Square Enix’s obsession with NFTs persists as Symbiogenesis reveals, much to its horror
Highlights of the story
- Despite consistent opposition, Square Enix refuses to abandon blockchain ideas while Symbiogenesis is in development.
- The concept of NFT games is fraught with problems and has been unstable due to market crashes and fraud.
- Symbiogenesis seems nothing more than a straight cash grab with meaningless ideas and redundant images.
- Square Enix is at a crossroads in redeeming itself after past mistakes. However, the current direction has placed it at odds with fans.
Integration of NFTs and blockchain technology into games has always been a hated concept. The addition of extreme pay-to-win mechanics and making a game more of a business market takes away the true essence of gaming. To capitalize on the trend, companies didn’t care about the user experience as long as there was money to be made.
Fortunately, the severe setback and the crashing market dampened this idea a bit. However, the same cannot be said for Square Enix as it continues to push this ridiculous notion in future projects. The announcement of Square Enix’s increased focus on NFTs was met with stiff backlash. The replacement of NFT-loving CEO Yosuke Matsuda pleased fans, but the switch made no difference.
New CEO Takashi Kiryu was equally eager to promote the NFT and blockchain technologies to be incorporated into the company’s game. This is evident from the fact that despite the decline of NFTs and the severe opposition from gamers, Symbiogenesis, Square Enix’s NFT-based game, is still in development and it plans to go all in to complete the project.
The Fatal Flaws of NFT Gambling
The concept of introducing NFTs and blockchain technologies into the gaming industry is controversial and is strongly opposed as it takes away the very reason gaming is entertaining. No one wants to spend their time in a game that is more of an unpredictable market, with key features locked behind NFTs that only select owners can experience unless they are divulged by them. And Symbiogenesis is an exact implementation of that bad idea.
At a fundamental level, the prospect of NFT mechanics is at odds with gameplay. The basic idea behind a game is a virtual world where you can experience interesting stories with more control and creative game mechanics to keep you hooked and give you the freedom to immerse yourself in it as you want. By introducing NFTs, the game effectively locks core content behind paywalls and is only available to the specific user who has it.
Eventually, players without a source of entertainment again lose interest in the game, and subsequent purchases cease. This stops cash flow and the pay-to-earn formula just collapses on itself. Even if you had significant interest in buying more NFTs and had access to a good amount of content, your dedication goes to waste when the less-play-more market starts to crash.
One of the biggest flaws with the formula is this lack of staying power. Since it is a pay to make money, the game requires continuous cash flow to keep its functionality. To start “earning” you must first pump big money to buy NFTs. The moment the cash flow is disrupted, the game is no longer sustainable and starts to go under, which we really despise as a game is meant to be entertaining, not just a money grab.
Just take a look at the Axie Infinity. A pokemon-like game that operates on the formula of NFTs and was once the biggest blockchain game for Web3 enthusiasts. It was only a matter of time before it all came crashing down as the game suffered a major crash and the currency used as a staple in the game dropped massively in value. Despite previous failures with the concept, Square Enix is somehow eager to implement it in Symbiogenesis.
And to top it all off, some NFT games are just blatant scams designed to prey on the gullible. Several NFT scams disguised as indie games and Logan Paul’s promoted CryptoZoo are some examples of heartbreaking scams facing the gaming community. This further fueled the hatred of NFTs and blockchain systems in games and it is sad to see the trend not dying out.
NFTs are harmful to gaming.
We already know they are environmentally destructive, extract wealth into the hands of bad actors, and are mostly fraud or worse.
But I am one #Game design– are, and I also believe that they fundamentally damage the player experience.
(Thread 1/20)— Max Nichols (@maxnichols) 31 October 2021
Symbiogenesis is a mess
Ignoring the massive outrage and failures of the scheme, Square Enix has gone ahead and revealed Symbiogenesis, its full-fledged NFT project. And from what we know so far about this convoluted mess, it’s an absolute fear we must flee from at all costs. The game’s extreme NFT focus is out to rob us of both money and fun.
Symbiogenesis contains around 10,000 NFTs as tokens available for purchase. The game is called a “narrative unlockable NFT entertainment” where the missions can be completed by the information locked behind these NFT characters. Basically, the special information required to advance is only revealed if you have the NFT that carries it, and you’re banned if you don’t.
Assuming you are somehow interested in playing the game, the NFTs already held by other players can be monopolized by them since the game favors holding NFTs rather than selling them immediately. In that case, you can forget about moving forward unless you are willing to pay ridiculous amounts of cash. It also comes with the risk of losing everything in case the game’s economy starts to collapse.
The developers are leaning towards the idea that the game is not profitable to win on the technicality that NFT holders can choose to divulge their information to others if they wish. Sure, let’s ask the other players nicely for information and they’ll be happy to share while knowing they can make a lot of money by selling it instead. The optimism is overwhelming.
To increase the incentive to withdraw information, the game apparently has a “world mission.” A wastefully big assumption to choose only three players who will be given the reins to decide the direction the game will take in the future. What’s even the point of investing time and money if only three players are in the endgame and the game moves according to their whims? Not to mention the ridiculous amount of money it will take.
Square Enix’s new NFT game doesn’t let everyone play the final mission.
“Only 3 players will be able to participate in this world mission, leaving other players as spectators of the outcome.” pic.twitter.com/rJUTxVc48G
— Derek Strickland (@DeekeTweak) March 16, 2023
If that wasn’t enough to convince you, take a look at the character designs. All the characters have the same generic designs that are not appealing in any way, with the same accessories just pasted over the character models. And there should be around 10,000 different characters in Symbiogenesis. I fail to understand the motivation to buy these. This bland game looks like a waste of resources.
Square Enix’s faltering popularity
Square Enix is in troubled waters as it refuses to ditch the much-hated scheme of NFT games. Despite significant backlash, Symbiogenesis is in development, and the game itself is such a poor execution that fans are voicing their displeasure with this decision. At this rate, Square Enix could lose the confidence of fans just for the money-grabbing formula, as demonstrated by the Final Fantasy 7 NFT backlash.
At the moment, Square Enix can’t afford to mess up anymore as the mistakes of the past were solid enough to damage their reputation from here on out. Marvel’s Avengers was a massive failure precisely because of the attempt to bring in money with the implementation of a live service formula without content. The downturn was severe enough for the game to announce the end of service.
Square Enix’s open-world fantasy RPG was another lackluster launch, with many issues ranging from visuals and lack of content to excruciating dialogue. The game’s poor reception may have been the reason why Luminous Productions, the developer of Forspoken, merged with Square Enix afterwards. Square Enix should have learned from their mistakes instead of adopting another hateful project.
Blockchain implementation in games is a concept filled to the brim with flaws and contradictions. It gives cash-hungry companies a perfect route to turn gaming into a full-fledged business. We hoped Square Enix would drop this idea after strong opposition, but the reality is truly cruel. Symbiogenesis comes as a browser game for PC and mobile in spring 2023.
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