My wife plans to build its own platform for in-game trading of NFTs and is recruiting a “wide range of talent” to support that marketplace. NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, have been working their way into the gaming industry for some time now, and while gamers are resistant to the inclusion of the technology in their favorite titles, some companies believe they’re a good step forward for business. Although it was reported that NFT sales plunged in the first half of 2022, game publishers and developers are still interested in their potential.
One company that has been open about its interest in NFTs is Konami. In January this year, Konami celebrated the anniversary of Castlevania by selling a collection of NFTs linked to the franchise. Most of the collection consisted of GIFs from the first three Castlevania games, but there were also some reproductions of art that fans could also purchase. After its initial dive into the world of NFT, it looks like Konami is moving forward with much bigger plans revolving around the technology.
In a recent press release, Konami announced that they are working on providing “new experiences” using Web3 and the metaverse. One of these new experiences will be a platform that allows players to trade NFTs in-game. Konami calls this a “unique distribution platform” and does not yet have a name for the service or a planned release date. From the press release, it seems like this platform is still in the early stages, as Konami is looking to hire people for several new positions to help build the service.
It was clear that Konami was going to move forward with its NFT plans as early as February, when the company offered more classic art from its IPs to “preserve game content.” Whether Konami truly has game preservation at the heart of its NFT plans or not, many gamers online are not happy with the use of blockchain technology in their favorite titles. Previous concepts from companies like Ubisoft Quartz were immediately panned by many due to the controversial nature of NFTs.
It’s not just fans who aren’t too happy with Konami’s interest in the NFT markets. Back in February, when it was announced that Konami was moving forward with its NFT plans, Bayonetta developer PlatinumGames threw shade at Silent Hill and Castlevania creator, and calls out other game companies for “greedy behavior”.
Source: Konami
