One of the most recent debates surrounding the video game industry has been about the NFT (non-fungible tokens), permanent digital assets. Relevant companies such as Ubisoft or GSC Game World (although the Ukrainian studio backed down after criticism from fans) have already immersed themselves in this technological trend, but NFTs have much more weight in the mobile market. In that sense, now Korea gets serious against NFT games, the so-called play-to-earn (play to win). So has made known the GameRant portal, which has echoed the request recently issued by the Games Administration Committee of South Korea.
According to this information, the aforementioned South Korean entity has asked Google Play and the App Store that block any mobile game that you request as a requirement to access it, acquire NFTs. Similarly, South Korea appears to be blocking existing and future games that include this technology. How are you going to do? Denying their age rating, an essential step to be part of a digital store in the Asian country. Korea has taken these steps to restrict access to games that they consider close to gambling (which has already happened with loot boxes) and which they call “speculative money-making schemes.”
Phil Spencer talks about NFTs and the metaverse
In fact, in South Korea there is a limit established for micropayments within video games of 10,000 won (just over seven euros), according to GameRant explains. This is a new step in the limitation of NFT games, which seem to be gaining popularity in recent times due to the doubts and concerns of heavyweights in the video game industry. Own Phil Spencer, head of Xbox, was uneasy with the arrival of this technology that “encourages speculation” to the world of electronic entertainment.