Buzz
Numerous industry giants are venturing into the NFT gaming arena.
It's undeniable that NFT games are currently one of the most attention-grabbing topics in the online gaming industry. While some argue it creates division, others believe integrating NFT features could bring positive signals to gamers. Despite Valve's strict ban and the indifference of major studios, there are still many giants ready to join this race.
Ubisoft
Ubisoft arguably took the earliest lead in this race. However, the results they obtained were rather poor. The creators of blockbusters like Far Cry, Assassin's Creed, or Call of Duty announced an NFT initiative called Ubisoft Quartz, where players can buy, trade, and transact in-game items like outfits and weapons as NFTs using the cryptocurrency Tezos.
However, when the numbers were tallied, only 15 items were sold. Apart from a strong backlash for attempting to monetize through NFT integration, Ubisoft received little else from this game.
Tencent
Though not directly involved, this doesn't mean the Chinese tech giant is staying out of the game. Through a backing company named Voodoo in France, Tencent has decided to invest over $200 million in blockchain technology development next year to further its P2E NFT project.
With buzzwords like 'industry breakthrough' floating around, Voodoo's $200 million project is highly anticipated to launch in 2022.
Konami
In Japan, another gaming giant, Konami, proves its ability to keep up with the times. Recently, the largest game company in Japan announced that it will release its own NFTs to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the famous electronic game brand Castlevania.
Specifically, Konami will release an NFT collection about Castlevania, including memorabilia such as the 'Vampire Killer' song, in-game scenes, and pixel art created exclusively for the collection. All items will be auctioned off starting from January 12th. The auction will take place in the UK and Japan. To participate in the Castlevania NFT auction, users must have ETH in their wallets and be of legal age in their country.
Square Enix
At the dawn of the new year, the president of Square Enix wasted no time in clandestinely revealing his ambition to delve into the NFT gaming arena through a letter to fans. Despite lacking concrete plans, this was enough to incite outrage among fans of renowned series like Final Fantasy.
Even without a clear plan in sight, Square Enix has faced significant opposition from gamers. There has even been a wave of boycotts targeting this renowned studio brand.
