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Without going into details, blockchain and NFT are data storage technologies. They are huge but transparent databases. They store information about the sale or exchange of cryptocurrency and who owns it. Every user of the system has access to the blockchain and the entire transaction history, so any illegal manipulation is almost impossible.
Even though blockchain and NFT are most often mentioned together, they are different things. Sergey Kopov, former head of publishing at HeroCraft and now head of blockchain game development studio Sunday Games, explained how they are different:
In other words, blockchain is almost a ready-made banking system that you don’t have to develop from scratch, spending millions of dollars. NFT is a virtual value that is bought or sold on the blockchain. A picture of a monkey, a Sword of a Thousand Truths, or an apartment in an MMO – it doesn’t matter what it’s about. What matters is that the database confirms that it is you who owns the virtual value. And no one will take that value away unless you sell it yourself for cryptocurrency.
Blockchain allows its users to exchange NFTs instantly and with minimal fees, which is superior to other banking systems. There is PayPal and other banking systems, but their fees are often horrendous! They also give you control over the money you send, which scammers take advantage of.
In theory, it is easy to understand the difference between blockchain and NFT technology. Difficulties arise if you reason practically. Why not every game with NFT items can be called a blockchain game and vice versa.
A blockchain game is one where the mechanics are executed on blockchain technology. For example, the user mines gold and the blockchain system remembers the number. This also applies to construction, combat, and other calculations. All of this can be done on other technology, not necessarily blockchain. If a game just lets you buy or sell an NFT item, it can’t be called blockchain. It’s just another way to get paid.
Even explaining which game can be considered blockchain and which can’t is not easy. Let alone incorporating such technology into your project. Why would developers go to such trouble?
How Developers Make Money from Crypto Investors
The world has accumulated enough people whose accounts are bursting with bitcoin, ether, or other cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrency is not profitable to just keep in an account or sell all at once. To keep their asset in value, crypto owners make transactions with it, such as investing in the development of new games.
Thus, GSC Game World and Ubisoft were targeting crypto investors when they announced NFT for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, respectively. The same goes for Team17, which wanted to make an NFT collection on Worms, but then changed its mind. The companies wanted extra money from a new, untapped gamer audience. Cryptomagnates could support their favorite developers and possibly make money from virtual values by selling them to the same crypto-enthusiasts.
