Square Enix unveils controversial Final Fantasy 7 NFTs
Square Enix has finally revealed Final Fantasy VII NFTs that were teased almost a year ago. When in 2022 other video game companies began backing away from plans to integrate NFTs into their intellectual properties, the Japanese publisher and developer stood firm. Square Enix President Yosuke Matsuda released a letter to ring in the New Year 2022 expressing a commitment to blockchain technology, and one of the first IPs to get the NFT treatment would be Final Fantasy VII.
As Final Fantasy fans begged Square Enix to reconsider its NFT plans, the company’s stock jumped 8% in price soon after Matsuda’s letter was published. The goal of introducing NFTs into the Square Enix ecosystem, the company’s president claimed, was to make gaming more exciting and to entice people who otherwise had no incentive to play traditional games.
Square Enix has now revealed Final Fantasy VII Anniversary Art Museum Digital Card Plus, a verbose title for a collection of digital and physical trading cards based on the extremely popular RPG, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2022. There will be 207 different cards, consisting of 102 regular cards, their premium version foil duplicates, and three additional cards that have yet to be revealed. The trading cards will feature “art, graphics and famous scenes” from Final Fantasy VII since its release in 1997.
The items will be sold in packs of six physical cards and one collectable NFT digital card, with a price tag of approximately $3 USD each. A box containing 20 physical card packs is also currently available for pre-order for $79.80 from Square Enix’s North America store. The release date of these Final Fantasy VII trading cards are listed on the Japanese-language website on March 31, 2023. The site also clarifies that the digital cards can be “enjoyed anytime on your smartphone or PC,” and a special website has already gone live where owners can trade or view their NFT -is.
In addition to finally revealing Final Fantasy VII digital trading cards, Square Enix also recently offered a first look at the upcoming NFT-based game Symbiogenesis. In November 2022, when it was discovered that the company had trademarked the word “symbiogenesis”, many fans expressed hope that an announcement for a Parasite Eve remasters would soon follow. Instead, it turned out to be the title of a full-fledged role-playing game built around blockchain technology that will contain 10,000 collectibles.
It’s strange that Square Enix seems completely intent on introducing NFTs into new games and established IPs. While a few companies still show some interest in the technology, with recent rumors even claiming that Sony plans to rent NFTs to gamers and stream audiences, it appears to have quieted down considerably since 2021/2022. Previously all-in companies like Ubisoft have since become less vocal about NFT intentions, while others like Mojang have denounced them outright.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake is available on PC, PS4 and PS5.
Sources: Square Enix, Square Enix Store
