Game developers think the metaverse, blockchain is bogus – The Washington Post

The games industry can be opaque to onlookers, as employees are bound by nondisclosure agreements and keep company secrets close to the vest. The GDC survey is an annual look at what game makers are thinking. This year, 39% of those surveyed identified themselves as working for an indie studio, while 23% said they worked for a larger, blockbuster studio.

The likeliest candidate for metaverse ambitions is Epic Games’ “Fortnite,” according to 14% of respondents. Meta and “Minecraft” got 7% of the votes each. “Roblox” got fewer votes at 5%. But despite these mild votes of confidence, 45% of respondents — a plurality — believe that “the metaverse concept will never deliver on its promise.”

“I don’t think the data goes quite that deep, I would love to know that personally,” said Alissa McAloon, publisher and editorial director at media outlet Game Developer, which collaborated on the report.

Developers were also asked about blockchain technology, another hotly-debated topic in the games industry. Only 2% of developers said they were already using blockchain technology, while 75% said they were not interested. When asked whether their opinion on blockchain technology in gaming had changed within the year, the majority (56%) said they remained disapproving compared to a year ago.

Support for unionization across the industry has held steady. About 53% said that game workers should unionize, while 13% said they shouldn’t. The survey also asked workers if they or their colleagues have discussed unionizing at their company, to which 22% responded yes. Developers who had 15 years of experience or less were more likely to support unionization than those with 16 or more years of experience. Those who had 30 or more years of experience were least likely to support unionization.

The industry has also been affected by the “Great Resignation,” or the trend of people leaving their jobs in 2022. About 36% of developers have considered switching companies, with 81% of these saying they were considering it for better compensation.