Blockchain and NFT technology are profitable and increasingly popular. Traditional game companies also consider what they can do with blockchain and NFT technology. Undoubtedly, Sega is one of the oldest castles in the game industry. Sega pioneered this genre with the isometric game Zaxxon in 1982. This well-established company considered how blockchain and NFT technologies could be integrated into its games today.
Sega announced in April 2021 that it would support NFT technologies. This announcement caused mixed reactions from the company’s fan base. In particular, Sonic the Hedgehog fans reminded the company of how Sonic the blue hedgehog was born and what he stands for. Since its first release, Sonic has addressed environmental pollution issues and foregrounded nature over technology. Sonic fans somehow feel that NFT and blockchain technologies go against this theme. For this reason, Sega is getting many reactions on the subject.
After fans expressed their concerns about NFT technologies, Sega made a statement. The company is re-evaluating its role in the NFT market. On the subject, the company says in a written statement that they have not yet decided on the play-to-earn model. The company continues its experiments on the matter and investigates whether NFT’s negatives are really as big as fans have warned.
Sega will look at the results of its research before making its decision. If NFTs coincide with the company’s mission to be “continuously creating and forever fascinating,” the trend towards NFT will continue. On the other hand, if NFTs are described as “simple monetization methods” due to the research, Sega will step back and stop its activities.
These statements by Sega do not contain a clear answer for fans who oppose the situation. Still, it is favorable that the company is listening to the reactions. On the other hand, if Sega does not enter the blockchain market, it may miss out on its competitors’ advantages. Traditional and big game companies such as Ubisoft are entering this market, and some companies have already taken their share of the pie. Of course, Sega is not the only company that has reacted to this issue. Some other companies are also producing various solutions to the reactions they receive.
