EA boss Andrew Wilson – the Australian executive who pioneered Ultimate Team, for the record – believes that blockchain-based “play-to-earn” games could be the future of the industry. However, he caveated that “it’s still [too] early to figure out how that’s going to work”, so don’t expect this dystopian future to arrive any time soon.
“I think that in the context of the games we create and the live services that we offer, collectible digital content is going to play a meaningful part in our future,” he said. “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.”
Feeling confused? The concept of “play-to-earn” ties into NFTs and cryptocurrency, where players effectively “buy-in” to a release where they can unlock unique, in-game items. These, naturally, could increase (and, of course, decrease) in value and thus could be sold. Imagine unlocking a rare Cristiano Ronaldo card in FIFA, and then selling it to another player.
While that example may not be the direction EA ultimately adopts, it’s clearly thinking deeply about the potential here, and is hiring people with an understanding of NFTs and the blockchain. And before you direct all of your ire at EA, it’s worth noting that Ubisoft is also thinking in the same way: “We want to be one of the key players there,” boss Yves Guillemot has said of the emerging trend.
[source pcgamer.com]
Comments 44
I sure hope they're wrong
So how will they argue this isn't gambling now?
Creating digital scarcity where less people get to enjoy something and pay more it’s a bad thing as far as I’m concerned.
More like NF-Sleaze
I think live service games are a good idea in principal and could be a great future for the industry, not sure when we will actually get there though. It’s obviously going to keep moving in that direction. People were hyped for Destiny (and loved it for a while) for a reason, if they can really build on concepts like that without screwing people over…
Andrew Wilson though. Of course this is the future he sees. That guy would monetise oxygen if he could get away with it.
You have to admire how Wilson and the likes all tell us how, what they want to be the future, is the future.
GaaS, blockchain, subs for streaming etc. Yes it's all going to be there going forward, but the good stuff isn't going anywhere either.
This Wilson guy, what a plonker.
I miss when these companies tried to outdo each other based on the quality of the game they released. They had pride in what they released. They wanted to push the boundaries of what was possible with game development.
Of course they wanted to make money back then as well, now, that is their primary focus, the high quality experience for the player is rarely the focus.
@kyleforrester87 These companies make it seem like it is not possible or it’s something they are not interested in. They can’t make some extra money, they have to make ALL the money.
@OmegaStriver that’s just capitalism I suppose
Can you just imagine the gaming industry when it'll be fully immersed in the metaverse?
Remember when we watched Ready Player One thinking it was just a movie? Starting to look like reality more and more
Make it on Solana so I can retire early 😄
@Adem87 The irony is that Facebook and others haven’t grasped that the creators of these virtual worlds in media are always the bad guys.
That's bullcrap.
“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 on how we can fleece consumers more innovatively and creatively on a go-forward basis.” - EA boss Andrew Wilson:
@OmegaStriver Back then studios were run by creators and visionaries, and generally, were run by the people that started the company for the purpose of creating the product they envisioned they'd sell. And the publishers often grew out of those studios, with the same leaders (EA used to be run by Trip Hawkins, the founder, though he does still sit on the board.)
But once gaming got big enough companies went public. And when they went public, before long, the creators and founders were mostly out, and Businessmen were hired to run the company. Not creators, or visionaries, or people who founded companies to build the product they pictured building, but people who's sole expertise is looking at "resources" and using them as "financial tools" to increase revenue as requested by shareholders. For the old founders and creators, the product was the goal, and making that product loved to push sales was how it was business. For the professional businessmen, revenue and business is the goal. The product is merely a means to achieve that goal, and will be modified to best suit that goal.
Similarly, major screwup or not, Ken Kutaragi was the "founder" of Playstation, despite being within a public corporation. He ran it for better (or sometimes worse) like "his" company. And he gave PS a lot of personality and love. Today, we have Businessman Jim.
Interplay was run by founder Brian Fargo until the investors hostilly pushed him out, and then collapsed the company under them (he's now inExile, Microsoft.)
Of the current executives, probably the only one left I can think of that's still an original founder/creator running the company other than indies is Yves Guillemot of Ubisoft. IDK what happened to him though. He still has that creator's charm on occasion, and yet some of his business direction is the most vapid of all the Businessmen.
I really wish PushSquare would allow swear words so that the stars wouldn’t block the text when I refer this Andrew Wilson guy as a c***
My fondness for cartridges grows ever stronger…
Corporate executives love trends and buzzwords!
NFTs are a naked scam and no sane person would buy one unless they were laundering money.
Cryptocurrencies were invented to facilitate crime, including slavery, tax evasion, and money laundering. It's only a matter of time before governments actually regulate this nonsense.
People like Andrew Wilson are drooling at the possibility of creating very cheap digital goods which could have limitless value - microtransactions are already most of the way there.
