If you were hoping for the Symbiogenesis trademark filed last week to be a Parasite Eve remake or sequel, then I've got bad news for you. It turns out that Symbiogenesis is, in fact, a new Square Enix NFT art project launching in spring next year.
Itch.io might say they're a scam, and indie devs like the fellow behind Chroma Squad might hate them, but it looks like Square Enix is still going all in on NFTs. According to a press release, Symbiogenesis will be a "collectible art project designed from the ground up for Web3 fans".
We've known for some time that Square Enix has been interested in NFTs and blockchain technology; last month, the company announced it was partnering with blockchain firm Oasys to become a node validator on that blockchain. However, Symbiogenesis represents Square Enix's first foray into original IP in the Web3 world.
We don't have too many details on what Symbiogenesis will actually look like right now. Square Enix says it'll be set in a "self-contained world" in which all characters can be "collected as digital art" and used as either profile pictures or to progress through a story of some kind.
Said story will involve you completing missions to "untangle a mystery" revolving around the "monopolization and distribution of resources". Frankly, I can't believe someone wrote that with a straight face while talking about an NFT art project, but if there's one thing big corporations usually lack, it's self-awareness.
NFTs don't seem to be going away
This announcement takes place against a backdrop of more and more industry luminaries and companies declaring their stance on NFTs. As I've said, Square Enix is all for them, joining other big companies like Netmarble and Konami in their enthusiasm for this controversial technology.
Despite this dedication from companies, other studios have been less enthusiastic. Minecraft has banned NFT games on its servers (although that hasn't stopped a studio creating an NFT version of a popular Minecraft game), and Valve banned cryptocurrency games from Steam back in 2021.
The gaming public at large also hasn't exactly received NFT gaming with a rapturous response. Companies like Chaosium and Team17 have had to back down from major NFT projects owing to major public backlash; it seems gamers still don't feel that cryptocurrency and Web3 technology will actually help to make their gaming experience more fun.
Symbiogenesis is set to launch in spring next year, along with a "free browser service" that Square Enix isn't giving away details about right now. We'll have to wait and see what comes of this project and whether or not it manages to convert any Web3 skeptics.
