We recognize that for many studios, discussing the possibility of NFTs or digital ownership is not a matter of ‘if’, but ‘when’. 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.
Individuals
To sign this pledge for yourself, click here.
Individual Signatures (Last Updated July 11, 2022): 430
Studios / Publishers
To view and sign this pledge as a studio or publisher, click here.
Studios/Publishers that have signed and verified (Last Updated July 11, 2022): 16
Landfall
Brainless Labs
Bearwaves
KO_OP
Godolphin Games
Cloudy Games LLC
Studio Zevere
Super Rare Games
Black Tabby Games
Those Awesome Guys
COWCAT
Joystick Ventures (Games Investment Fund)
Recombobulator Games
Valiant Game Studio
Something We Made
Alchemy Sheep
The Pledge
Billions of people play video games. This kind of reach is unparalleled by almost any other medium and comes with a great deal of responsibility. Games have the power to connect, to inspire, to enable creativity and problem solving, to unite, to overcome obstacles, and above all, to create joy for people. All living beings play as a gesture of pure enjoyment for life itself and have done so for as long as we have been around. Play is at the core of what games are, and who we are.
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.
Most NFTs, and by consequence most forms of digital ownership, in their current state serve the exact opposite purpose – their value defined completely by artificial scarcity and speculation and powered by an unnecessary expenditure of physical resources. 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, and then in such a way that it considers all of the potential social and environmental impacts.
Something that has the power to meaningfully change what games are in their essence shouldn’t be taken lightly. By ignoring key risk factors and glaring issues, adopters of NFTs and other forms of digital ownership that embrace these problematic aspects erode efforts to create an equitable and sustainable existence for all.
We are asking game studios and publishers to sign the following pledge to ensure any implementation of digital ownership, in the form of NFTs or otherwise:
- 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
By signing this pledge, you’re not only showing your support for studios who have already signed the pledge, but encouraging other studios to do the same. There’s power in numbers – and if this issue matters to you, sign on to make your voice heard.
