Ubisoft announced that "Tom Clancy's The Division" will be compatible with NFT testing, emphasizing the deployment of a play-to-earn (P2E) gaming model.
Game giant Ubisoft has become the first traditional mainstream game developer to venture into NFTs. In addition to the initial attempt to present certain in-game items in the form of NFTs, the announcement also stated that they will continue to explore the realm of metaverse based on blockchain technology.
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"Fireline Hunt: Dead Zone"
"Fireline Hunt: Dead Zone" is a large-scale PvP shooting game, similar to a multiplayer shooting game like PUBG. According to a press release, Ubisoft launched a beta version of a new platform called Ubisoft Quartz on December 7th, with the game Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint being the first game tested for compatibility on the platform.
In games launched on the new platform Ubisoft Quartz, players may obtain NFT-form items, weapons, equipment, etc., which Ubisoft refers to as "Digits."
Perhaps due to the extensive coverage by traditional media this year on the energy consumption issues related to blockchain mining mechanisms, Ubisoft has chosen to issue NFTs using the Tezos blockchain. Nicolas Pouard, Vice President of Ubisoft's Strategic Innovation Lab, stated:
For the grand vision of developing the metaverse, the Ubisoft Quartz platform is our first step. Assuming we don't overcome the early limitations of blockchain mechanisms on games, such as scalability and energy consumption issues, then it will not be achievable.
In-game #NFTs are here, and they are built on #Tezos.@ubisoft has chosen to build Ubisoft Quartz on the scalable and energy-efficient @Tezos blockchain.
Find out more about the first major gaming company to launch in-game NFTs:https://t.co/UH8JMAFz7l pic.twitter.com/4mhRpN51xf
— Tezos (@tezos) December 7, 2021
Layout of the P2E Game Model
Didier Genevois, Blockchain Technical Director at Ubisoft, also pointed out that the choice of Tezos was because of its proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus mechanism and the more energy-efficient nature of its NFTs, where the low carbon footprint in energy consumption means that both developers and players can prioritize blockchain innovation without compromising sustainability.
Furthermore, on December 4th, Ubisoft also wrote a piece titled "Vision for Blockchain," mentioning that traditional game models did not recognize or reward the value created by content creators and communities in games.
Therefore, Ubisoft "conservatively" views blockchain as a means to change the current system, but the solution must adhere to environmental sustainability and eliminate issues such as marketing scams and other speculative mechanisms. The article states:
We see this "play-to-earn" and "create-to-earn" model as a way to shape players into stakeholders in the gaming experience, where the efforts and time players put into the game bring meaningful returns, including fun, knowledge, creativity, social interaction, or even money.
Ubisoft Quartz will be open for testing on December 9th in the US, Canada, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Australia, and Brazil, excluding Taiwan.