Uh Oh, Even Nintendo Is Looking At NFTs
NFTs are a bizarre scourge on the gaming conversation. The wave of hype for non-fungible tokens has led gaming companies to expect their money-making schemes won't end up being caught out, and yet, they're caught out.... every time.
Team17 had to deactivate their MetaWorms project less than 48 hours after announcing, thanks to immeasurable backlash from fans and fellow studios. The concept of items that could be transferred from game to game - pedalled by crypto-bros - has already been debunked thanks to Valve and its Portal 2 hat systems. But that won't stop companies from trying it on.
Nintendo Is Interested In NFTs
Click to enlargeSadly, perhaps one of the most beloved studios in the world is eyeing up the fad. No. Please. Nintendo, not you. During a Q&A session with investors, Nintendo was asked about its thoughts about the ever-emerging metaverse, and subsequently, NFTs. Sadly, it seem pretty interested.
"We do have interest in this area, we feel the potential in this area," a spokesperson has said, but it seems like they're biding their time until they know exactly what to do with them. "We wonder what joy we can provide in this area and this is difficult to define right now," they added.
The typical environmental damage dealt by the minting process of NFTs pretty much defies the idea of "joy" in their creation, but it'll be interesting to see what Nintendo does with NFTs, if it does anything at all. But, they'll have audiences to contend with first.
Gamers Don't Like NFTs
Click to enlargeSo far, players have made it very clear that they're not interested in NFTs in games… at all. Ubisoft's Quartz launch video was met with swathes of dislikes and immeasurable criticism online, as well as Square Enix's interest in the medium, and of course, MetaWorms' critical lambasting on Twitter.
The idea of items that can be used across a multitude of games, while offering players a sense of genuine ownership isn't a flawed idea in itself. Development costs, unity across so many studios, and adapting the current NFT makeup for gaming simply isn't workable right now. Chances are, it simply never will. NFTs aren't ready to work alongside gaming in their current form, despite what crypto-bros might tell you. Please, Nintendo. Don't be one of them.