Square Enix is gearing up for 2024 with a strategic shift towards AI technologies, following the previous year's investments in blockchain and NFTs. CEO Takashi Kiryu highlighted the company's focus on AI tools for content creation, which shouldn't be too surprising considering how bullish Square Enix usually is when it …
Read More »Square Enix drops teaser trailer for Symbiogenesis, the publisher’s first NFT game
Square Enix has been talking about experimenting with blockchain technology and NFTs for quite some time. In late 2022, the publisher announced its first step into this market with Symbiogenesis, a “digital collectable art project” designed for “Web3 fans”. Now, this “game” has its first official trailer. The teaser trailer …
Read More »Square Enix discusses 2023 plans for NFTs
Throughout 2022 we saw both the rise and fall of NFTs, with game developers and publishers around the world announcing their own spin on the technology – before quietly moving away from the idea following backlash. One publisher that seems committed to the technology however is Square Enix, with them …
Read More »Mojang bans NFTs and blockchain integration from Minecraft
Minecraft has a huge custom modding and custom server community, and with the rise in NFTs, some custom servers have been looking at ways to integrate blockchain and NFTs with unofficial Minecraft servers. This week, Mojang officially updated its Minecraft usage guidelines, banning NFTs and blockchain technologies from being used. …
Read More »Square Enix wants to bring blockchain and NFTs to Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest
Recently, Square Enix sold off some of its most high profile western studios and IPs, including Tomb Raider and Deus Ex, to accrue money to invest in future projects, including blockchain and NFTs. Since then, the crypto and NFT markets have been crashing, so Square Enix reconsidered slightly, confirming other …
Read More »Square Enix is doubling down on Blockchain games
Crypto, NFTs and Blockchain have invaded all aspects of the video games industry, with developers and publishers either announcing their support for or opposition towards the inclusion of such technologies in gaming. Square Enix has previously announced their support of blockchain and are now doubling down on this. In a …
Read More »Hackers stole $1.3 billion worth of Crypto in Q1 2022
There has been a rise in crypto heists over the last few months. According to security researchers, cybercriminals have been very active over Q1, stealing nearly $1.3 billion USD worth of crypto assets. According to Atlas VPN and Slowmist Hacked, a company that collects information about disclosed attacks targeting blockchain …
Read More »Ubisoft employees ask ‘are we competing with EA for most hated company?’ as NFT push continues
A good number of developers at Ubisoft have been just as confused as the rest of us by the publisher's recent push into the NFT market. Ubisoft recently attempted to change the minds of its employees by offering them a free NFT, but as you might expect, that didn't exactly do the trick, leading to another surge in complaints on Ubisoft's private company-wide feedback forum.
Read More »EA takes a step back from NFTs following recent controversies
While EA previously sounded bullish about the idea of NFTs in gaming, the publisher appears to have taken a step back following a string of recent controversies. During an earnings call this week, EA CEO, Andrew Wilson, was asked about future plans for NFTs and surprisingly, it seems EA is …
Read More »Square Enix is the latest major publisher to get behind NFTs and ‘blockchain gaming’
In recent months, we've seen several major publishers and independent developers pushing forward with plans to implement NFTs in their games. Square Enix appears to have had blinders on during this time though, with the publisher's end of year letter confirming plans to pursue blockchain technology and NFTs in the …
Read More »Ubisoft devs express disappointment in publisher’s push for NFTs
Recently, Ubisoft announced Quartz, its own NFT platform with plans to sell in-game content for Ghost Recon Breakpoint as NFTs. This decision quickly sparked controversy in the gaming community, with the publisher's announcement video for Quartz being so heavily downvoted that Ubisoft unlisted the video. As it turns out, many …
Read More »S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is now a metaverse game with NFT integration, devs plan to sell first ‘metahuman’
GSC Game World has been working on Stalker 2 for a long time now, with several years spent pitching the game to publishers. Earlier this year, we learned that the studio had partnered with Microsoft for its release, making the game a day-one Game Pass title, in addition to a …
Read More »Ubisoft launches NFT platform, Ghost Recon Breakpoint becomes first supported game
We've known for a few months now that Ubisoft has been keen to chase the current NFT trend and bring NFTs to its games. This announcement caused controversy, but it wasn't enough to deter the publisher, which announced that it is bringing NFTs to Ghost Recon Breakpoint. Ubisoft Quartz is …
