Japanese gaming giants have a long-term vision for blockchain gaming.
Big gaming firms are working to spur mainstream blockchain gaming adoption, and don’t want to “change that policy” even if it causes pushback from some.
Check out how big names like Bandai Namco, Sega and Square Enix are eyeing blockchain gaming. In other news, find out how a metaverse-focused fir- integrated NFTs within Minecraft despite its ban on NFTs. And, don’t forget this week’s Nifty News featuring the first metaverse wedding at The Sandbox.
Gaming giants Bandai Namco, Sega and Square Enix have been looking at blockchain gaming, according to Ryo Matsubara, representative director of Oasys. In a Cointelegraph interview at the 2022 Tokyo Games Show, Matsubara said that these gaming companies, who are also their partners, have a long-term vision for blockchain gaming.
The executive also mentioned that the firms are not simply looking to make a quick profit but are interested in creating the future of games. The executive mentioned that this new gaming model needs more time to mature before getting broader integrations in traditional games.
“We have a shared vision about blockchain at the executive level. They don’t [want to] change that policy. They really understand the future adoption of blockchain. They’re not thinking about, you know, just the revenue, they want to create the next future [of gaming].
Bandai Namco has developed beloved titles such as Tekken and Pac-Man, Sega’s most famous title is generally seen as Sonic the Hedgehog, while Square Enix is the developer of the widely popular Final Fantasy franchise.
Questioned whether these companies are looking to integrate blockchain tech with their current gaming franchises, Matsubara suggested that they are initially looking at developing brand new blockchain games instead.
He noted that as this is a completely “new model” of gaming, it needs more time to mature before these big companies will look at broader blockchain integrations with traditional games.
“When the model is fixed, becomes sustainable and successful, then strong [popular] IP will be added,” he said.
Looking at what needs to be improved in blockchain gaming, Matsubara noted that a “big problem” so far is that many projects are too dependent on the price of in-game tokens. As a result, there is more demand for “speculation” rather than the gameplay itself.
He went on to note that there will be an “adjustment” over time as projects work to develop genuine hype for the games themselves, most likely by improving the overall gaming experience.
Looking outside Japan, major western gaming companies such as Fortnite developers Epic Games have increased exposure to blockchain gaming of late. Last week the Epic Games store listed a new free-to-play NFT game called Blankos Block Party by Mythical Games.
The move follows comments from Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney in July, in which he stated that his company “definitely” wouldn’t follow Microsoft’s Minecraft in banning NFT integrations in games.
