Ubisoft on NFTs: Gamers just 'don't get it'

[wiyosaya]

NFTs could potentially give us a pathway to a better compromise that serves both customers and creators.

So far, Ubisoft shows no signs of doing that, and, instead, it sounds like the cards they laid down are covered in slime. I think its clear they do not have their customer's interests in min.

 

[terzaerian]

So far, Ubisoft shows no signs of doing that, and, instead, it sounds like the cards they laid down are covered in slime. I think its clear they do not have their customer's interests in min.

The only thing Ubisoft did right was pick the Tezos blockchain, which is proof-of-stake and doesn't rely on energy-intensive proof-of-work consensus like Ethereum and Bitcoin do. Anyone criticizing them from the environmental angle instantly betrays their ignorance. It's a shame they didn't put more thought into it besides that.

 

[BigRedPDX]

If we lived in a world where games or movies or music were all free and torrented without fear of reprisal and money never changed hands over them and people didn't get banned from YouTube or Twitch for DMCA claims, no one on this planet would be more overjoyed than I am. I despise what copyright law and its abuse has done to gaming and culture in general.

Sadly, we do not. There will always be game developers and publishers that insist on being remunerated for their work.

What crypto and NFTs are all about is taking some power back from the copyright holders and financiers and giving it to creators and customers, of cutting out all the greasy, slimey layers of middlemen involved in the affair. No surprise that their loudest critics are typically the middlemen.

Those games take years of development. If I coded a program that took me years, I wouldn't give that out for free. Those developer companies also have to pay their employees as well. Any games that are free, usually get you with small in game buys. The copyright laws are a necessary evil. When someone torrents, it is in fact stealing art, and from multiple artists. I promote art, and that's what video games are. Have you tried 3D animation in any shape, way or fashion? Try to make a 5 minute animated clip and hand that out for free. I don't think you would be "overjoyed" about it.

 

[terzaerian]

Those games take years of development. If I coded a program that took me years, I wouldn't give that out for free. Those developer companies also have to pay their employees as well. Any games that are free, usually get you with small in game buys. The copyright laws are a necessary evil. When someone torrents, it is in fact stealing art, and from multiple artists. I promote art, and that's what video games are. Have you tried 3D animation in any shape, way or fashion? Try to make a 5 minute animated clip and hand that out for free. I don't think you would be "overjoyed" about it.

What kind of entitled BS is this? NFTs are the worst invention in 100 years at least, but you are asking artists, developers, actors and everyone else involved in said industries to work for free? Games dont magically get made in an hour, some take years of development. Imagine if there was no benefit to the developers who wrote the game other than good job? Same with Music and same with movies and art. I understand that NFTs are a money grab, but you are asking for free work from lots of people. Imagine how many games would get made if everyone that made them had to work a horrid 9 to 5 job and then come home in their "free time" and develop games for entitled pricks to play for free. How many artists would write and release quality songs? How many good movies would get made?

Do you two not have any reading comprehension whatsoever? My entire point was responding to someone that we *don't live in that world.* The utter state of crypto skeptics.

 

[BigRedPDX]

Do you two not have any reading comprehension whatsoever? My entire point was responding to someone that we *don't live in that world.* The utter state of crypto skeptics.

Then your wording needs a little work, I believe. I read the whole thing and still made a reply towards it.

 

[LilGamer]

Its basically saying, well we are charging you $10 for this special skin but its okay as when you are done with it you can sell it for $1 - we may also take a cut of that - what is not to like. I mean we could not sell you them and you could earn them but.......

Let me flip that for you: It can also mean you got a particularly useful item with really uber-rare stats through an in-game process that cost you $0 and then if you don't want to keep it, there might be other players willing to pay $10 or $100 or whatever for it. Does it make sense to you in this context?

The technology isn't inherently evil. Its implementation can be. Game pubs/devs could go for extremely exploitive business models or for more fair ones like the example I present above where the community/player base decides what it's worth (if at all).

 

[SamuelFNB]

Do you two not have any reading comprehension whatsoever? My entire point was responding to someone that we *don't live in that world.* The utter state of crypto skeptics.

