Konami is holding an NFT auction to “celebrate” the Castlevania 35th anniversary, with users set to bid on the non-fungible tokens that feature artwork from the series’ history.
Konami NFTs launched in ‘commemoration’ of Castlevania
The controversial move has seen 14 NFTs added to a Konami auction page, which require users to set up a cryptocurrency account and then prepare a wallet in order to participate. The NFTs include artwork and animations from the original Castlevania through to Castlevania 3: Dracula’s Curse.
A statement from Konami regarding the Castlevania NFTs reads:
In commemoration of the 35th anniversary of the Castlevania series, NFTs featuring game scenes, BGM, and newly drawn art from the Castlevania series has been issued.
The Castlevania NFTs are split between static images and short animated clips with audio. For instance, one NFT features a short gameplay clip featuring the axe. The description of the NFT reads: “Game-play video featuring the Axe, one of the Weapons in Castlevania. The axe is capable of attacking upwards, which is the blind spot of the whip, and has the characteristic of penetrating enemies. It was particularly useful in the battle against the Bats.”
Konami isn’t the only publisher to jump on the NFT bandwagon recently. Ubisoft recently turned heads with the launch of its Ubisoft Quartz platform, which solely focuses on selling NFTs that feature content such as in-game weapon skins. Initial sales were low and Ubisoft’s developers are reportedly not happy with its implementation.
Much confusion and concern surrounds the appeal of NFTs. They ostensibly provide a “unique” image that users can purchase, that is then preserved in a unit of data stored in a blockchain. However, critics note its similarities to a pyramid scheme — buyers purchasing useless content in an effort to pass it on to future buyers — and its negative environmental impact, which continues to be debated.
Regardless of the usefulness of NFTs, their slow creep into gaming has concerned many. With publishers increasingly eager to push microtransactions and monetization in their games, this seems like just another step in that controversial direction.
In other news, Ubisoft’s Skull and Bones has lost yet another director, fuelling speculation that the game could receive yet another delay. The Last of Us Remake has also been rumored as the next Naughty Dog project.
[SOURCE: Konami]
