EA CEO Andrew Wilson on Tuesday distanced himself for now from the idea of integrating NFTs and blockchain into the video game company’s titles.
It was just three months ago that Andrew Wilson, CEO at Electronic Arts, called non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and blockchain technology the “future of gaming”. However, in Tuesday’s quarterly phone-in to the latest quarterly report, he rowed back again for the time being.
“I believe that the collectible nature will continue to be an important part of our industry and the games and experiences we offer our players. Whether that is as part of NFTs and blockchain will remain to be seen,” Wilson did clarify. However, in his further statement, he moved away from the idea.
NFT proximity draws criticism
“We want to provide the best possible player experience, so we will continue to evaluate this option. But currently it’s not something we’re pushing strongly,” Wilson concluded. Accordingly, FIFA, Madden & Co. are not expected to open up to the world of NFTs and blockchain, at least in the short term.
EA seems to be aware of the strong possible backlash on this topic. Most recently, for example, Worms developer Team17 rowed back with regard to an NFT commitment after not only the public but also partner studios had expressed considerable criticism. EA seems to think that the step is still premature.
Competition bets on blockchain
While the Canadian publisher is still exercising restraint, the self-declared FIFA competitor GOALS wants to rely on the blockchain, the secondary market and Web3. In doing so, the makers say they are pursuing the mission of “getting millions of players on board” – EA is pursuing a different plan for the time being.
