Final Fantasy creators join Oasys blockchain, gamers whine about it
Square Enix, the Japanese game developer behind the beloved Final Fantasy franchise has signed on as a node validator for blockchain gaming project Oasys, with the duo also teaming up to create blockchain games.
The move has predictably been met with criticism from some crypto- and NFT-hating members of the gaming community, annoyed that the firm continues to double down on its focus on blockchain technology.
In an announcement on September 12, Oasys revealed that Square Enix had jumped on board to be the project’s 21st node validator, taking up the final spot of initial validators.
Going forward, the duo will also team up to develop new games on Oasys’ EVM-compatible Proof-of-Stake (PoS) blockchain, which hopes to become a hub for Triple A quality games with Play-to-Earn (P2E) integrations.
Square Enix joins a number of big names in gaming to partner with Oasys such as Sega, Double Jump, Bandai Namco and Ubisoft – with the latter also having a troubled history with players pushing back against the firm’s NFT gaming initiative Quartz.
In 2022, Square Enix has done irreparable damage to its image by
– Investment in crypto
– No longer prioritize “fun” in gaming
– Sells all his western studiosI’d call it self-sabotage, but compared to what’s happened to Warner Bros this year, it’s honestly nothing https://t.co/TD8d1O1nj9
— Bruh Momento (@JBoop_is_ballin) 12 September 2022
The pitchforks are out
While the prospect of having established gaming giants jumping behind a blockchain project is welcome news in the blockchain world, Square Enix’s move has not been well received by the traditional gaming community.
The Gamer reported the news with the headline: “Square Enix sets its dreaded NFT plans in motion by partnering with Crypto Company.”
“Unlike most video game developers who decided to announce their ventures into the jpeg-filled world of NFTs, Square Enix just doubled down,” the article notes, while questioning Square Enix president and CEO Yosuke Matsuda’s previous statements about introducing P2E elements into games:
“He probably ignored the fact that so many NFT games are not only scams, but also look like they were made by an actual bored monkey.”
On Twitter, gamer @ShyVortex said the partnership was “truly disgusting. Never buying a Square Enix game again, while @eramaster12 asked “what will it take to force them to quit?.”
@Pilnok also said this “has become tiresome and embarrassing” and @ManuelRomer2 added “how about just not doing it at all?”
— RecklesFlam1ngo (@RecklesFlam1ngo) 12 September 2022
Square Enix and blockchain
Square Enix has gradually stepped up its blockchain-related plans in 2022, despite pushback.
Matsuda stated in a New Year’s letter in January that he was particularly interested in the idea of introducing blockchain-enabled “token economies” into games to incentivize both players and content-generating users to add to the games.
“With advances in token economies, users will be given explicit incentives, thereby not only resulting in greater consistency in their motivation, but also creating a tangible upside to their creative efforts,” he wrote.
Related: Ubisoft Cools Down on NFTs and Blockchain, Says It’s in ‘Research Mode’
While blockchain has yet to creep into Square Enix’s games, the company kicked things off in July by releasing tokenized character figures for $129.99 featuring characters like Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy.
