Blockchain game studio Immutable is making layoffs
Web3 game developer Immutable Games Studio has dismissed several employees, it has been learned. Senior designer James Wakeham broke the news on Twitter, saying he and other staff were being made redundant.
Founded in 2018 by Alex Connolly and James and Robbie Ferguson, and part of blockchain company Immutable X, the studio develops NFT games. Immutable is credited with “groundbreaking the world’s first blockbuster NFT trading card game” in the Estates Unchained. It has also been involved in the development of upcoming mobile action RPGs, Guild of Guilds.
In March, Immutable X partnered with retailer GameStop to establish a fund of $100 million in Immutable tokens to help those who want to create NFT technology and content. GameStop recently launched its own NFT marketplace, which came under fire when it had to remove an NFT that referenced a man who fell to his death during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks from the marketplace.
NFTs are trying to carve out a place for themselves in games
Right now, many NFT and blockchain companies are trying to push into the mainstream video game market, while some developers and publishers have also flirted with the controversial technology.
Not everyone is sold, and last week Microsoft said it would ban NFTs and blockchain technology from the popular online game, Minecraft. The console maker said the technology “creates a scenario of the haves and the have-nots […] and does not agree with Minecraft values of creative inclusion and playing together.”
In response, NFT Worlds, a platform that seeks to leverage the technology i Minecraft, announced their own plans to create their own game and platform. Minecraft’s core mechanics will serve as the base, NFT Worlds said, but the feature “modernization and active development Minecraft has been missing for years […] this will usher in a more accessible, ownable and enjoyable gaming experience.”
Last week, Square Enix announced plans to release a new statue Final Fantasy VII protagonist Cloud Strife as part of a Digital Plus edition that will include “trading tickets to redeem a digital certificate of authenticity and a digital version of the figure that can be enjoyed on PC or smartphone.” The digital version uses technology from NFT platform Enjin, and according to Square Enix “may eventually become unusable” should Enjin disable its services in the future.
In addition, PlayStation Studios veterans John Garvin and Michael Mumbauer formed game developer Liithios in June, which plans to release its debut title, Ashfall, as the first ever web3 game on consoles. said the couple Ash fall will be “the first triple-A narrative-driven game in open development” and hopes to develop the title into “a multiplayer PvP and PvE transmedia world.”
Bad news, me and a bunch of people just got made redundant at Immutable. I am a senior level game designer with 7+ years of experience and 4+ years leading design on a live service TCG. Any help with jobs will help a lot. DM me. Help me feed my cat Oscar! (Oscar doesn’t need a job) pic.twitter.com/LQVgdRmKhv
— James Wakeham (@VideoJamesDev) 26 July 2022
Games that have previously attempted to incorporate NFTs have generally received a negative reception from players. Late last year, Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl developer GSC Game World announced plans to have NFT content, then later backtracked. “The interests of our fans and players are the team’s top priority,” GSC wrote at the time. “We’re making this game so you can enjoy it – no matter the cost. If you care, we care.”
Despite the backlash from gamers, some publishers such as Ubisoft and Com2Us are still interested in NFTs and blockchain technology. But even game developers have expressed a lack of interest. In January, the Game Developers Conference held a survey in which 72% of developers had no interest in either crypto or NFT. A large majority of developers noted that NFTs are unnecessary and “technology in search of a purpose.”
