Earlier this year, Square Enix President Yosuke Matsuda talked about how the company was going to get into the Metaverse, Blockchain games, and NFTs despite the backlash from the community towards everything. A few weeks ago, Square Enix got everyone speculating about new Parasite Eve game after trademarking the name “SYMBIOGENESIS.” However, that doesn’t seem to be the case with the announcement of SYMBIOGENESIS, a digital collectible art project designed from the ground up for Web3 fans.
Talking about why he is pushing the metaverse, NFTs, and blockchain games for Square Enix, Matsuda said that it can enable self-sustaining game growth. “It is precisely this sort of ecosystem that lies at the heart of what I refer to as “decentralized gaming,” and I hope that this becomes a major trend in gaming going forward. If we refer to the one-way relationship where game players and game providers are linked by games that are finished products as “centralized gaming” to contrast it with decentralized gaming, then incorporating decentralized games into our portfolio in addition to centralized games will be a major strategic theme for us starting in 2022.”
“‘SYMBIOGENESIS’ is a brand-new entertainment content set in a self-contained world where a wide cast of characters symbiosis, all of which can be collected as digital art; an interactive story and a dedicated community,” Square Enix said. “The art can be used for social media profile pictures (PFP) and as a character in a story that takes place in an alternate world where the player can ‘untangle’ a mystery by completing missions that revolve around questions of the monopolization and distribution of resources. With each strategic move players make, more of the story unfolds.”
Square Enix launched a Final Fantasy 7 NFT project earlier this year offering digital versions of its Bring Arts toys as a $30 Digital Plus surcharge. These digital models can be viewed on a PC or smartphone.
Sales of ‘SYMBIOGENESIS’ NFT collectible art and a free browser service will launch in Spring 2023.