NFTs look ‘very interesting’ to Niantic
Niantic’s newest game Peridot is about breeding unique little animals, each of which has its own DNA, that then determines the appearance and personality of the creature. The developer of Pokémon GO has officially announced the project on April 13, 2022, which is already scheduled for a test release in some markets next week. You can read more about the new title’s gameplay in our Peridot preview.
In outline, Niantic’s pet simulation sounds a lot like Axie Infinity, which is one of the most popular NFT games released so far. Every Axie in the game is a unique NFT that can be raised and traded by players in a so-called play-to-earn ecosystem.
This raises the question of whether Niantic has a similar concept in mind and may even plan to introduce NFTs in Peridot. During the presentation of the game, the developers stated that they find NFTs ‘very interesting’ and have been taking a close look at them. Currently, however, the gameplay is at the top of the priority list for the team. While this takes NFTs off the table for the moment, this is not a clear “no” to NFTs for the future.
As is well known, the gaming community has so far spectacularly rejected all attempts by major publishers to force NFTs on them. This includes the notorious Ghost Recon: Breakpoint fiasco for Ubisoft, for example. It is therefore certainly a wise move on Niantic’s part not to open this door for the time being.
However, whether NFTs really fit the philosophy of the company and especially of Peridot is another question – after all, it’s about reintroducing a species into the wild, spreading its genes, and thus making it accessible to the general public. This is the opposite of digital ownership as proclaimed by NFTs.
Written by Marco Wutz on behalf of GLHF.