Konami confirms plans to develop and launch NFT platform
Apparently committed to breaking into the world of metaverse and web3 gaming, Konami is now planning to launch an NFT platform to allow players to trade in-game items.
A new job posting explains that the company is recruiting a wide range of talent “for ‘system engineering’ and ‘service development’ to deliver new experiences like web3 and metaverse.”
“We have been conducting research and development to incorporate the latest technology into games and content, and plan to launch a service where players can trade their NFTs (digital items) in-game through a unique distribution platform using blockchain,” the company added to the notice.
The Silent Hill and Metal Gear Solid publisher claims the move will strengthen the structure and accelerate the business.
Outlining exactly how it will use NFTs, the company said its non-fungible tokens will appear as usable in-game items, but will also have functionality in fan communities and events. Broadly speaking, it claims its NFTs will help fans “interact with other services and communities to further expand the user experience.”
The company added that the system it is developing is a “unique digital goods distribution platform” that complies with the guidelines for blockchain games issued by the Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association, the Japan Online Game Association and the Mobile Content Forum.
Konami reiterated its plans to sell NFTs in a financial report published earlier this year, saying it wanted to allow players to claim ownership of their virtual items to “preserve content that has been loved by our customers as commemorative art.” The studio made these comments shortly after hosting a Castlevania 35th Anniversary NFT auction.
Now, however, it seems that the company is keen to push even deeper into the NFT industry with the aim of creating elements in the game that have some functionality.
Other companies, such as Ubisoft, have previously adopted a similar approach – although it would be fair to say that their efforts produced mixed results. For example, Ubisoft launched an NFT platform called Quartz to allow players to buy and sell cosmetic virtual goods in Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint for real money.
Gamers weren’t exactly sold on the idea, though, and with Quartz struggling to catch on, Nicolas Pouard, VP at Ubisoft’s Strategic Innovations Lab, suggested that players were simply slow on the uptake.
“I think players don’t understand what a digital secondary market can give them. Because now, because of the current situation and context of NFTs, players really think that it is firstly destroying the planet and secondly just a tool for speculation,” Pouard said in an interview with Australian outlet Finder last year.
“But what we [at Ubisoft] see first is the playoffs. The end game is all about giving players the ability to resell their items when they are done with them or they are done playing the game itself. So that’s really it for them. It is really beneficial. But they don’t understand it yet.”
Others such as Bandai Namco and Square Enix are also experimenting with NFTs, but due to concerns about the environmental impact of NFTs and the speculative nature of buying and selling virtual items, many players and developers in the industry remain skeptical of their use.
