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Steam bans all games that use NFT or cryptocurrency
Valve quietly issued a new law: NFT or cryptocurrency is not allowed on Steam.Recently updated Steam releases Entry guide In particular, any “applications that are based on blockchain technology to issue or allow the exchange of encrypted currencies or NFTs” are prohibited.
In short, NFT is a unique digital receipt (stored on the blockchain, an irreversible ledger database), usually related to the “ownership” of jpg files or some other digital media. NFTs are usually purchased using cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin or Ethereum (also blockchain transactions), and can be sold in U.S. dollars and other domestic currencies in exchanges.
Valve did not explain why it would ban NFTs and cryptocurrencies on Steam, but the decision does not seem to stem from any recent scandals or controversies surrounding blockchain technology: NFT has been used to defraud millions of people U.S. dollars in exchange for JPG receipts, resulting in Theft of artwork designed for other games,as well as Environmental cost of blockchain ledger It is still a controversial issue.
A series of tweets from SpacePirate, the developer of Age of Rust, gave us some insights. Age of Rust assigns NFTs to unique items and equipment, and even tasks. SpacePirate said on Twitter on Thursday that the company was told that Steam will delete all blockchain-based projects, including Age of Rust.
SpacePirate stated that Steam’s ban on NFTs and cryptocurrencies is an extension of the general ban on items with real-world monetary value.
Community: A few minutes ago, we received a notice that @Steam will kick *all blockchain games* off the platform, including “The Age of Rust”, because NFT has value. Behind the scenes, we have a good communication with Steam, and we have always been in a leading position. #blockchaingames #NFT 1/4 pic.twitter.com/W4pR3Xl63qOctober 14, 2021
Valve did not issue a statement to clarify the reason (and did not respond to a request for comment), and we did not find that it is prohibited to write items with real-world value anywhere. On September 30th, the CEO of Satoshis Games stated that their blockchain-based game Light Nite Pull from Steam, But did not elaborate on the reason, only saying that Steam “will not release encrypted or NFT games.”
If there is a rule about goods with monetary value, it probably only concerns those goods with monetary value Keep The monetary value that the player once owned, because a large number of items are sold as DLC on Steam. Nevertheless, Steam is still about users buying and selling digital collectibles for real money. for many years, Steam has let users collect digital cards Get Steam wallet funds by completing certain challenges in many games and then selling them to other users. In CS:GO, Weapon skins sold by players can be sold for thousands of dollars. Valve attempts to build an economy in the trading card game Artifact failure, As the game was launched at the end of 2018 and is free to play in early 2021, it is not far from the vision proposed by the NFT evangelist today.
One possible explanation behind Valve’s choice to ban NFTs and cryptocurrencies is the legal trouble the company encountered in 2016 Failure to curb gambling on CS:GO skinsOn one occasion, Valve prohibited seven players from deliberately losing a game in order to win thousands of dollars worth of CS:GO skins. Valve finally issued a rare statement stating that professional CS:GO players should not gamble or be associated with any gambling entity, or provide information that may affect CS:GO betting.Promote the CS:GO gambling site but did not reveal that they also share the two popular YouTubers that own the site. FTC ordered not to do this anymore And provide compliance records for the next 10 years, but beyond that, Scott is free, which has angered many people.
So far, the world of NFTs and cryptocurrencies is full of scams and shady transactions, and Valve may not want its platform to be used by more gambling companies or other programs that may put it at legal risk.
So, because of the new rules, what kind of games will we not see on Steam? A few examples include CryptoKitties, where you buy and “bring” cats to earn cryptocurrency, and Spells of Genesis, a trading card game where every card is on the blockchain. However, these games were not on Steam at the beginning, because games with NFT or other blockchain elements are often easier to use on mobile devices or their own independent websites.
However, many “games” based on blockchain and NFT are better described as marketing campaigns or virtual economy, only promising to make a difference in the future.To give just one recent example, the notorious “Evolution Ape” fiasco I saw someone selling the NFTs of the characters they promised to put in the fighting game, and then losing them with $2.7 million worth of cryptocurrency. Needless to say, there are no fighting games.
NFT collectors may not have any luck on other large platforms such as the Epic Games Store.
Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, said on Twitter last month: “We have no contact with NFTs because the entire field is currently connected with difficult scams, interesting decentralized technology foundations and The scams are entangled.”