Ubisoft, Square Enix, Konami: Why major publishers explore NFTs.

NFTs are still “uncharted territory” for many gamers. To increase adoption and bring NFTs and the associated blockchain technology more into the mainstream, more and more publishers are introducing their very own NFT projects.

Just recently, Ubisoft presented the beta of Ubisoft Quartz. Here, users can purchase limited in-game items by serial number and resell them at will. All owners of this item are saved and displayed for all to see. Quartz is still only available for Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, but could also be conceivable for larger Ubisoft IPs such as Assassin’s Creed or Far Cry if it is successful.

Yosuke Matsuda, President of Square Enix, publisher of game hits like Final Fantasy or Life is Strange, also sees a lot of potential in the future of NFTs. In a recent New Year’s message to employees, he explained:

“The emergence of NFTs using blockchain technology has greatly increased the liquidity of digital goods, enabled the trading of a wide range of such goods at high prices, and sparked discussions around the world. I see 2021 not only as “Metaverse: Year One,” but also as “NFTs: Year One,” because it was a year in which NFTs were embraced with great enthusiasm by a rapidly growing user base.”

Konami, another Japanese publisher, is also slowly getting involved in the NFT market. For example, Konami was able to hold an auction to purchase 14 unique Arts from games such as Castlevania – for a total price of $162,000. The Konami Memorial NFT project represents the company’s first venture into the NFT space. However, the publisher wants to continue exploring new developments – according to player feedback.