Despite Historic Crashes, Video Games Aren’t Over NFTs Just Yet

Image: Golden Sikorka (Shutterstock)

We had been so shut. As the NFT market suffered one meteoric crash after one other, and as some crypto-based video games misplaced cash by the lots of of thousands and thousands, it appeared for a second there that the gaming business would possibly come to its senses. But no. This week alone noticed two main events unveiling a dedication to smushing NFTs and video video games collectively.

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Square Enix, the legendary writer that appears intent on burying each ounce of goodwill it accrued through the years after which dancing on the grave, is doubling down on its obsession with blockchain expertise.

Earlier this 12 months, Square Enix offered off a handful of prestigious studios—together with Deus Ex maker Eidos Montreal and Tomb Raider stewards Crystal Dynamics—for $300 million. Around the identical time, the corporate said a transparent intention to go all in on incorporating blockchain expertise into its video games. The firm’s report for its 2022 shareholders assembly, revealed this week (by way of Siliconera), mentioned it plans to introduce “story-focused NFTs” to its video games.

It is unclear how, precisely, this blockchain expertise will introduce any new options that aren’t already existent in video video games. Representatives for Square Enix didn’t reply to a request for remark.

Also this week, a duo of former PlayStation execs—Michael Mumbauer and John Garvin—introduced the formation of a brand new studio, Liithos (tagline: “from impossible to inevitable”), which plans to develop video games on the Hedera crypto community. Mumbauer, who beforehand co-founded indie studio That’s No Moon, stepped down from his function as CEO earlier this 12 months. (That’s No Moon was established final 12 months and has but to launch a recreation.) Here’s a part of his mission assertion for Liithos:

I wish to see a world the place the characters and tales that I like don’t finish after I end the sport. That’s been a dream of mine for a number of many years. The greatest hurdle to beat has been that there hasn’t been a significant method to join completely different leisure worlds collectively in the proper method. Web 3 will unlock the facility to remodel the way in which we interact with leisure. Imagine studying your favourite comedian ebook or watching the newest season of a present you like, besides they’re all primarily based in the identical wonderful world. Even higher, by watching the present, you get one thing that provides unbelievable worth to your enjoyment of the sport. Is that attainable?

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The first recreation out of Liithos is Ashfall, a post-apocalyptic motion recreation set lots of of years sooner or later within the Pacific Northwest. Liithos is at present promoting a comic book primarily based on Ashfall for $100 (“expected delivery 9/23″). Garvin, who previously wrote and directed open-world survival game Days Gone, will serve as Ashfall’s creative director.

This is concept art for Ashfall, not Outriders.Image: LiithosAdvertisement

It is unclear how exactly Liithos plans to get a blockchain-based game past the certification processes of historically strict console storefronts. Through a representative, Mumbauer told Kotaku that, “development will take a while, [but] we believe the integration of technologies that will amplify our trans-media goals will come online eventually. Alternatively, we intend [to] put some focus on technology backend to connect mediums together if one isn’t created that we can leverage for Ashfall.”

Noted.

This week, NFT.NYC placed on its fourth annual pageant, whereby a horde of crypto bros descend on New York City. One of the principle phases was immediately throughout the road from Kotaku HQ; strolling from the subway to the workplace every day meant wading by means of a sea of fleece half-zips and polyester chinos and purple plastic lanyards. Afterhours, attendees flocked to the galleries of Soho and Williamsburg to sip bitter Prosecco and communicate in hushed, reverent tones a few “Gary V.”

It is one factor to listen to about these items, to examine it or watch from afar as a venerable writer of usually wonderful video games makes abjectly horrible enterprise selections. It is one other solely to see the fervor so tangibly in individual.

We had been so shut.