Ubisoft has announced that its introducing NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) to its games which will kick off with Ghost Recon Breakpoint‘s PC Windows version through the Ubisoft Connect platform.
This announcement means Ubisoft is the first major publisher to embrace NFTs in a AAA game . Ubisoft describes that the addition of limited edition NFTs to Ghost Recon Breakpoint as more of an “experiment”. The company adds that there is no environmental impact through the use of the technology as the company’s new initiative is “energy-efficient” and “environmentally sustainable.”
As part of the announcement, the company also announced Ubisoft Quartz, a new platform that allows players to acquire and manage the acquisition of Digits, which is what they are calling the company’s NFTs. The NFT integration announcement comes after Ubisoft’s “four-year exploration of blockchain technology through in-house research, development and close collaboration with renowned specialists within the startup ecosystem.”
“Each Digit is a unique collectible that features its own serial number for others to see in-game, [it] also keeps track of its current and previous owners for years to come, making players an integral part of the game’s history,” Ubisoft said in a statement announcing Quartz.
“With Digits, items are no longer bound to a player’s game inventory since they can be put on sale for other eligible players to acquire outside of the Ubisoft ecosystem.”
Ubisoft adds that Digits are unique, collectable, cosmetic items that will “provide players the ability to personalize their experience and complete their missions with style.” Digits will be stored on the Tezos blockchain which is described as “proof of stake” blockchain. Other blockchains for Ethereum or Bitcoin use “proof of work” blockchains which uses more energy compared to Tenzos blockchain.
“A single transaction on Tezos uses roughly the same amount of energy as streaming 30 seconds of video,” Ubisoft said boiling down the amount of energy a transaction on Tezos uses in a statement.
Ubisoft Quartz will launch in Canada and the United States as a beta on December 9th at 1 p.m. ET. The company is looking “to reward the early adopters among players” with free Digits drops happening on December 9th, 12th and 15th. Ubisoft says that other free drops are being planned for sometime in early 2022.
