Indie gaming marketplace Itch.io has struck out against NFTs, calling them a "scam". The marketplace went after NFTs in no uncertain terms, saying that anyone who thinks NFTs are useful should "reevaluate [their] life choices".
What has Itch.io said about NFTs?
Speaking via Twitter, Itch.io said it wanted to respond to people who had asked it about its stance on NFTs. The marketplace went on to state that NFTs are "a scam" and that they're only useful for exploiting creators, scamming people financially, and destroying the environment. Anyone who disagrees should "reevaluate [their] life choices", according to Itch.io. Pretty harsh words, but words that will likely resonate with a lot of people if the public response to NFTs is a barometer of any kind.
Following up on its original tweet, Itch.io condemned companies who claim to support creators but still endorse NFTs. Companies like Konami, who marked the 35th anniversary of Castlevania with a range of commemorative NFTs, are only concerned with profit and "the opportunity for wealth" above all else, according to Itch.io. The marketplace cited the widespread availability of discourse revolving around the problems of NFTs as a reason that nobody should support them and called NFT supporters "dense". Ouch. Battle lines have very much been drawn.
The discourse around gaming NFTs is getting more heated
It's not just Itch.io declaring its opposition to NFTs. Late last year, Steam banned all games featuring NFTs or cryptocurrency from its marketplace, likely due to the possibility of exchanging NFTs for real-world money, which would contravene Steam's guidelines. In addition, companies like Stalker 2 developer GSC Game World and Worms developer Team17 have had to back down from introducing NFTs to their games after a huge backlash from their communities.
Despite the loud and frequent backlashes against NFT programs, there are still gaming companies and retailers investing in them in big ways. Recently, retailer GameStop announced an NFT marketplace in conjunction with Immutable, with a $100m creator fund also available via Immutable tokens. Gaming studios like the Korean mobile developer Netmarble have also committed to NFTs and the blockchain in a big way, and other studios like Nintendo and Sega have expressed peripheral interest in blockchain or metaverse projects, albeit in a guarded sense.
We don't yet know the stance of other storefronts like Epic and GOG regarding NFTs and games that feature them, but since this discourse is showing no signs of getting less heated, it's likely these storefronts will need to speak up sooner rather than later. We'll have more for you on this as soon as we get it, of course. In the meantime, though, it doesn't look like you'll be seeing any NFT or crypto-friendly games on Itch.io.
Do you agree with Itch.io that NFTs are "a scam"? Let us know in the comments below!
