Square Enix goes full Shinra with Final Fantasy 7 NFTs

pcgamer.com:

Final Fantasy 7 is a remarkable game for many reasons, not the least of which is the game's big theme of environmental destruction. It uses the wibbly-wobbly Lifestream conceit sure, but from that rollicking opening sequence this is the story of eco-warriors taking on the evil and planet-destroying megacorporation Shinra. I'm not sure that Final Fantasy 7's original developers could have imagined that, 26 years after release, the game's parent company would be the one shilling energy-wasting junk off its back.

The irony-free zone that is Square Enix has announced a set of Final Fantasy 7 trading cards that incorporate NFTs (thanks, VGC(opens in new tab)). The collection of 207 cards is called Final Fantasy VII Anniversary Art Museum: Digital Card Plus, and are being sold in packs of six physical cards which also contain one digital exchange card. The latter can be redeemed for an NFT version of one of the 207 physical cards on the Enjin NFT platform (which means users will need to create an Enjin wallet).

Curiously enough, part of the NFT pitch has always been that, due to their 'unique' status, their value can appreciate and holders can freely sell their NFTs: But not here. Square Enix says users can acquire as many of these Final Fantasy 7 NFT cards as they like, but there's currently no mechanism for selling or transferring them. In fact, these so-called NFTs seem to lack almost all of the functionality that NFT fans would normally take for granted.

First of all, you don't really own the card. Obviously no-one would think that buying a digital card of Cloud Strife would mean you own the copyright to that image, but you might think you would be able to do what you like with the NFT you paid for. All rights to it remain