‘Symbiogenesis’ is some NFT garbage from Square Enix, not a ‘Parasite Eve’ revival
Square Enix has revealed that Symbiogenesis, an upcoming project that was widely rumored to be Parasite Eve-related, is actually something else — and it's centered around NFTs (non-fungible tokens). The publisher described Symbiogenesis as "its first digital collectible art project designed from the ground up for Web3 fans."
Symbiogenesis takes place in a self-contained world containing a large cast of characters that can be collected as NFTs. Square Enix says you'll be able to use these digital artworks as profile pictures on social media accounts, something you definitely wouldn't be able to do by simply taking a screenshot.
In addition, you can use your character "in a story that takes place in an alternate world where the player can ’untangle’ a mystery by completing missions that revolve around questions of the monopolization and distribution of resources," Square Enix said in a press release. That's somewhat ironic, given that the entire perceived value of NFTs is derived from artificial scarcity.
The publisher will start selling NFTs (which will likely be on the Ethereum blockchain) in spring 2023, alongside the debut of "a free browser service" on Google Chrome. The browser-based approach makes some sense. Symbiogenesis wouldn't make it onto Steam, which banned NFT games last year.
This is one of the highest-profile stabs at an NFT-driven gaming experience yet. However, the NFT market has cratered this year. Gamers have largely rejected NFTs too.
Last December, it emerged that Ubisoft had sold barely any NFTs in Ghost Recon Breakpoint, the first title in which it employed blockchain tech. A few weeks later, an Ubisoft executive claimed players would benefit from having a marketplace where they could buy and sell NFTs
Read more on engadget.com
