Civilization creator Sid Meier, a veteran of games development, has spoken out about the industry’s ongoing push towards further monetisation.
Speaking to BBC News on the 30th anniversary of the original Civilization’s release, Meier issued a stark warning that progress in game development was beginning to forget about gameplay itself.
And on NFTs, Meier warned that chasing this form of monetisation risked alienating players altogether.
“The real challenge and the real opportunity is keeping our focus on gameplay,” said Meier. “That is what is unique, special and appealing about games as a form of entertainment.
“When we forget that, and decide it’s monetisation or other things that are not gameplay-focused, when we start to forget about making great games and start thinking about games as a vehicle or an opportunity for something else, that’s when we stray a little bit further from the path.”