NFTs are taking the digital world by storm. For those who are in the know, NFTs represent an entirely new way of investing, collecting and having fun. The concept is an interesting one and we are confident that it will take off even more than it already has and become a mainstream thing in a few years.
Up until recently, NFTs have been limited to uses such as profile pictures and digital artwork. However, we are seeing new developments and the introduction of NFT games, and even popular AAA-rated games that include NFT drops. Ubisoft is the first company to do this, and although the initial gamer reaction was negative, we can expect the company to continue with the development of their Quartz system and the implementation of future NFTs in their upcoming titles such as Skull and Bones.
In this article, we look at the Ubisoft NFTs, how they were released, what they were and how gamers reacted to them!
What are NFTs?
NFTs are Non-Fungible Tokens. They are essentially digital assets that have unique attributes that allow people to buy and sell ownership in them. Currently, most NFTs take the form of digital collectables such as pixel art, profile pictures and photos. You can buy and sell these on NFT marketplaces such as OpenSea.
NFTs use blockchain technology and are most commonly created on the Ethereum blockchain. This has many benefits including security, non-repudiation of data and public visibility of transactions. Popular NFTs that have sold for huge sums of money include the Bored Ape Yacht Club, Cryptopunks and NBA Top Shot.
When you buy an NFT, you are buying the rights to the ownership of it. As each NFT is unique, this can create value for the item’s rarity. For example, NBA Top Shot NFTs of iconic basketball player LeBron James can sell for tens of thousands of dollars.
What is Ubisoft Quartz?
Ubisoft released their NFT marketplace and system – Ubisoft Quartz. The individual NFTs are known as Quartz Digits and were initially released in their Ghost Recon Breakpoint game. The release and experiment were relatively short-lived and lasted for just four months.
The Digits were essentially unique purchasable in-game items such as gun skins and body armor. Each had unique traits and colors and could be equipped in the Ghost Recon Breakpoint game too. It was a fun idea and the Ubisoft Quartz system essentially served as a secondary marketplace that ran alongside the game.
As Ubisoft winds down support for Recon Breakpoint due to a relatively small player base, it has said that no more Digits will be released on the NFT marketplace. This is partially due to the poor reception, but also due to the game reaching its natural end of life.
The project certainly looked promising, and it demonstrated that games have the potential to use NFT in interesting ways. Imagine playing online against other people and wearing a piece of unique body armor that no one else in the world has. Things like this could be incredibly fun and add an extra level to games. However, as you will see below, the Quartz release did not really go as planned, and didn’t have the desired popularity.
How was Ubisoft Quartz received by gamers?
As mentioned above, the NFT marketplace and Quartz system were not well received by Ubisoft gamers. For the most part, Breakpoint players simply didn’t get it. Why should they care about owning an in-game item that has no benefits other than looking cool?
Indeed, within Breakpoint, and a common feature of most FPS games, is the ability to unlock different camouflages, outfits and weapon paint schemes. So, paying for something that is essentially exactly the same might seem redundant and pointless to many gamers.
However, the point of NFTs is much more than this. It should theoretically bring an entirely new part of the game to people. Imagine a marketplace where you can buy and sell items for your favorite game – items that you could use to play, but also potentially make a profit from?
We hope you have found this article informative. If you are an avid Ubisoft fan and enjoy their games such as Rainbow Six, Skull and Bones and the Assassins Creed series, you can expect NFTs to become prominent in new releases, and feature heavily in the company’s upcoming plans. Despite having an initial poor reaction, Ubisoft shows no signs of shelving their Quartz NFT project in the foreseeable future!