With the sudden boom of cryptocurrency NFT (non-fungible token) going worldwide, Ubisoft has made sure that they will not be left behind; and it seems people are not liking it.
In an attempt to adapt to the ever-developing technology that has wrapped its arms around the world, the French video game company just launched last week, Dec. 9, the Ubisoft Quartz, its first venture into blockchain and NFT.
Quartz, which allows gamers to acquire digital items through the use of cryptocurrency, gives users additional ways to purchase NFT items or ‘Digits’. Digits are in-game weapons, accessories, and vehicles which players can obtain and sell through their own crypto wallets. (Read: Valve banning crypto, NFT games for Steam)
Ubisoft partnered with Tezos, a decentralized, open-source proof of stake blockchain network, which the company claims to be energy efficient. The NFT platform was made available first in Ubisoft’s Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint title.
This NFT move by Ubisoft was not met with positive reviews though. In the trailer launched on YouTube, the video was met with 38,000 downvotes (dislikes) and numerous complaints from streamers and content creators worldwide. First and foremost, the company gave away the first three limited-time Digits for free, but under extreme conditions.
The first Digit, a Wolves skin designed for the M4A1 Tactical rifle, was dropped on Dec. 9 and requires players to reach XP level 5 before acquiring. The second and third, however, would require a lot of time.
For the second Digit, a Wolf Enhanced Helmet A, players need to reach 100 hours of gameplay; while the third, a pair of Wolf Enhanced pants, would require 600 hours. The two Digits were dropped on Dec. 12 and 15, respectively.
Moreover, not all cryptocurrencies are considered legitimate. Tezos, Ubisoft’s partner in this venture, made that clear on their website. In the section “How do NFTs work,” the company said, “that ownership is tracked on the blockchain, that piece of art might become valuable to you based entirely on who’s owned it in the past,” confirming that some NFTs have no functional value, which is not shown in their false schemes.
However, no matter how negative the reviews have been, this move makes Ubisoft the first major video game developer to release an NFT product, and it does show a lot of potential for the future of the gaming industry.
This idea of the company that will allow players to have “unique” customizations and ownership over their in-game items opens a lot of doors for creativity and innovation. In fact, fellow developers and competitors such as Square Enix and Sega have expressed their interest in the NFT platform. However, both companies have not released their own versions yet.
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