Sega, the Japanese gaming giant, has vowed to backtrack on its NFT (non-fungible tokens) plans if fans continue to criticize the project.
Fast facts
- Last year, Sega — best known for Sonic the Hedgehog — announced a partnership with double jump.tokyo, a startup that specializes in blockchain games, to sell digital content as NFTs.
- A large part of Sega’s fandom says it sees the company’s NFT ventures as purely profit-making moves that are inconsiderate to fans and have potentially negative environmental impact.
- In response, Sega CEO Haruki Satomi said the company would reevaluate its previously announced NFT plans: “If it is perceived as simple money-making, I would like to make a decision not to proceed.”
- Rival gaming giant Konami is also facing backlash from fans after unveiling its first NFT collection last week in celebration of Castlevania’s 35th anniversary to be auctioned at OpenSea NFT marketplace.
- Konami, also famous for Dance Dance Revolution and Frogger, is one of the largest gaming companies in the world.
(Update removes mention of Mortal Kombat)