![Play-to-earn games are the reason ‘real’ gamers hate crypto: Atari founder Play-to-earn games are the reason ‘real’ gamers hate crypto: Atari founder](https://i0.wp.com/images.cointelegraph.com/images/1200_aHR0cHM6Ly9zMy5jb2ludGVsZWdyYXBoLmNvbS91cGxvYWRzLzIwMjMtMDkvMzVjODBmNjUtZTVkZi00ODE3LTgwMDAtNTU0NDcwM2I1OGY1LmpwZw==.jpg?fit=%2C&ssl=1)
It’s no secret that traditional gamers have a strong disdain for cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in games. Atari founder Nolan Bushnell says the reason is clear. It all started with the wild rise of games that made money while playing.
“I can tell you exactly where this disdain for cryptocurrencies comes from,” Bushnell said. “The hatred comes from these money-making games that are pioneering blockchain games.”
“Good players don’t like grinding. Grinding is crap. Gamers want fun, and unfortunately these money-as-you-play games rely 100% on the greater fool theory to work.”
In an interview with Cointelegraph, Nolan Bushnell, known as the “godfather of video games,” shared many of his views on the current gaming landscape and the role blockchain technology will play in the future of the industry.
While it might be considered weird if someone said they “invented video games,” for Nolan Bushnell it’s just part of a long career that includes founding the gaming system Atari and the American restaurant chain Chuck E. Cheese. He was also one of the few people in the world who considered Steve Jobs an employee.
![](https://i0.wp.com/s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2023-09/5348620a-093c-48e7-b529-e0447172d53d.jpg?w=640&ssl=1)
Bushnell believes that the future of Web3 gaming depends on a major shift from play-to-win dynamics, as well as a renewed focus on building compelling virtual worlds through the use of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies.
Mass adoption of these new worlds will depend entirely on the human need for social interaction and a permanent sense of “place and time” in the new economy of virtual worlds, Bushnell explained.
“How do you meet people? Where do you meet them? Where do you meet them? That’s the connective tissue of Web3 and virtual universes. If you can provide this sense of real place and real-time in a virtual world, that’s I think that’s when we really made a difference.”
Bushnell, who currently serves as chief knowledge officer for Moxy, a new blockchain-based esports company, describes three pillars of how blockchain can provide a much-needed upgrade to modern gaming.
I’m excited to be speaking at the DELF event.We choose Hong Kong because https://t.co/GNemkV0YDfEnter the Asian market https://t.co/phUuAND9LB
— Nolan K. Bushnell (@NolanBushnell) August 15, 2023
Bushnell said the first and most important value proposition is the ability to transmit seamlessly and securely.
“We want to turn the game into a competitive platform, and in order to compete well you need to be able to move money safely, simply and easily,” he explained.
As the world becomes increasingly digital, people need a way to ensure actions and expectations are aligned with results.
“Second, and by the way, and the two are close, is the utility of smart contracts. Smart contracts have value not just in games, but in all human interactions because so much of what we do in life It’s about building relationships and then setting the terms of those relationships.”
The third key area is the ability to securely store digital asset value in the form of currencies and tokens.
related: Atari founder Animoca sees Web3 games as vital to virtual ownership and education
Tether co-founder Brock Pierce first introduced the cryptocurrency at a time when the price of Bitcoin (BTC) was hovering around $50. Bushnell said he didn’t initially pay much attention to cryptocurrencies.
However, when the price of Bitcoin began to soar, he, like many others, changed his mind, and Bushnell suddenly realized that something more could be happening in the blockchain world.
Although Bushnell admitted that he has not invested much in cryptocurrencies due to price volatility, he concluded that as long as humans can collectively share a sense of value, “we are generally safe.”
Web3 players: GTA Owners Join Web3, Bitcoin Casino, Sunflower Land Comments
Svlook