Earlier this month Valve instituted a ban on all cryptocurrency and NFT sales on Steam, which not only laid down rules governing the future sales (or lack thereof) of titles on its platform, but also booted a few games off that had already launched and were based on the technology.
In response, a group of 26 developers, along with three other groups — advocacy (haha) group Fight for the Future, Enjin (an NFT platform) and The Blockchain Game Alliance (see image above) — have penned an open letter complaining about Valve’s decision.
It reads:
To Valve Corporation:
Fight for the Future, Enjin, and The Blockchain Game Alliance, along with 26 blockchain game companies, call on Valve to reverse their ban on web3 technologies on the Steam platform, such as blockchain games and NFTs.
Games that utilise blockchain technology and web3 token-based technologies like DAOs and NFTs can positively enhance the user experience of games, and create new economic opportunities for users and creators. Tokens, in particular, open up vast possibilities for users to interact, collaborate, and create tangible digital worlds and items that were previously impossible. These enhancements make games more decentralized, democratic, interactive, player focused systems. They also present an opportunity to streamline and modernise intellectual property rights in ways that would greatly benefit both independent creators and established corporations. These innovations would bring with them enhancements to music distribution, book publishing, collectables, and more.
Valve is recognised for their willingness to experiment and innovate, not only with their games, but with the Steam platform itself. Considered as pioneers for changing how gamers sell and trade digital game items over a decade ago, Valve likely understands the impact that a more concrete medium would facilitate. In the spirit of that pioneering vision, we ask that you take a chance on this rapidly growing technology: remember your roots, let the industry prove itself as a positive contributor to the overall gaming ecosystem, and reverse your decision to prohibit an entire category of software from the Steam platform.
“Blockchain games are pioneering a number of new concepts that will invigorate the gaming industry for players and publishers alike. To cut-off this burgeoning sector at such a crucial stage of development is to ignore the remarkable progress we have achieved this year, while creating unfair access to market for incumbents. We wish to invite an open dialogue with the people at Valve, as well as the broader mainstream gaming industry, to better understand their perspectives on the challenges ahead, and to determine how we can collaborate more effectively in future.” – Sebastien Borget, President, Blockchain Game Alliance
“Decentralization with cryptocurrency is often misunderstood and viewed as a threat to the status quo. In the case of players owning NFT gaming assets, closed platforms see it as competition. The narrative from those walled gardens regarding blockchain technologies is similar — it’s either not in line with their core model, or the technology is simply labelled a larger risk. The future of gaming is decentralized player owned assets, where gamers are valued for their time and efforts spent in-game. Whether that’s an NFT or another asset class, change is happening.” – Chris LoVerme, CEO of SpacePirate Games
Valve, Web3 games are a fast-moving and exciting category of games that have a place within the Steam ecosystem. Please consider changing your stance on this issue and permit tokens and, more broadly, the use of blockchain tech on the Steam platform. Don’t ban blockchain-based games on Steam.
Valve hasn’t responded to the letter. And NFTs are a scam.
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