NFTs, blockchain, and the whole crypto infrastructure is a bit like, oh I don’t know, Marmite. Either you love it or you think of the huge ecological issues, the scams that regularly occur and the ridiculous notion of owning avatars as a point of pride, leading you to hate it. Wait, that’s not like Marmite at all, now I think about it. And although there are constant squabbles between people online about what is the right side of this debate to take, EA seems to have taken a stance.
As reported by PC Gamer, the CEO of EA, Andrew Wilson, spoke in an earnings call about NFT and “play-to-earn” games and called them “the future of our industry”. Hmm. He says that it’s “still early to figure out how that's going to work,” but obviously he thinks this is somehow going to fit into EA's games when the time comes.
EA is currently busy with the new season and map for Apex Legends...
PC Gamer transcribes him saying: “I think that in the context of the games we create and the live services that we offer, collectable digital content is going to play a meaningful part in our future. So, it's still early to tell, but I think we're in a really good position, and we should expect us to kind of think more innovatively and creatively about that on a go-forward basis.”
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EA hasn’t yet shown how it’s going to approach the NFT/blockchain world yet, but the company doesn’t exactly have the best of reputations when it comes to monetisation. It’s known for its loot boxes from Apex Legends to FIFA titles, and further integrating currency into its projects may prove uncomfortable for players, even without considering the environmental side effects commonly associated with NFTs et al.
What’s certain is that EA is genuinely looking into blockchain as a future project. Job listings under the company's “The Challenge Ahead” section read: “We set the pace for EA’s investment in gaming subscriptions, our PC storefront and platform, competitive gaming (including FIFA, Apex Legends, and Madden NFL), as well as new business opportunities, including fantasy sports, blockchain and NFTs, and more.”
It can’t be too long before we’re seeing NFTs of skins from their games being sold, or maybe blockchain being integrated into a new title. And when that moment arrives, you can be certain there'll be plenty of player pushback against it.
Featured Image Credit: EATopics: EA