Ubisoft has quietly removed its latest announcement from YouTube in the face of incredibly negative backlash from gamers.
Earlier this week, the Assassin's Creed publisher announced it would be getting into the NFT space with its own fresh spin on the baffling trend.
NFTs (or Non-Fungible Tokens) are special one-of-a-kind digital assets that can be bought and sold online. And they can be pretty much anything, from photos and videos, to 3D models and and audio files. One of the main problems with this is that creating these unique NFTs in the first place revolves around environmentally damaging blockchain mining - and all this really does is create a receipt that kind of proves you own a specific digital file.
A lot of people still don't really fully get what an NFT is, although most are quick to take against it when it's explained to them. Given how deeply divisive they are, it's been quite alarming to see just how many companies have embraced the trend despite the guaranteed negative feedback every time.
Advert
Ubisoft clearly thought it was coming in with the right approached. Just a few days ago it announced Ubisoft Quartz, a new platform for "playable and energy-efficient NFTs in AAA games”.
Launching this week in beta through the PC version of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint, Ubisoft Quartz will allow players to earn "Digits", collectible in-game gear like vehicles and weapons.
These Digits will be released via limited "Editions", which are comprised of a set amount cosmetic items. No. I don't really get it either.
"Digits are a new way to experience cosmetic items, combining the fun of playing with AAA quality assets and the thrill of owning NFTs that represent unique, collectible pieces of Ubisoft game worlds," Ubisoft explained.
Advert
Every Digit has its own unique serial number and certificate of ownership which other players can check out. We'll also be able to buy and sell Digits on special third-party platforms, because that's what video games are about, right?
If this all sounds stomach churningly disgusting to you, you're not alone. As reported by VGC, before being taken down the announcement video had close to 24,000 interactions. Of those, a little over 1,000 were likes. The rest were dislikes.
It remains to be seen if Ubisoft Quartz will go ahead as planned later today. I expect it probably will, but Ubisoft is unlikely to continue shouting about it now it knows how people really feel.
Featured Image Credit: UbisoftTopics: Ubisoft