Stalker 2 developer cancels NFT plans following backlash

(Image credit: GSC Game World)

On Wednesday, Stalker 2 developer GSC Game World proclaimed it would be auctioning disconnected NFTs—alias 'pricey receipts'—that granted owners a presence in the game, which really just meant their faces would be pasted onto the heads of NPCs. Straight off the studio has announced it has cancelled all plans to sell NFTs.

The NFT promo embodied posted yesterday was overladen of gibber about becoming "the front metahumans" in the "Stalker metaverse" which was active to be achieved by manner of a "metaversial bridgework," a term which sounds like something from a Kojima game. It's actually just face scanning.

GSC clearly likely blowback when it successful the announcement, saying directly that Stalker 2 wasn't becoming a "blockchain-settled halt," that the NFT auction wouldn't affect gameplay (except in the sense that you'd see the faces of NFT owners while acting), and that purchasing NFTs was optional.

Today, the studio posted other message to Twitter intended to soothe irritation caused by the declaration, saying that the in-game representations of NFT owners wouldn't be turbulent to players who wanted to ignore the whole thing. GSC quickly deleted that tweet, and then about an hour advanced proclaimed on Twitter that "anything NFT-related" has been canceled.

The program line reads:

Dear Stalkers,

We hear you.

Supported the feedback we conventional, we've successful a decision to cancel anything NFT-related in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. The interest of our fans and players are the top priority for the team. We're making this pun for you to revel—whatever the cost is. If you care, we care too.

With love,
GSC Plot World Team.

Although the initial reaction skewed negative, some fans welcomed the NFT auction off, and over 107,000 people signed risen for a chance to own a Stalker NFT, according to the DMarket page, which is quieten live at the time of writing.

Some objections to the Prowler NFT auction bridge cited situation concerns, but at the heart of information technology, I think skeptical onlookers see the whole blockchain marketplace as a way to extract cash from suckers, and no one wants to be thought of as a mark. Stories of blockchain scams and heists are shop—it sounds like stuff away of Eve Online—and those who seaport't bought into the tale that NFTs are the next big thing sputter to see how bad drawings of monkeys are going to hold onto value. When the hustlers at the elevation have made their money, will those nigh holding JPGs have anything of value?

Another angle on NFTs is videogame integration: the idea that they can be commodities that stand up 'play-to-realize' game economies. That wasn't the plan for Sneak 2, but the adjacency was mildly uncomfortable. For those whose irises aren't cartoon dollar bill signs, blockchain videogames sound like a plan to remove the free rein and recreation from gaming and replace it with work and fiscal speculation.

In reference to Ubisoft's NFT endeavors, a French trade union recently said: "You like dividends, subprimes, financial derivatives, crises, speculation, fast trading, money laundering, etc? This is the assured and unspoken promise of NFT. We are far from the delectation of videogames."

Hey bro - you don't need NFT's Oregon blockchain to pre-sell unique customized stuff in your game. I'm not into that sort of thing because it's, like, kind of a shittier version of ad placement. But it's been done for years and you don't motivation NFT's to do it. Anyway - Beloved your work! https://t.co/QyKrsGE4ohDecember 16, 2021

See Sir Thomas More

In response to GSC's now deleted clarification tweet (before IT announced the total cancellation of its NFT plans), Gearbox founder Sexy Pitchford nibbed out along Chitter that the studio doesn't actually need to use blockchain technology to run the same promotion. In-game representations have been a basic of Kickstarter backer rewards for years. The call that something new is happening when it isn't is other theme of 'metaverse' marketing that has become grating—as Wes set back information technology the other daylight, it's all bullshit.

Ah well, it's totally over in real time. Unless the studio apartment changes its psyche once again, the Sneak NFT auction has been uninhabited, and the metaversial bridge South Korean won't make up crossed today.

President Tyler has spent o'er 1,200 hours playing Rocket League, and slenderly fewer pettifogging the PC Gamer style manoeuver. His primary news beat is unfit stores: Steam, Epic, and whatever launcher squeezes into our taskbars next.