GTA fans unhappy at the possibility of NFTs in GTA 6

The existence of GTA 6 has finally been acknowledged by Rockstar Games, and fans are excited about more information from the developers. However, they did not take nicely to hearing about the possibility of NFTs in the upcoming title. A comment made by Take Two CEO Strauss Zelnick during an interview with VentureBeat really seemed to rile fans up.

Zelnick said:

"We believe the NFTs are real, and why shouldn’t they? We believe in digital goods and have been selling them for a very long time. We believe in rare goods and collectibles. However, we are concerned about the speculative market around this phenomenon."

This particular comment has outraged fans. Gamers have been very vocal against mixing NFTs and gaming of late, with Ubisoft and Riot Games having faced plenty of flak already. Let's take a look at some of the reactions.

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GTA fans not happy mixing NFTs and Gaming

NFT and Gaming

For many, the comments from the the Take Two CEO did not really sink in, as NFTs are quite new and how they relate to gaming is not yet known. NFT stands for a Non Fungible Token. Non-Fungible implies that it cannot be replaced with anything else and is purely unique. It is the complete opposite of money in the conventional sense as it can be replaced by a lot things.

Almost every game today has microtransactions and they mostly pertain to cosmetic items in-game. For instance, weapon and character skins can be bought in-game. Most of the time, these are purchased with in-game currency. In GTA, weapon tints make a perfect example.

With NFTs coming into the picture, this could mean skins will become unique. There will only be one NFT skin of its kind worldwide, and no other player can have it.

NFTs stand to reach their peak potential in games as people can virtually interact with it unlike anything else. Normally, if someone buys an NFT, it just sits in the inventory. Nothing else can be done. The NFT Opressor skin can be used by the owner in-game.

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Reactions

Fans are hoping that the NFT inclusion will be superficial only and simply be an option, like Shark Cards. Players do not wish to be locked out of areas if they do not own a certain item. If NFTs are purchasable in GTA 6, Rockstar may favor them over the general fan base. But no one really knows for sure.

Mixing NFT with gaming could limit a lot of things that are possible in games. It will create separate groups in place of one huge gaming community.

This Redditor really dug in deep and revealed the dark possibilities. Griefing is already a problem in GTA Online, and Shark Cards are bought quite frequently. The introduction of NFTs as cheats or vehicles would be catastrophic for the community. It would literally segregate gamers by purchasing power/will. Grinding for money is fun and NFTs would directly attack that in GTA 6.

Hiding things behind a paywall is a classic Rockstar move, however, and GTA Online is the best example. For instance, if a player wants to own an Oppressor MK II, a Terrorbyte is needed to customize it, and for a Terrorbyte, having a nightclub is a must. Thankfully, it is locked behind a paywall made of in-game currency, not the real thing.

With the inclusion of NFTs, content could be locked behind a paywall made of real money.

Ubisoft recently tried their hand at mixing NFTs with gaming and it failed at the outset. Rockstar could take a lesson or two from them.

Gamers are also enraged about the fact that developers are not really listening to the community. A major chunk of gamers do not want to deal with NFTs in-game. it is a very similar situation in GTA 6 as well.

To sum it up, if you thought in-game monetization was an unsavory practice, it could get worse still. While there's nothing wrong with game publishers wanting to make more money, there is a right way and a wrong way to go about it, and listening to the community is the best way to go forward together.