I am not a Crypto Skeptic, and tbh you shouldnt mention BTC about being environmentally "hefty". BTC is 99.99% mined on ASIC miners. The Idea behind a tradeable digital assest that has 0 real value inside of Games is a blatant cash grab, nothing more. I wasn't complaining about your stance on NFTs, even though we disagree, I was simply stating the "all free" is the most entitled BS I have ever heard. Makes me wonder if you even know what torrented means? Ever used an Onion server before?

 

[Tams80]

He's completely right. The backlash I've gotten trying to explain certain NFT features says it all. If your rare MMO item can be sold on the open market for actual money, instead of being limited to just the in-game virtual non-existent market, that's a huge benefit for the gamers. But for some reason, gamers still don't see it.

Once again the phrase "the majority is always wrong" rings true.

I'm sorry, but what does that require that simple server side verification can't? Why do we need to use these incredibly wasteful NFTs?

And that's not to speak of the morality of it. Aren't these first and foremost supposed to be *games*, but some money-making enterprise?

 

[EverEv]

Reverse psychology marketing "You don't get it" "Yes I do. Look I'll prove it by buying into your pyramid scheme. Here, please, take my money. That'll show you how smrt I am." Years ago when I questioned how a painting of 3 vertical stripes could worth $1.8M, I was told "You just don't get it" and I answered "You're right. And I hope I never do."

 

[FaTaL]

NFT is a diarrhea bubble and when it bursts, people will be covered in ****. gg

 

[NightAntilli]

I'm sorry, but what does that require that simple server side verification can't? Why do we need to use these incredibly wasteful NFTs?

NFTs are not wasteful.
Server side verification means it's a centralized implementation, and the devs can theoretically take away your items anytime they want. Decentralized proof of ownership makes it tamperproof.

 

[ZedRM]

@Ubisoft

No, it's YOU that doesn't "get it". NFT's do NOT belong in gaming. Games are supposed to be artistic expressions and fun virtual experiences. While making & selling games is a business model, that business model should NOT extend into the game itself. YOUR failure to understand these points are not OUR problem of misunderstanding.

Stop reacting with your pride, STFU and take NFT's out of your games.

Best regards,
Gamers Everywhere

 

[Tams80]

NFTs are not wasteful.
Server side verification means it's a centralized implementation, and the devs can theoretically take away your items anytime they want. Decentralized proof of ownership makes it tamperproof.

They are. Even with proof of stake they are more wasteful than part of server verifying purchases.

And you say developers can take away in-game items whenever they want. How is that different with NFTs other than you having some code that says you own them? The developers can still take away the item in-game, or even (as will happen with all persistent games one day) close down the game.

Take Battlefield Online or Battlefield Heroes, on both of which I had spent money on items:

Currently I have nothing to show for them. If those microtransactions were NFTs, I'd have... some tokens proving I purchased something that I can't even access. The net result is exactly the same; I can't even play the game (let alone use those purchased items).

And you just know they'll charge a premium compared to microtransactions for these.

 

[Ironmanajm]

I feel sorry for gaming devs in this day and age of gaming at times omg. When you're dealing with the average gamer of today, u have your work cut out for you, no doubt. This generation of gamers (I've been gaming for over 30yrs and are certainly older than the average gamer of today) are the most unwelcoming, impatient and self righteous snowflake, raised by some dysfunctional parent, hence they copy what they've been taught at home, arrogance, ignrancce and imipatience. Good luck gaming devs, may the gods be with you ffs lol.

 

[theruck]

"seemingly ignoring the huge amount of criticism and anger coming from the majority of people."
majority of people do not give an f so try to stick to the facts and let your feelings arise the next time you have a debate with your partner

 

[captaincranky]

@Ubisoft

No, it's YOU that doesn't "get it". NFT's do NOT belong in gaming. Games are supposed to be artistic expressions and fun virtual experiences. While making & selling games is a business model, that business model should NOT extend into the game itself. YOUR failure to understand these points are not OUR problem of misunderstanding.

Stop reacting with your pride, STFU and take NFT's out of your games.

