Minecraft-linked developers draw up pledge for NFT and digital asset engagement

Over the weekend, Climate Replay, which comprises developers from the Mojang Group, the maker of the popular Minecraft series, posted a pledge regarding the responsible integration of nonfungible tokens, or NFTs, and digital currencies into gaming.

"Games give us hope in a world that is increasingly uncertain. They help us unlock our creative potential and free us of real-world constraints — physical, financial or otherwise," the team at Climate Replay said. However, they cautioned about the current state of digital assets intertwining with gaming: 

"Most NFTs, and by consequence, most forms of digital ownership, in their current state, serve the exact opposite purpose — their value is defined entirely by artificial scarcity and speculation and powered by an unnecessary expenditure of physical resources."

"Thus, it is imperative for the health of the worldwide gaming community, planet and society as a whole to ensure any adoption of blockchain-based technologies such as NFTs occurs only when they bring demonstrable value to games and their communities," wrote the team behind the gaming entity. To potentially solve the aforementioned problem, they proposed that game finance, or GameFi, developers abide by, among other things, the following guidelines:

1. Brings meaningful value to players [through digital assets].
2. Does not make use of technology that is intentionally inefficient, resulting in a concrete, significant environmental impact.
3. Does not embrace artificial scarcity to generate speculative value.
4. Does not rely on unregulated, volatile cryptocurrency.
5. Does not disproportionately benefit early adopters or wealthier users/players. 
6. [Is] implemented with transparency and takes concerns from studio members seriously.

It also appears that Climate Replay wants to see major changes to the current play-to-earn, or P2E, model associated with GameFi. This includes shifting the primary purpose of such games from P2E to enjoyment. In other words, players should not be earning incomes from such games as an "informal job." Cointelegraph reported last year that individuals playing popular NFT game Aixe Infinity in developing nations had been earning incomes higher than the minimum wage of their native countries.

However, players are increasingly becoming frustrated with the steep drop in the price of a major in-game token within Axie Infinity, leading to a corresponding plunge in their income levels.