It’s the kids who’re improper

Sq. Enix has kicked off its 2023 with a reaffirmation of its dedication to controversial and fragile blockchain gaming sector. As famous by Eurogamer, the corporate’s annual New Yr’s letter, sees president Yosuke Matsuda reiterate that the writer goals to launch a number of blockchain-based video games sooner or later.

“Our Group has a number of blockchain video games primarily based on authentic IPs beneath improvement, a few of which we introduced final yr, and we’re endeavor preparations that may allow us to unveil much more titles this yr,” writes Matsuda. “We’re additionally engaged in world sourcing from an funding perspective and can proceed to take stakes in promising companies whether or not we discover them in Japan or overseas.”

Whereas the blockchain and NFT market was extremely turbulent over the previous yr, leading to monumental losses for traders in addition to receiving fixed blowback from gamers inside the gaming sphere, Matsuda suggests that each one the destructive publicity not solely didn’t faze his firm’s plans however, he writes, would possibly really be useful for the way forward for the cryptocurrency market.

“Blockchain has been an object of exhilaration and a supply of turmoil, however with that within the rearview mirror, we hope that blockchain video games will transition to a brand new stage of development in 2023,” continues Matsuda. “If this [controversy] proves to have been a step in a course of that results in the creation of guidelines and a extra clear enterprise setting, it’ll positively have been for the great of the expansion of blockchain leisure.”

“As I mentioned in final yr’s New Yr’s letter, if we think about conventional gaming to have been centralized, then blockchain gaming should function primarily based on a self-sustaining decentralized mannequin. It’s that idea, that philosophy that I see to be key.”

Elsewhere within the letter, Matsuda reiterates plans to close down titles Closing Fantasy VII: The First Soldier, (January 11) and Bravely Default: Good Lights (February 28). As well as, Chocobo Racing GP is not going to obtain any additional main updates, with season 5 being the title’s ultimate up to date season.

“We want to categorical our honest gratitude to our clients for his or her patronage and sincerely apologize for this announcement.” says Matsuda of those sport closures.

Nonetheless, at the least you’ve got all these candy blockchain video games to stay up for.

Sq. Enix clearing home, doubles down on blockchain [Eurogamer]