GamblingChain I feel sorry for the kids who get into gaming now because it's all Loot boxes/DLC/FIFA Cards etc etc :-/ I am glad I don't fall for that cr@p :-/
Sounds horrific and absolutely dire for the environment. Needs strong regulation to stop this from happening.
imagine just making a game,. it's finished and then you sell it and then make more games
@KippDynamite The problem with crypto is that by trying to take the power away from the billionaires, they’ve just created a new set of billionaires.
When can games go back to just being games?
You can make play-to-earn games (if you really must) right now without any blockchain or NFT nonsense.
They’re seeing an unregulated market and new revenue source is all. Dollar bills for pupils and all that. It’s nothing to do with innovation or new ways to play, just greed.
Doesn’t this already exist on Steam Marketplace and dischord servers? People selling each other skins and whatnot…
Umm...no thanks.
@Wesker Well, Stam banned the actual games last month
https://www.pcgamer.com/steam-bans-nfts-cryptocurrencies-blockchain/
@Agramonte I see. Crazy stuff! I don’t understand the perceived value of NFTs. Having a rare skin that makes you stand out in a game, I can understand why someone might pay for that. But owning a unique jpeg… What’s the point?
Where's @Flaming_Kaiser with the pitchfork, it's EA and Ubisoft in the same sentence 😆😆
@nessisonett
going a bit off topic here but I've watching how things are moving socially and politically in the world right now and conclude that we as humans have reached a major fork in the road in our collective destiny moving forward.
There will be those that want to transcend the human experience digitally, and those that will do it spiritually.
This 'metaverse' has no place for the spirit or anything spiritual, which is why it doesn't represent the vital life force energies that are neutral to us. Choosing this metaverse, essentially you are abandoning your spirit, the essential life force of your being.
As always, this is a decision each one of us can make.
@Adem87 You’ve missed the other option which is ‘eating Hobnobs and partaking in ketamine fuelled gay orgies while the world burns’. Might be a fun way to see it all out. Think I lost my spirit outside Greggs after one too many glasses of Chardonnay.
The issue here isn't so much that people are willing to sell things, because if you attach a value to something, people will buy it. The issue lies with the people who actually buy these things. Those are the people who keep this ball rolling. Enough people do that, then it becomes mainstream and you can no longer stop it.
This sounds super interesting
Speed running save states that are records with be worth a fortune. Also, this sucks. Terrible idea. But I'd expect EA, Acti, 2K and Ubi to adopt as early as possible.
This just sounds like a move towards gaming becoming more like a job than something for entertainment. Something you undertake at selected times, with specified tasks and with remuneration.
Sounds fulfilling………I think I’d find flattening the worm castings in the garden more rewarding.
@Wesker
No idea... people collect the strangest stuff.
I guess why Axies replaced random jPegs with a "Pokemon" - More people will buy that. Booming in the Philippines.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/14/people-in-philippines-earn-cryptocurrency-playing-nft-video-game-axie-infinity.html
Let’s be honest though, we’ve been moaning about how bad gaming has gotten for the past 10 years+ and we’re all still at it
EA after the Star Wars debacle,"We're sorry! You won't see lootboxes ever again!"
Also EA: NFT's are the future,everyone wants unique loot!🙄😂
May Andrew Wilson be met by a pack of Drop Bears!😋
So basically, EA is becoming even more greedy? Color me surprised lol
@TheArt Let me give you a answer Blockchain uses more power then some countries so i hope that this will never catch on the same goes for NFT's such a waste.
Andriod Wilson should get the F out of here he is a disease that keeps spreading.
The whole of society is moving digital and has been for years. Why would gaming be any different? How many of us winged at Xbox for pushing digital on us? And then how many of those whiners then went on to buy more digital than physical? How many of us whinged at horse armour and then proceeded to spend loads on micro transactions?
Nfts have some amazing advantages (and disadvantages). Taking your collections (art, photos, music, games) with you anywhere in the world has value to people. The blockchain is proof of authenticity so no one can ever rip off the next digital Mona Lisa and the chance to earn while playing games has value to millions around the world at a time when jobs are getting more scarce. Post work economy and all that.
I'm a physical gamer where possible but the idea of making money while gaming sounds interesting.
I think for these casual sort of games, it'll happen.
There's still 10s of millions who enjoy regular games.
@General_Spiller In a gig-economy kind of way. i.e. people get abused by this, just like they are by Uber etc. This ***** will end any gaming utopia we think we have right now
@Puketapu In my eyes, in any economy people get abused this way. Society is fundamentally changing and newer gamers are always going to have different values.
I think this 'utopia' ended with the launch of ps4 and Xbox one. We just didn't want to hear it at the time.
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