Final Fantasy 7 NFT Trading Cards on the way from Square Enix
Square Enix has announced a set of trading cards to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Final Fantasy VII, which will also be available digitally as NFTs.
The Final Fantasy VII Anniversary Art Museum Digital Card Plus collection will be available from March 31, and will feature “art, graphics and famous scenes” from the game’s 25-year history. As reported by VGC, each 440 yen ($3.30) pack contains six physical cards and one digital interchange card displaying an alphanumeric code.
According to Square Enix’s website, the collection consists of “99 types of trading cards, 3 types of other regular cards, 102 types of premium cards (normal cards, foil specifications for other cards), and 3 types of secret cards for a total of 207 types”.
Buyers must use the Enjin Wallet cryptocurrency smartphone application to claim ownership of the digital cards. Once customers have created an Enjin account, and linked the app to the Square Enix website, they will be able to register the code found on the trading card, and claim a Final Fantasy VII NFT of your choice.
According to Square Enix, it’s possible to get an NFT version of each of the 207 cards included in the collection, which, when redeemed, can be viewed on either a smartphone or PC.
Square Enix notes that it will initially not be possible to transfer or resell the cards to a third party. However, a warning on the product information page suggests that this may be possible with a future update, stating “If we decide to support the marketplace in the future, we will notify you of this [Square Enix’s] website”.
The company also warned that there is a March 31, 2024 deadline for redeeming the NFTs, and that “in the event of future termination of service, it may not be possible to view or use your digital cards”.
This isn’t the first time Square Enix has dabbled in NFTs. In November 2022, the company revealed the “NFT Collectible Art” experience Symbiogenesis, which is currently scheduled for release in Spring 2023.
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) – are digital assets recorded on a blockchain, which is a form of unhackable digital ledger that guarantees the authenticity and ownership of an item.
Developers and publishers have been exploring ways to incorporate NFTs into their games for some time now, but have been met with very little in the way of success. In recent years, several studios have announced blockchain-powered features for their games, only to bail them out at breakneck speed in the face of public backlash.
Early last year, Steam CEO Gabe Newell moved to ban all NFT-infused games from the digital marketplace, citing “sketchy behavior” and “out of control” instances of fraud perpetrated by bad actors exploiting the underlying technology .
The energy-intensive process of minting new NFTs has also been a cause for concern among environmentally conscious players, prompting a number of developers to sign an anti-NFT pledge.
Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video game news for IGN. He has over eight years of experience covering cutting-edge developments in several scientific fields, and absolutely no time for your shenanigans. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer
Image credit: Square Enix
