Ex-Nintendo of America boss Reggie Fils-Aimé has talked about his interest in blockchain technology and how it could be applied to different games.
As noted by Nintendo Life, Fils-Aimé was recently at SXSW, where he sat down for an hour-long interview (published on April 26) and answered questions about the current state of the games industry.
The discussion turned to blockchain and crypto – which can be seen in the video embedded below – where Fils Aimé expressed his positive ideas behind the currently evolving technology.
“So I’m a believer in blockchain, I think it’s a really compelling technology,” Fils-Aimé said. “I’m also a believer in the concept of “play to own” within video games, and I say this as a player where I may have invested 50 hours, 100 hours, or 300 hours in a game, and when I’m ready to move on to something else, wouldn’t it be great to monetise what I’ve built?”
These comments follow widespread disregard for the blockchain and associated ideas from developers and players, as earlier this month CCP games shut down the idea that NFTs and the blockchain would appear in EVE Online.
“I bet I’d have some takers here today if I wanted to sell my Animal Crossing island from the latest Nintendo Switch version; I’d like to be able to monetise that. Blockchain technology embedded in the code would enable me to do that.”
These types of purchases already exist as external game economies, with many online and offline games having economic communities built around them where players trade, buy and sell outside the game itself.
Reggie Fils-Aimé’s comments seem to be leaning more towards the idea of regulating such ideas, letting the developer set the standard for what players can do with purchases.
“Now I say that in the context of “it needs to make sense for the player”. It can’t just be an approach by the developer that it’s interesting or it’s a way for them as a development entity to make more money. In the end, it’s got to be good for the player, but I see an opportunity,” Fils-Aimé added.
In other news, more difficulty options and new outfit customisations have been added to Sifu.
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