Google’s latest marketplace policy update have paved the way for apps containing asset that can be purchased and bought with digital tokens.

“Today, we’re pleased to share that we’re updating our policy to open new ways to transact blockchain-based digital content within apps and games on Google Play,” says an official post by Group Product Manager at Google Play, Joseph Mills.

The step was taken in order to reimagine traditional games with user-owned content and boost user loyalty through NFT rewards.

While there are a lot of factors to be kept in mind, the company claims that they have put user safety forefront. Google has placed a few terms to keep the apps providing non-fungible token (NFT) assets transparent. These are –

1. If an app provides access to purchase or earning digital assets, it is required for the developers to inform the users.

2. The developers also cannot advertise any potential earnings through playing or trading.

3. The developers also cannot sell NFTs for which the value is not clear to the users. This also includes randomized blockchain-based items from loot boxes.

So what’s allowed?

Digital assets, in general, can be sold like regular items for a price or can be given out just for playing the game. Trading or selling does not seem to be an option for these digital assets as of now, as Google does not have a community market or anything of the sort. It seems players can only use them in the game.

A prime example currently is Reddit’s crypto wallets and NFT avatars. People can currently create an NFT wallet on Reddit and buy avatars, although they can only be used for that purpose only.

The general idea that people normally get after hearing about NFTs is the ability to trade and sell them. With no information regarding trading, it remains to be seen how much the NFT introduction will help a game, especially where there are not many success stories of games with NFTs making record earnings.