Sega co-COO Shuji Utsumi discussed the company's position on blockchain gaming in a recent interview. For Utsumi, the future of gaming is still unclear, but Sega is ready to safeguard its brand names and gain knowledge about how these new games are developed thanks to its collaboration with blockchain games developer Double Jump Tokyo.
Sega Still Views Blockchain Gaming as a 'Unknown World'
According to Sega co-COO Shuji Utsumi, the company is still learning about the blockchain gaming industry. The forthcoming release of Sangokushi Taisen, a game being licensed by Sega and created by Double Jump Tokyo, a blockchain gaming startup and non-fungible token (NFT) solutions provider, prompted the CEO to explain Sega's position on blockchain games in a recent interview.
Utsumi responded to a question about his opinions on blockchain gaming by saying:
We want to safeguard what needs to be protected and look at what needs to be captured in a fresh way because blockchain gaming is still a new world to us.
This viewpoint is in line with Utsumi's past claims that play-to-earn games were "boring" and that the business will shift its blockchain strategy, abandoning internal experiments created using this technology and safeguarding AAA franchises.
He did allow, at the time, that less well-known brands might be leased to outside parties, such as Sangokushi Taisen, which was deemed a "IP that would be accepted by fans in Japan and other Asian countries and would harmonize effectively with blockchain technology."
Contextual Period
Utsumi stressed the need to attract and engage players with blockchain-based content created to act as an entry point for this gaming industry, similar to puzzle games for the mobile gaming sector.
He proclaimed:
Owning property and, in some situations, making money could turn into player desires that didn't exist before in blockchain games. In this aspect, the sector is undoubtedly going through a transitional period.
Utsumi also noted creating wallets as a barrier to blockchain gaming, emphasizing that games should let players to do so at a later time.
Blockchain gaming has maintained interest despite Sega's stance. According to Dappradar's Third Quarter Blockchain Gaming report, investments totaling $600 million were made in blockchain gaming projects during the third quarter. Additionally, according to Dapprardar's figures, businesses will have spent $2.3 billion on these projects in 2023.
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