Why gamers hate crypto, and music fans don't

The fandoms are gaming and music. And while you’re always going out a limb when you try to draw conclusions about such large, diverse groups, I can’t help but feel like I’m seeing a trend in the way they have responded so far to efforts from industry to sell them various blockchain-related things.

Three, the music NFT projects I’m describing this week are entirely optional. You can still stream Legend on Spotify without buying one of his NFTs; you can still go to Coachella without winning an auction for a lifetime pass. The music industry has so far approached crypto as a way to sell extras to an artist’s most hardcore fans, and it’s natural... See more

Compare that to the gamer, who faces the prospect of having to compete in a shooter game against people who have paid to look superior to them, or have different levels of access or other perks thanks to crypto. There, the NFTs cannot be ignored — they’re warping the whole experience for everyone.

So what’s the difference between gaming NFTs and music NFTs? And what explains the different reactions?-One, live entertainment has always done a healthy business in collectibles; gaming hasn’t.-Two, music NFTs can more easily be positioned as helping artists...Meanwhile, game developers are generally large, profitable corporations whose relationsh... See more

Today, let’s talk about the very different reactions that two different types of fandoms are having to blockchain-based products — and whether that tells us anything about what average people might actually want out of crypto.