies that sign this will have to abide by the following requirements when it comes to the crypto business model:
- Brings meaningful value to players
- Does not make use of technology that is intentionally inefficient, resulting in a concrete, significant environmental impact
- Does not embrace artificial scarcity to generate speculative value
- Does not rely on unregulated, volatile cryptocurrency
- Does not disproportionately benefit early adopters or wealthier users/players
- Does not perpetuate either of the following negative aspects of the Play-to-Earn model: informal Jobs & shifts the primary purpose of a game from enjoyment to earning money
- Is implemented with transparency and takes seriously concerns from studio members
In short, Climate Replay wants to ensure that if there are going to be NFTs in games that they actually add some kind of value.
“We recognise that for many studios, discussing the possibility of NFTs or digital ownership is not a matter of ‘if’, but ‘when’,” the statement reads.
“As such, in collaboration with developers and studios around the games industry, we have put together a pledge for studios and publishers to sign on to that covers what we consider to be the most problematic aspects of NFTs and digital ownership that must be avoided if the gaming industry is to work towards a sustainable, socially responsible, equitable future for all.”
Many companies including Atari, Ubisoft and Square Enix have already jumped on the NFT and Web3 bandwagon.
