NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, are a relatively new concept that allows someone to own a unique copy of a digital asset through a variety of means. Sega NFTs are coming as the company is now getting in on this market with a newly-announced collaboration that expects their first products this Summer.
As announced in this press release (translated via DeepL on ResetEra,) SEGA is teaming up with double jump.tokyo Inc. and investing in them to sell a variety of digital assets from SEGA's IPs, like "visual art from the time of launch and video and background music used in games." SEGA continues by mentioning double jump.tokyo's "extensive track record" (NFTs were only created in 2015 so one wonders, what is 'extensive') in the NFT market and that SEGA hopes to "promote aggressive business development beyond NFT using blockchain technology, while enhancing the potential of games and creating new emotional experiences for users around the world."
This Earth Day, let's all do something that leaves the world better than we found it! pic.twitter.com/TuKH2bOsKj
— Sonic the Hedgehog (@sonic_hedgehog) April 22, 2021
On Twitter, the announcement Tweet was met with harsh criticism from both English and Japanese SEGA fans. Many were quick to point out that Sonic the Hedgehog, their biggest IP, is a character whose games had environmental themes based around mankind's impact on the environment. Yuji Naka, the main programmer behind the original Sonic the Hedgehog game, confirmed this in an interview last year, where he described Dr. Robotnik/Eggman as "a slightly radical representation of all humanity and the impact humanity is having on nature."
NFTs and blockchain technology are notorious for, among other things, having extreme energy costs. One article estimates that a single Ethereum transaction uses as much electrical power as an EU resident uses in four days. Syndicated cartoonist and Sonic fan Olive Rae Brinker said she wished that Sonic NFTs were surprising, but "we live in a world with Lorax car commercials," referring to the bizarre advertising tie-in with Dr. Seuss's ecologically friendly creature.
What do you think of Sega NFTs? Do you think it's a good idea, or one likely to cause more harm than good? Let us know in the comments below