Best regards,
Gamers Everywhere

Heretofore, I hadn't realized my attitude was contagious.!

 

[ZedRM]

I feel sorry for gaming devs in this day and age of gaming at times omg. When you're dealing with the average gamer of today, u have your work cut out for you, no doubt. This generation of gamers (I've been gaming for over 30yrs and are certainly older than the average gamer of today) are the most unwelcoming, impatient and self righteous snowflake, raised by some dysfunctional parent, hence they copy what they've been taught at home, arrogance, ignrancce and imipatience. Good luck gaming devs, may the gods be with you ffs lol.

The flaw in your thinking is that we gamers, of all ages and experience levels, are getting sick and tired of companies using slimy, scummy and predatory business practices to make money from us, often focusing on younger people who are less aware of subtleties of crappy business tactics.

 

[mattferg]

Tbh, the only amazing thing I see is a tech publication making basic errors about tech.

This runs on Tezos, not Ethereum. Nothing to do with "destroying the planet" or GPU mining. And no, it's not about Ubisoft, and YES, gamers don't get it.

 

[Puiu]

Tbh, the only amazing thing I see is a tech publication making basic errors about tech.

This runs on Tezos, not Ethereum. Nothing to do with "destroying the planet" or GPU mining. And no, it's not about Ubisoft, and YES, gamers don't get it.

Wrong, all crypto transforms into ETH and BTC at some point, nobody keeps smaller coins.

 

[Luay]

"Our job as the game creators or developers - the programmers, artists, and whatnot - is that we have to kind of put ourselves in the user's shoes. We try to see what they're seeing, and then make it, and support what we think they might think."

- Shigeru Miyamoto.

 

[nagynorbert97]

He's completely right. The backlash I've gotten trying to explain certain NFT features says it all. If your rare MMO item can be sold on the open market for actual money, instead of being limited to just the in-game virtual non-existent market, that's a huge benefit for the gamers. But for some reason, gamers still don't see it.

Once again the phrase "the majority is always wrong" rings true.

What I dont get ... like... at all... People love CS:GO skins and trade with them yet they inmediately hate on NFT-s in games?

 

[terzaerian]

Wrong, all crypto transforms into ETH and BTC at some point, nobody keeps smaller coins.

This is one of the dumbest sentiments I've read in a thread full of dumb sentiments.

BTC doesn't have the wider utility of ETH, and ETH's network fees are too high at the moment for casual usage, and neither have the privacy functionality of coins like Monero. Eth's fees in particular might have been why Ubisoft picked XTZ, besides the environmentalist angle, because microtransactions are more feasible on XTZ.

 

[terzaerian]

What I dont get ... like... at all... People love CS:GO skins and trade with them yet they inmediately hate on NFT-s in games?

Exactly. The Steam marketplace has been a thing for over a decade now and somehow gaming hasn't been irrevocably corrupted, but now it is because 'crypto.'

 

[Puiu]

This is one of the dumbest sentiments I've read in a thread full of dumb sentiments.

BTC doesn't have the wider utility of ETH, and ETH's network fees are too high at the moment for casual usage, and neither have the privacy functionality of coins like Monero. Eth's fees in particular might have been why Ubisoft picked XTZ, besides the environmentalist angle, because microtransactions are more feasible on XTZ.

And yet that's the truth. That's the coins that the majority trades in.

Take for example games that are currently using the pay to earn model with NFTs and alt coins/tokens. The majority are based on ETH. (the first one to come to mind is GALA)

 

[terzaerian]

And yet that's the truth. That's the coins that the majority trades in.

Take for example games that are currently using the pay to earn model with NFTs and alt coins/tokens. The majority are based on ETH. (the first one to come to mind is GALA)

Then those games don't get crypto even less than gamers or Ubisoft does.

Ethereum had God and everyone pack onto the protocol for DeFi, games, NFTs and now the network is so congested you have parasitical protocols like Loopring and Solana cropping up just to sidestep Ethereum or be layer 2 solutions and become top 10 market cap in the process. You're very badly informed on the state of crypto if you think Eth or BTC are the 'only' cryptos.