PlatinumGames CEO, Atsushi Inaba, has stated he sees NFTs as “frustrating” in a recent interview.
In an interview with VGC, Inaba shared his thoughts on NFTs, also known as Non-Fungible Tokens, and he is not impressed. He explained that he sees “no positive impact on creators or users in any sense” adding that the studio had not “really been thinking about” them.
Talking to VGC, Inaba explained that he understands “it’s a hot topic right now” and acknowledges it’s “[gaining] momentum”. However, he also points out that it has done this by focusing on “profitability for the company” rather than looking at benefits for players.
“The people who are trying to promote NFTs and partner with gaming companies, their conversations seem extremely one-sided,” Inaba explained. “‘Hey, you’re going to make money!’ But how does it benefit the user or the creator? If I want to spend my time on something, I want it to benefit making good games”.
The interview also featured PlatinumGames’s vice president, Hideki Kamiya. Kamiya shared the same thoughts. “I consider myself a user at heart, more than a businessman,” he explained. “In the future, if it’s expanded in a way that has a positive side for users, then maybe I’ll start to be interested in what they do with it. But I’m not seeing that at the moment,” Kamiya concluded.
Kamiya was also quick to make a jibe at Konami. When asked if he was surprised at Konami being enthusiastic about NFTs, Kamiya said “Not really. If it smells like money, Konami’s going to be there in a heartbeat!”
PlatinumGames is currently busy with Babylon’s Fall which should see a demo later this month. Also, in the interview, Kamiya said he was serious about reviving Scalebound, an action game cancelled in 2017.
Elsewhere in gaming, the latest Cyberpunk 2077 patch has led to issues for PS4 and PC players.