Fans react to Square Enix’s NFT Project
Another bait and switch has fans reacting strongly to Symbiogenesis, the new Square Enix NFT project.
There are millions of Square Enix fans around the world – fans who love Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest and Parasite Eve, just to name a few franchises. What many of these fans aren’t fans of are NFTs, and these new Square Enix NFT projects do nothing to endear the company to fans.
There was some interest in Symbiogenesis even before it was first revealed. When gaming journalists first spotted a Square Enix trademark application for Symbiogenesis, speculation ran high: fans thought this was Parasite Eve’s return. After all, symbiogenesis is a scientific evolutionary term referenced and used as a concept for older Parasite Eve games.
But now Square Enix has done the worst thing they could do to fans who have been hoping for the return of a dormant project – announcing a completely unrelated project and announcing that it’s an NFT title. And that’s exactly what happened with Symbiogenesis. Arguably, the only thing Square Enix could have done that would have been worse than this was to confirm that it was indeed a Parasite Eve title, but that it is an NFT Parasite Eve game.
Of course, the fans weren’t too happy about this announcementand many have gone to work torching Square Enix for announcing their first ever NFT game:
I realize that in Japan NFTs don’t have such a negative status, but it’s insanely tone deaf to ignore the rest of the world that condemns NFTs because they are a big scam.
It’s not too late. Please delete this tweet and apologize.
— BGG (@BGG_Twitch) 3 November 2022
I recently played Dragon Quest XI and I thought “this is pretty cool. But you know what would make it better? If it had less gameplay and took all my money.”
Glad you are finally responding to consumer demand.
— Remula (@QueenRemula) 3 November 2022
— Leonhoopa (@leonhoopa) 3 November 2022
Of course, many are disappointed to learn that Symbiogenesis didn’t turn out to be a Parasite Eve game after all:
So you thought NFT’s, a system hated by most and mostly proven to be a scam, was the better option instead of bringing back Parasite Eve, a series beloved by many with constant clamor for a reboot or remaster while using a name that nods to PE?
Very interesting…
— BasicAF_Steve (@BasicAF_Steve) 3 November 2022
Oh suzi I’m sorry https://t.co/GG3YMHMbYd
— Georgette CMLL (@TheR0bot) 3 November 2022
Some have told how Square Enix has become the villains of its own story:
Franz Christian Irorita ·
Franz Christian Irorita ·
Katrina Banzali ·
The time has come to use this image again pic.twitter.com/QFEMIaT0fv
— Quang Dam Le (@Qdamle) 3 November 2022
Square Enix is fine with damaging the planet and poisoning their relationship with fans to get money, be like: pic.twitter.com/Re3lSkxmsc
— Tuxedo Bowser (@tuxedobowser) 3 November 2022
Square Enix should have already expected this response, especially since fans have been mad at them since they announced their focus on NFTs at the beginning of this year. Many feel that the creation of these NFT games paid too much of a price as Square Enix gave up their Western IPs so that they had enough resources to put into projects like this.
Symbiogenesis will be Square Enix’s first full-fledged NFT game, to be launched in spring 2023.
