In a significant policy shift, Google Play has announced that developers can now integrate digital assets, including non-fungible tokens (NFTs), into their apps and games available on the platform. This move allows companies to offer functionalities such as buying, selling, or earning tokenized assets, while also ensuring transparency about the presence of blockchain-based elements within the app.
Joseph Mills, Group Product Manager at Google Play, emphasized the potential for partners to transform traditional games with user-owned content and enhance user loyalty through unique NFT rewards. The collaboration with Reddit, which has experienced remarkable success with Avatar NFTs, played a pivotal role in shaping the new guidelines. Matt Williamson, Reddit’s senior engineering manager, expressed support for the updated policy, highlighting its aim to create an equitable environment that fosters user trust and responsible usage of blockchain technology.
Mills emphasized the importance of user trust, stating that developers must not promote or glamorize potential earnings from playing or trading activities related to tokenized assets. This aligns with Google Play’s existing policies on Real-Money Gambling, Games, and Contests. As a result, apps that have not met the eligibility requirements for gambling activities cannot promote purchasing in-game items, such as “loot boxes,” for a chance to win NFTs.
Previously, Google’s stance on blockchain-based apps was perceived as opaque, with games like “Bitcoin Blast” being removed from the Play Store in 2021 without clear explanations. In 2018, the platform also banned crypto mining apps, a rule that remains unchanged under the new guidelines.
Google has shown a recent shift in its attitude towards Web3 technologies, allowing apps like ArDrive Mobile, which facilitates decentralized data storage, to be featured on the platform in 2022. Moreover, select Google Play markets now list Axie Infinity: Origins. In line with this trend, Google Cloud announced an initiative in April 2023 to support Web3 developers in accelerating their startups.
A spokesperson from Google Play confirmed that users can expect to see initial tests of these new experiences in late summer, as they collaborate with a group of developers. The full rollout of the new policy is planned for later this year, signaling Google’s commitment to embracing blockchain-based innovations and offering enhanced digital experiences to its users.
