Steam boss: NFTs are often dealt with by people of suspicious behavior

In recent months, NFT technologies and cryptocurrencies have become an increasingly common topic in gaming circles. While most oppose the implementation of the same in video games, some defend such technology. However, one of the key people when it comes to video games is certainly Gabe Newell - co-founder and president of Valve, who has now stated his position on NFTs and cryptocurrencies in the world of video games.

The British gaming portal Rock Paper Shotgun had the opportunity to talk to Newell, and they also touched on topics related to NFT and cryptocurrencies, given that Steam has completely banned games related to blockchain technology. Gabe claims that the problem is not in the technology itself, but in the actors who use that technology. He drew a parallel with chemists who discovered trinitrocellulose (smokeless gunpowder) and imagined what good things they could do with it, but people suddenly saw that they could shoot others.

Although he does not claim that NFTs "shoot" others, Newell emphasizes that the problem is in the way blockchain technology is used and therefore thinks that it does not have a place in games at the moment. When it comes to cryptocurrencies, Gabe recalls that Steam used to accept cryptocurrency payments, only to later turn out to be angry with consumers. There were more problems, from suspicious and even illegal resources and sources to the fact that the value of cryptocurrencies varies at all times, so it was frustrating for customers.

"You want some real number from all this, some percentage, and not half of such transactions turn out to be fake. It’s similar to the current actors in the NFT world, these aren’t the people you want to do business with. It doesn't say anything about the core of the technology, but it is a reflection of people who currently see something like this as an opportunity to rip customers off or participate in money laundering and similar things. " - concludes Newell.