GameStop is a well-known retailer of video games, accessories and more, but for many years past and present customers have been curious about the future. It’s no secret that the move to digital gaming has affected GameStop’s bottom line, and it’s been publicly trying to remake its brand/image for a couple of years now.
It has not been easy, and the future is still uncertain. GameStop laid off several positions earlier this month, including an executive, and its recent push into NFTs and blockchain technology hasn’t gone over well either. Now it looks like there’s a 9/11 NFT for sale on GameStop’s marketplace, which is incredibly distasteful.
It should be noted that this is not an open NFT platform, so no one can go on it and sell NFTs. GameStop must approve each individual NFT creator following an application process. So while GameStop may not be directly responsible for this 9/11 NFT, one of the credited creators is. This creator, known as Jules, added an NFT based on the Falling Man photograph.
For those unaware, the Falling Man is a famous photo taken of the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers – one in which a man was captured falling from the upper floors of the World Trade Center. It’s a heartbreaking moment captured by Associated Press photographer Richard Drew. Upon its release in 2001, many criticized the picture for obvious reasons, but it has gained a more positive reputation with distance from the event. It’s a heartbreaking capture of 9/11, and no one expected it to be an NFT.
NFT is also titled Falling Man, and it is almost a 1:1 image of this image, with the only difference being that the NFT creator has put the figure in an astronaut suit. There are a total of 25 of them for sale on the GameStop NFT marketplace, selling for 0.65 ETH or the equivalent of $994.85. Only two of them have been sold so far.
Some users report seeing this image as a featured image whenever someone googles GameStop, and as of this writing, NFT is still available. GameStop has not publicly commented on this distasteful and controversial NFT, but hopefully the company does something about it sooner rather than later.
Source: ‘Web3 is going well’
