While many in the tech industry seem to be excited about the prospect of blockchain technology andNFTs, the same often can’t be said of gamers. Video game fans have pushed back hard against the integration of NFTs into some of their favorite game franchises, but the trend isn’t going anywhere yet.
NFTs, or Non-Fungible Tokens, are a sort of digital collectible, often in the form of an image. There’s plenty of controversy surrounding what it means to ‘own’ an NFT, but despite the concerns of players,Square Enix is moving forward with plans to create NFTsbased on its properties.
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Square Enix previously announced it wasinterested in blockchain technology, but had not revealed specific plans on what it intended to do with it at that time. Now, however, the company has officially revealedFinal Fantasy 7NFTs that are coming in the near future. Specifically, an NFT of a Cloud action figure and an NFT ofFinal Fantasy 7collectible trading cards are coming with help from Enjin and its Efinity Network.
These NFTs will launch alongside real-world, physical collectibles. A “Digital Plus” Cloud action figure is selling for $160, whereas just buying the physical action figure alone is $130.Final Fantasy 7’s trading card packs will offer six cards for $4, with a redeemable code for an NFT version of a card included in each pack.
There’s likely to be fans who aren’t pleased at the idea of spending $30 extra on a digital figure of Cloud, but thankfully skipping it is an option. Square Enix’s current plans differ a bit from usual NFTs, which are often just a simple image. These bear more of a resemblance to pre-ordering a game and getting an in-game decorative item in thanks, or even redeeming a code off of an energy drink to unlock something.
Regardless of the quality or content of the NFTs, some players may be concerned regarding thedanger to the environment from blockchain technology. It’d be a bit peculiar to damage the real world’s environment with digital tokens based around a game that heavily focuses on protecting the health of the planet. However, Enjin utilizes the most carbon-efficient network currently available, Polkadot, and wants to make its NFTs carbon-neutral no later than 2030.
While plenty of curious gamers will likely buy the cards and redeem the codes for digital NFTs, it will be interesting to see how many spend the extra 30 dollars to get a digital Cloud figurine. Square Enix seems to see blockchain as being a big part of its future, though gamers will have some say by purchasing or avoiding NFTs depending on their personal preferences.
Final Fantasy 7 Remakeis available on PC, PS4, and PS5.
