Ubisoft to Continue its NFT Endeavors

If there is any sector that has seen a lot of overlap with the NFT industry, it is gaming. Think about it; NFTs are essentially digital assets that we interact with mostly in the virtual world. Out of context, this could be referring to an in-game loot box or an artifact you unlock after defeating the final boss. 

As such, it should come as no surprise that many gaming companies have been incorporating NFT elements into popular titles. However, these have not all been well-received by the gaming community. 

An example of this is Ubisoft, a top game company that has received mixed to negative responses to its Ubisoft Quartz NFT platform. Despite this poor response, the company has made it clear that it will continue investing in NFTs.

Keep Calm and Carry On 

A week ago, Ubisoft announced that one of its games, Ghost Recon Breakpoint, would no longer be receiving any updates or NFTs. Following this announcement, some had speculated that Ubisoft would be ceasing all NFT efforts and shuttering  Ubisoft Quartz entirely. 

However, according to a statement posted on the official game page, Ubisoft clarified that while this specific game would no longer receive NFTs, other NFT endeavors will be pursued. 

“Thank you to all Ghost Recon® Breakpoint players who claimed their first Digits! You own a piece of the game and have left your mark in its history. As the last Digit for Ghost Recon® Breakpoint was released on 3/17/2022, stay tuned for more updates with features to the platform and future drops coming with other games!” the notice says.

When the NFT program was launched by Ubisoft, it was only available to those who had invested at least 600 hours of gaming time. They would be able to buy and sell exclusive Ubisoft NFTs that were related to each game.

Unfortunately, the launch was rather controversial as many players believed they were being taken advantage of by the company rather than being rewarded. It is unclear how customers will respond to future NFT ventures by Ubisoft given the expectation that Ubisoft Quartz would be shuttered. 

However, this response is not unique to Ubisoft as a company. Different NFT projects in the gaming world have been released by Behavior Interactive, GSC Game, and even the actor Troy Baker to negative reviews, with the latter even canceling his projects shortly after. 

Failure to Launch?

On paper, gaming and NFTs seem like a match made in heaven. So why have so many NFT efforts in the gaming community failed? 

A consistent criticism leveled by fans is that they feel that these projects do not provide meaningful value but instead, feel like a cash grab by the companies that launch them. There might be some truth to this. 

After all, if there is any consumer demographic that has never had an issue financially backing products that they love and vocalizing their distaste, it is the gaming crowd. For now, we can only hope that Ubisoft and other companies are able to fully leverage the power of NFTs in a way that appeals to the fans.