Gabe Newell made a few fun and enjoyable statements while introducing the new portable gaming computer, Steam Deck, which all commentators found very enjoyable and appreciated.
As blockchain games began to rise, Steam took an early stance on not allowing blockchain-based games on its platform, while competitors like Epic Games have indicated that they’re more open to this. Gabe has commented on both this decision and the technological developments surrounding the metaverse.
“The things that were being done were super sketchy. And there was some illegal shit that was going on behind the scenes, and you’re just like, yeah, this is bad. Blockchains as a technology are a great technology, that the ways in which has been utilized are currently are all pretty sketchy. And you sort of want to stay away from that…. The people who are currently active in that space are not usually good actors.”
The future of blockchain games and the metaverse remains uncertain. Traditional publishers have hesitated to offer NFTs in their games after intense and violent reactions from gamers. Blockchain games remain areas occupied mainly by crypto enthusiasts, not core players.
“There’s a bunch of get rich quick schemes around metaverse. Most of the people who are talking about metaverse have absolutely no idea what they’re talking about. And they’ve apparently never played an MMO. They’re like, ‘Oh, you’ll have this customizable avatar.’ And it’s like, well… go into La Noscea in Final Fantasy 14 and tell me that this isn’t a solved problem from a decade ago, not some fabulous thing that you’re, you know, inventing.”
Newell has clarified what he thinks about blockchain-based metaverses selling virtual real estate. According to Newell, real metaverses have been with us for decades as immersive video games, and they are more successful than the metaverse games presented in this period.
Few people in this space dare to speak up about blockchain, NFTs, and the metaverse, but it’s great to hear from Gabe on this one.
