Several major game companies have expressed interest in monetizing the NFT trend, but at least one may not have backed down yet. Comments by Sega CEO Haruki Satomi indicate that the company may abandon its intention to experiment with NFT and “play for money” blockchain games. The comments come from a transcript of a Q&A session held by Sega leadership on December 14, 2021 [Thanks, PC Invasion].
During the session, a Satomi questioner asked Satomi to detail Sega’s plan to implement P2E in his games. P2E refers to a concept associated with blockchain-powered games, often backed by NFT assets. In P2E games, players are rewarded or can receive NFT assets which they can later trade or freely sell for cryptocurrency.
Satomi responded by emphasizing that although Sega has “initiated various studies and considerations,” there are no specific plans regarding the P2E implementation. He further clarified that many users, both domestic and foreign, have shown negative reactions to NFT and P2E related announcements, including from other companies.
Regarding future Sega NFT or P2E plans, he mentioned that the company will need to carefully weigh its options. These include looking at how Sega “can minimize negative factors, [Sega] can recommend according to Japanese regulations, and what will be accepted..by users”. In the end, those pans will be judged against Sega’s motto “Never stop creating, forever engaging.” Satomi said that if the plans were deemed “simple money-making”, he would refuse to proceed.
Based on comments, it seems that compared to the enthusiasm of Square Enix management, Sega has taken a more cautious attitude towards the future of NFT and play-for-money titles. It maintains interest in experimenting in space, but is aware of the backlash that other efforts have prompted. Ultimately, Satomi at least wants to make sure that any plans it executes are aligned with the company’s values, rather than just earnings potential. Of course, it remains to be seen what plans will happen in the future.
Sega currently has no plans to implement NFT or play-to-monetize its games. Meanwhile, Konami’s Auction in the plan Castlevania NFTs are scheduled for January 12, 2022.
