GTA Dev’s new game doesn’t have NFTs, just Blockchain Research
The first game of Gamescom opening night live our Everywherea shooter led by the maker of Grand Theft Auto series. However, the announcement and developer interview were so vague that many began to speculate that the game could be hosted on the blockchain. Today, the developers clarified that Everywhere will not be built on the blockchain, but did not completely rule out the technology. “We don’t like to reject new technologies just because others haven’t found a solution for them yet,” said a community official.
according to Everywhere website, the game “blends gameplay, adventure, creativity and discovery into an all-new multi-world gaming experience that redefines how players connect with each other and with the digital world.” If that sentence just sounded like buzzword salad to you, then don’t worry. So did the developer interviews during Opening Night Live.
When asked about exactly what the game was, assistant director Adam Whiting was coy about sharing more details. “We want to build a whole new world for players,” Whiting said. “We don’t just want a place to play, but to see, share, create, hang out with your friends and much more.”
The lack of clarity has been worrying for fans accustomed to non-responses from NFT studios. Some Twitter users pointed out who builds a rocket boy our employment for a developer on the “Blockchain Team.” The job advertisement specifically called for experience in AAA game development, as well as experience in implementing blockchain contracts. According to the studio, the job is a research position. But they haven’t said that Everywhere will never have blockchain or pay-to-earn elements, either.
And apart from the job ad, one of the studio’s large investors is Galaxy Interactive, which has invested in several Web3 companies. Kotaku contacted Build A Rocket Boy but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
Blockchain is deeply unpopular among some players and developers because they are widespread associated with shadowy ones fraud. In fact, companies have had to clarify that their work was not intended to be an NFT or any form of blockchain technology. Blockchain has also been criticized for its negative impacts on the environment.
Geoff Keighley tweeted just last year that “I really hope I never have to stand up at #TheGameAwards and say things like ‘the world’s first game-to-earn blockchain shooter with ‘real ownership’.” Gamescom is a different show, but Keighley is the host for both, then many record chirping or his pronounced commitment for environmental protection right now. Whether Everywhere will have blockchain elements at some point, the studio is being funded by investors who don’t have the planet’s best interests at heart. Kotaku reached out to Keighley about whether he knew about the studio’s involvement with blockchain before the show, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
Build A Rocket Boy was founded by GTA veteran Leslie Benzies after he had left Rockstar North in 2016 over one lawsuit for $150 million in royalties towards the studio. They announced Everywhere in 2017, but gave get concrete details about how the game actually played. Their social media accounts continue to be sparse except for pictures of the game’s logo. Which is a bit disturbing if the game is coming out in 2023 as planned.