Read More »Xbox head Phil Spencer calls current NFTs “exploitative”
NFTs are currently one of the most controversial topics in gaming, with the blockchain technology being scrutinised by some, while adopted by others. Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, has now given his thoughts on NFT’s and claims that “some of the creative that I see today feels more exploitive …
Read More »EA CEO says NFT’s are “the future of our industry”
NFT and Blockchain technology have been mired in controversy ever since they were first introduced. Even so, adoption seems to be increasing, with the latest support coming from EA’s CEO, who claims that NFTs and Blockchain are “the future of our industry.” During EA’s most recent earnings call, the publisher’s …
Read More »Unlike Steam, Epic Games will support NFTs
Valve recently made headlines when it announced that it would ban all games which feature NFT and blockchain technologies – a move which has been welcomed by some, but criticised by others. In response, Epic Games has announced that “Epic Games Store will welcome games that make use of blockchain …
Read More »Valve is banning blockchain games and NFTs from Steam
Alongside the latest cryptocurrency wave, NFT and blockchain games have started to bloom more than ever. At the moment, many developers are working on blockchain-based games with NFTs, and some are already on Steam. However, that will soon change, as Valve is banning all blockchain games and NFTs from its …
Read More »SEGA will start selling NFTs
NFTs have become the latest controversial blockchain technology, allowing people to (in theory) sell digital art in a similar way to that of a physical piece of media – offering an authenticated sense of ownership over a particular piece. The practice has been steep in controversy due to a number …
Read More »Atari has announced plans to launch its own cryptocurrency
Atari is currently at a point where it is willing to try anything. We know that the company is releasing its first home console in decades, and now Atari is also looking to break in to the cryptocurrency market, with plans to launch the ‘Atari Token' based on Blockchain technology. …
Read More »Kim Dotcom to launch MegaUpload 2.0 in hours?
Consistently legally embattled entrepreneur, Kim Dotcom, has pledged to make a big announcement in just a few hours time. As he has consistently done since his original arrest in 2012, on its annual anniversary – 20th January – he plans to make a big announcement and this time around, it's related …
Read More »Ethereum leveraged for new smart-contract blockchain
Public blockchain platform, Ethereum, is being used as the backbone for a new, smart-contract system built on blockchain technology, which should help guarantee workers are paid for services and provide safeguards for all parties before hand. It's hoped that such a system could enhance If This Then That (IFTTT) business, …
Read More »MegaUpload 2 won’t even host files itself
Since the original MegaUpload was shut down by authorities in 2012 and its many assets seized, original founder Kim Dotcom has been trying to develop a new file locker which cannot fall foul to old pitfalls. He's not quite managed it yet, but MegaUpload 2.0 might make it a reality, …
Read More »Mt. Gox penniless long before closure
The closure of Mt Gox was one of the biggest bitcoin related stories of 2014, despite it taking place early in the year. However, it's now come to light that despite being one of the world's prominent bitcoin exchanges and depositories, it was in-fact insolvent for a long time before …
Read More »Fiatleak lets you watch global bitcoin buys live
As with every week for the past month, anyone that recently sold a bitcoin is feeling stupid, as the value is continuing to rise at an unprecedented rate (at the time of writing it's at $715). Suddenly people that spent a few hundred dollars back in September are sitting on …
Read More »Are money launderers ruining Bitcoin buying?
Bitcoin is a brilliantly anonymous currency. Once its yours, you can do what you like with it and it's very difficult for anyone to track that down – you know, like cash. However one of the problems with it is that with mining becoming an unprofitable venture for all those …
Read More »Bitcoin bounces back after dropping $130 in a few hours
We've been reporting on Bitcoin's value explosion over the past couple of months, but for the past few days it's been tumultuous at best. Yesterday saw the highest Bitcoin value ever, topping out at around $266 per Bitcoin, but this was the final slog in Bitcoin's uphill sprint as it quickly tumbled …
Read More »Bitcoin value continues to climb – almost $50 each
Bitcoin may be a currency without much in the way of physical, real world value, but as with everyone, something's worth is defined by what someone is willing to pay for it. And apparently people are willing to pay more and more for Bitcoins, as the value of the digital …
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