We were so close. As the The NFT market suffered a meteoric crash after Anotherand as some crypto-based games millions of money lost, it seemed there for a second that the gaming industry might be coming to their senses. But no. This week alone, two major parties announced their commitment to crush NFTs and video games together.
Square Enix, the legendary publisher that seems intent on burying every ounce of goodwill it’s accumulated over the years and then dancing on the grave, is doubling down his obsession with Blockchain Technology.
Earlier this year Square Enix sold a handful of renowned studios-including deus ex Manufacturers Eidos Montreal and Grave robbers Stewards Crystal Dynamics – for $300 million. around the same time The company has stated a clear intention make every effort to integrate blockchain technology into its games. The firms Report for the 2022 Annual General Meetingreleased this week (above Siliconera), said it plans to introduce “story-focused NFTs” into its games.
It’s unclear exactly how this blockchain technology will introduce new features that don’t yet exist in video games. Square Enix officials did not respond to a request for comment.
Also this week, a duo of former PlayStation execs – Michael Mumbauer and John Garvin – announced the formation of a new studio. Liithos (Slogan: “From the impossible to the inevitable”), which plans to continue developing games the crypto network Hedera. mom builder, who previously co-founded indie studio That’s No Moon, resigned from his position as CEO earlier this year. (That’s No Moon was founded last year and hasn’t released a game yet.) Here’s part of his mission statement for Liithos:
I want to see a world where the characters and stories I love don’t end after I finish the game. This has been a dream of mine for several decades. The biggest hurdle to overcome was that there was no meaningful way to connect different entertainment worlds together in the right way. Web 3 will unleash the power to transform the way we engage in entertainment. Imagine reading your favorite comic or watching the latest season of a show you love, except they’re all set in the same amazing world. Even better, if you watch the show, you’ll get something that adds incredible value to your gaming enjoyment. Is that possible?
The first game from Liithos is ash fall, a post-apocalyptic action game set hundreds of years in the future in the Pacific Northwest. Luthos is I’m selling a comic related to ash fall for $100 (“expected delivery on September 23”). Garvin, who previously wrote and directed the open world survival game Last daysserves as ash fall‘s creative director.
It’s unclear exactly how Liithos plans to bring a blockchain-based game through the certification processes of historically strict console storefronts. Through a representative, Mumbauer said my box
Written down.
In this week, NFT.NYC is hosting its fourth annual festival, bringing a horde of crypto bros to New York City. One of the main stages was directly opposite my box Headquarters; walk from the subway to the office every day meant wading through a sea of fleece half-zips and polyester chinos and red plastic ties. After hours, the participants flocked into the galleries of Soho and Williamsburg to sip sour prosecco and talk about a “Gary V.” in low, reverent voices.
It’s one thing to hear about it, read about it, or watch from afar a venerable publisher of typically excellent games making terrible business decisions. It is something completely different to see the passion so tangible in person.
We were so close.
