Google Play Store to Allow NFTs in Apps and Games
- The Google Play store has changed its policy on digital assets, and will now allow developers to incorporate NFTs into their apps and games on the platform.
- Publishers will have to follow certain rules, however, such as maintaining transparency regarding the use of NFTs and not allowing gambling in their apps and games.
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Google has changed its policy on digital assets, and will now allow developers to incorporate non-funbigle tokens (NFTs) into their games and apps on the Google Play store, the company said in a blog post on 12 July.
According to the announcement, Google Play — where apps for Android smartphones can be downloaded — will now open new ways for users to transact with blockchain-based digital content within apps and games published on the platform, including “boosting user loyalty through unique NFT rewards”. The group product manager for Google Play, Joseph Mills, wrote in the blog post:
“From reimagining traditional games with user-owned content to boosting user loyalty through unique NFT rewards, we’re excited to see creative in-app experiences flourish and help developers expand their businesses.”
Mills noted that while developers will be free to incorporate NFTs into their apps and games, they will still have to follow a few rules in order to ensure a certain level of user protection. Publishers will have to clearly state if a game or an app allows users to earn or buy NFTs or cryptocurrencies, and are not allowed to “glamorize any potential earning from playing or trading activities”. Developers are also prohibited from selling “loot boxes”, or otherwise allow users to gamble with NFTs and crypto.
Google banned all crypto mining apps from its Play store back in 2018 — which will not change with the new policy — and even removed the Bitcoin Blast game in 2020 for its “deceptive practices”. Towards the end of 2022, however, the platform started to change its policy slightly by allowing the “Axie Infinity: Origins” game to be listed in select Google Play markets.
- Blockchain has not only affected the financial industry but also the gaming world, and game developers are increasingly incorporating the technology into their products.
- Although the technology is extremely secure, it is important to remember that safety starts with the user, and it is up to them to ensure their protection online.
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- The “Blockchain Node Engine” was designed to be a fully managed service that would help Web3 developers build and deploy new products for the blockchain.
- It features a number of security features, such as Google’s Cloud Armor that helps prevent DDos attacks from slowing down a network.
- Google Cloud will enable crypto payments early next year, though the feature will initially be available only to a select group of customers already active in web3.
- As part of the deal, Coinbase has agreed to move some of its data-related applications from Amazon Web Services to Google Cloud.