Konami isn't done with NFTs just yet. Following its Castlevania anniversary selection, it has now announced that it's recruiting for WEB3 and metaverse development staff, planning to build its own virtual blockchain world to compete with the likes of Meta. Though these have rarely proven popular or successful.
"We have been conducting research and development to incorporate the latest technology into games and contents, and plan to launch a service where players can trade their in-game NFTs (digital items) through a unique distribution platform using blockchain", the listing reads. "To further strengthen our structure and accelerate our business, we are looking for the following positions as members who will work together to expand our business to evolve with a new future for digital entertainment."
A $1.2 billion metaverse - Decentraland - reportedly only had 38 "active users" over 24 hours (thanks, Futurism), though it argued that it actually had 8,000 daily users. That's still $150,000 per player. For comparison, the slated Marvel's Avengers hit a 24-hour peak of 289, seven times that of Decentraland's reported numbers. Metaverses aren't popular.
NFTs and blockchain tech are also fairly unpopular. Ubisoft made its own leap into the world of cryptocurrency and digital goods with its Quartz marketplace, but they didn't sell well at all. Between December 15, 2022, and December 20, there were only nine sales. Ubisoft later scrapped its NFT plans following this lack of interest. Konami, however, has been pushing on.
There's little word officially on any new games, however, with rumours, leaks, and comments from people like Silent Hill film director Christophe Gans making up the bulk of what we know. Allegedly, there are several Silent Hills in development, though fans are still calling for Metal Gear Solid, and it remains to be seen if any of these plans will actually pan out.