‘Gods Unchained’ Returns to Epic Games Store After Play-to-Earn Policy Change
The Epic Video games Retailer has made adjustments to its content material insurance policies, permitting the NFT card sport Gods Unchained to return to its platform, Fortnite writer Epic Video games introduced Tuesday.
Gods Unchained, together with different blockchain video games like Striker Supervisor 3, had beforehand been faraway from the Epic Video games Retailer resulting from receiving “Adults Solely” score scores from the Leisure Software program Score Board (ESRB). Previous to Tuesday’s coverage change, no video games with an AO score had been allowed on Epic’s retailer.
“Some blockchain-based video games are receiving Adults Solely (AO) scores from trade scores our bodies for his or her specific implementation of blockchain,” an Epic Video games consultant advised Decrypt by way of e-mail.
“We’ve up to date our Epic Video games Retailer content material coverage to permit for video games which can be rated AO solely because of the utilization of blockchain or NFT know-how,” the rep added.
📣 Heads up: Gods Unchained and Striker Supervisor 3 have returned to the Retailer after a change in our content material coverage concerning scores for blockchain-based video games. Study extra: https://t.co/RQGGzWGeG8
— Epic Video games Retailer (@EpicGames) December 19, 2023
The ESRB assigns AO scores to video games it believes are solely appropriate for these over the age of 18. Gods Unchained was assigned an AO score as a result of it includes play-to-earn components that may end up in gamers receiving NFTs or crypto tokens which have “real-world worth,” the ESRB beforehand defined to Decrypt.
“The ESRB age and content material score system assesses whether or not merchandise might reward actual cash, prizes with actual world worth, or one thing that may be exchanged for or transformed to actual cash (i.e., reward playing cards, cryptocurrency, and so on.), in addition to whether or not there’s money spent to be eligible for such rewards,” the ESRB beforehand advised Decrypt.
AO scores—essentially the most restrictive kind—are sometimes given to video games that include intense violence or graphic nudity and sexual themes. Each Xbox and PlayStation presently bar AO-rated video games from their respective platforms.
Now, Epic Video games is keen to make an exception to its no-AO video games coverage for blockchain video games that may in any other case not be rated as such if not for his or her crypto or NFT components.
The problem beforehand posed an enormous catch-22 scenario for sport builders, as a result of whereas Epic accepts blockchain video games on its platform (in contrast to rival Steam), it beforehand didn’t settle for AO-rated ones.
Epic Video games emphasised that its insurance policies in opposition to “playing,” “porn,” and “hateful content material,” stay in place, nonetheless, so blockchain sport builders should proceed to stick to these restrictions.
Whereas it’s possible that blockchain video games providing “real-world worth” to gamers will proceed to obtain Adults Solely ESRB scores, these scores received’t cease them from being listed on the Epic Video games Retailer, not less than.
Edited by Andrew Hayward
