Ubisoft has introduced new NFT microtransactions in the shooter Ghost Recon Breakpoint. A developer from Apex Legends looks at the sales figures and finds it “very, very funny” that even NFT fans do not appreciate the items. The initial reaction from fans was terrible. Apparently, the items have generated very little revenue in the first weeks.
What has Ubisoft done?
- We reported on MeinMMO on December 6th that Ubisoft has jumped on the “NFT” bandwagon. They have introduced new cosmetic items through special microtransactions in the shooter Ghost Recon Breakpoint: Special items with serial numbers that can be traded in the game and that remember who once owned them.
- This “NFT” technology is controversial. It is seen as an energy guzzler and an environmental sinner. Additionally, gaming developers have stated that the technology in gaming brings no real advantages and only disadvantages. However, many companies and investors expect a lot from NFTs, seemingly mainly profit.
- The initial reaction to Ubisoft’s NFT microtransaction was terrible. The U.S. press mocked it and the comments and dislikes on the YouTube video were so negative, that Ubisoft hid the trailer.
NFTs from Ubisoft generate only about €350 on a marketplace
So the competition is mocking now: A developer from Apex Legends is looking at the sales figures of the NFTs from Ghost Recon Breakpoint on Twitter. It is believed: If the items were a success, they would already be traded actively on the marketplace.
There are two official marketplaces where the items are traded, which are officially recognized by Ubisoft: Rarible.com and Objkt.com.
According to Liz Edwards, only 15 transactions have been made on one of the marketplaces. It concerns about 94 Tezos, which is the cryptocurrency used by Ubisoft. One Tezos is worth about €3.7 – so it is about an amount of approximately €350.
A truly insignificant amount, considering Ubisoft’s circumstances.
Edwards writes:
“Do I understand this correctly? Ubisoft has managed to create an NFT that even NFT fans do not want? Because I find that… really, really funny.”
Liz Edwards, Character Artist at Apex Legends
Journalist Stephen Totilo weighs in and explains that he has looked into this more closely. On the Rarible marketplace, 9 items have been sold:
- all 9 items were for the new skin of the weapon
- no one bought the pants, for which you need 100 hours of playtime
- no one bought the helmet, for which you had to play 600 hours
Furthermore, many transfers seem to have only occurred to a specific account: It seems someone is trying to hoard a lot of NFTs, Totilo believes.
At the moment, Ubisoft’s foray into the NFT market does not seem to have succeeded. Other games impress with large numbers:
New multiplayer game offers NFT property for €800,000, is sold directly
