square Enix President Yosuke Matsuda Open letter On January 1st, we will consider the company’s plans for next year. It consists of buzzwords such as Metaverse, NFT, and blockchain technology.
In the last month of 2021, this trend began in the video game industry as Ubisoft, with GSC Game World (the team behind Stalker 2) setting out plans for implementing NFTs in games.
Square Enix CEO Yosuke Matsuda has fully incorporated the Metaverse and blockchain-based game NFT into the New Year’s open letter.hd.square-enix.com/eng/news/2022/… https://t.co/GEGqD9dJqX
GSC Game World eventually turned back their decision after facing a big backlash from fans, but Ubisoft pushed their decision forward. NFT plan using Ghost Recon Breakpoint.. The announcement of Ubisoft’s “Quartz” program received strong negative feedback from the community, but the actual product did not sell well and was largely ignored.
From this point of view, Square Enix’s decision to come up with the content of this letter seems confusing. Will more video game publishers follow the same path?
Note: This article reflects the author’s personal opinion.
For better or for worse, many large game publishers will follow the Ubisoft and Square Enix examples from an NFT perspective.
After all, the impetus for adopting NFTs for major video game companies comes down to money issues. Driven by user-generated content (UGC) and “play to contribute”, it is the customer who makes the basic payments for the game and keeps paying to keep the game running.
The loot box controversy is a thing of the past. However, NFTs definitely look like a much more cranked-up version of the predatory microtransactions that have existed in some AAA games over the last decade. This part of Square Enix’s letter from President Matsuda is of particular relevance here.
“I think there are a certain number of people who have the motivation to” play to contribute. ” It can help make the game more exciting. Traditional games do not provide a clear incentive for this latter group, strictly motivated by inconsistent personal feelings such as good intentions and volunteerism. “
This is reminiscent of the controversy over Bethesda and Valve over paid mods. There are many gaming communities that have flourished over the years using Minecraft, thanks to user-generated content and mods. Skyrim, Fallout, Mount & Blade, and Stardew Valley This is the case.
Therefore, it is controversial to implement ecologically harmful technologies such as NFTs solely to satisfy third-party asset creators.
The broad gaming community wasn’t kind to Square Enix. This is very similar to everyone’s reaction to Ubisoft and GSC Game World last month. But looking at how things are spreading in the video game industry, more and more AAA game companies are trying to monetize future games using blockchain technology and other similar things. increase.
Sega made a reservation for NFTs at a recent SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS management meeting, citing fears of negative reactions from fans. In early 2021, when fans of Sonic the Hedgehog made plans for NFTs, the company faced a very strong backlash.
When it comes to game stores, Valve has a clear cryptocurrency stance. vapor All games, including cryptocurrencies or NFTs, have been banned with blanks. Meanwhile, the Epic Games Store recently announced the availability of NFT games.
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In the case of Square Enix, the irony is strong. All this crypto story comes from the company that created FINAL FANTASY VII, a highly iconic game with a strong anti-capitalist message. Some companies, such as Square Enix, have come to the NFT decision, while others haven’t made a decisive move yet.
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