Major Game Studios Are Ready For NFTs

Gaming is probably one of the most obvious mainstream use cases for crypto, but Web3 has been particularly unpopular among hardcore gamers, especially those living in the US and Europe. There are a few reasons for this skepticism, but it mostly boils down to distrust of traditional gaming companies and a hesitancy to financialize games.

Major AAA gaming studios have created a massive backlash with their predatory micro transactions and downloadable content, and people understandably see every new financial feature as a cash grab, instead of something that could benefit them. In the minds of most gamers, new financial features means them spending more money, or allowing whales to pay to win, which will ruin a lot of the fun for their games. This is how things are currently playing out in the gaming industry, but Web3 actually offers a solution to this predicament.

Web3 Gaming Pioneers

When Web3 games like Axie Infinity started going viral in 2021, some gaming companies started to express interest in NFTs and Web3 features, but gamers were extremely resistant to the idea, and there was a huge online campaign to reject these features. Most of the companies that were considering Web3 features instantly reversed their stance and made public statements in opposition of the new technology. Discord was even forced to cancel rolling out Web3 functionality that would have saved many NFT collectors from getting scammed.

However, there were a few companies that actually doubled-down on Web3 and crypto, insisting that they saw value in the technology, even if their customers didn’t understand it yet. The largest of these companies were Ubisoft and Square Enix, both of which have had numerous interesting experiments with Web3.

Ubisoft

Ubisoft is one of the largest video game companies to show interest in blockchain technology. In December 2021, Ubisoft launched Ubisoft Quartz, a platform for integrating NFTs into its games. The first game to feature these NFTs, called “Digits,” was “Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint.” These Digits were unique, limited-edition, in-game items that players could own and trade.

Ubisoft has also engaged in various strategic partnerships to deepen its Web3 involvement. For example, they released Rabbids NFTs in “The Sandbox” in early 2023. Ubisoft has also collaborated with Immutable to develop Web3 games and continues to explore new ways to integrate blockchain technology into their projects.

Most recently, Ubisoft has announced a free NFT mint for their game Champions Tactics, which is coming up soon.

Square Enix

Square Enix started getting involved into blockchain and NFTs in 2018. They began with research and small-scale projects, gradually increasing their involvement over the years. One of their first significant ventures was the release of NFT trading cards for the “Shi-San-Sei Million Arthur” game in partnership with the NFT studio double jump.tokyo, deployed on the LINE blockchain.

To fund their Web3 projects, Square Enix sold major franchises such as Tomb Raider to Embracer Group in 2022 for $300 million. They also entered into a $50 million deal with mobile and NFT developer Gumi and partnered with Animoca Brands to extend their reach into the Web3 ecosystem.

Square Enix has been developing several blockchain-based games, the biggest of which is “Symbiogenesis,” which launched late last year.

The Future of Web3 Gaming

Somnia is working to become the primary infrastructure for Web3 games, allowing entire games, including game logic, to come on-chain, and connecting as many games as possible into an interoperable ecosystem. Take a look at our litepaper and join our community to learn more about Somnia and keep up with our experiences.