After yesterday's reflections in an article about the situation with gamers about their attitude towards NFT and the positioning of Play-to-Earn in an article about SuperFarm, we decided to make a finisher. Free translation of Chris Stead's interview with a representativeE Ubisoft, Nicolas Puard and Didier Genevois. Nicolas Puard, Vice President, Strategic Innovation Lab Ubisoft, head of the Quartz and Digits platform and part-time co-founder of the Blockchain Game Alliance. Didier Genevois, Technical Director Ubisoft on blockchain initiatives.
December 7, 2021 the company Ubisoft publicly entered the NFT space (but in fact they entered in 2018). Perhaps it is precisely because Ubisoft has been in the crypto industry for a long time and is one of the pioneers of the movement and contributed to the fact that they did not cave in under the yoke of the community, unlike STALKER 2. Thank you! The launch of Ubisoft Digits, NFT, and the Quartz platform didn't go smoothly. The feedback from gamers was mostly negative, some of them were too aggressive. We can say that these were threats. Big names in the gaming industry have commented on Ubisoft's actions with chilly words.
Feedback from gamers about the launch of Ubisoft Quartz and Digits is mostly negative. What do reviews tell you about NFT's prospects for success?
Nicolas Poard: That was the expected reaction. We knew that this was not an easy concept for everyone to understand. Quartz is just the first step that should lead us to something bigger. What will be more clear to our players. This is how we see it, so we will continue to experiment. We will continue to release features and services as part of this initiative. And we believe that step by step the puzzle will be revealed to the understanding of our players.
In your presentation, you said that you managed to improve relations with the players. If that's the purpose of Quartz, then it must be very frustrating for you to see the feedback you've received.
Nicolas PoardA: I'd say it's part of the process. This is the response we are used to. I think it's great because it shows how passionate our players are about us and how passionate they are about games in general. It shows that our players love what we do and love Ubisoft's ability to deliver good games.
However, it's obvious that we're a bit frustrated. But I repeat, saying that in general everything is in order, we must treat this with understanding. We strongly believe that what we are doing with Quartz and Digits is going in the right direction. So we will continue to integrate. Obviously listening to what our fans are telling us.
What do you think is the big plus that gamers are missing out on what NFTs like Digits can offer them?
Nicolas PoardA: I think gamers don't understand what the secondary digital market can give them. At the moment, due to the current situation and the context of the NFT, players believe that it is, firstly, a game-breaker, and secondly, just a tool for speculation. But what we see first of all is end-game content. One implementation is to give players the option to resell their items after they lose interest in them or stop playing a particular game.
Also, it's part of a paradigm shift in gaming. After all, the transition from one economic system to another is not at all easy. There are many habits that you will have to give up. It takes time.
Do you think it would be better to launch Quartz without mentioning NFT or blockchain? If you just launched a new platform that offered gamers something new without revealing its mechanics to them?
Nicolas Poard: Actually, we tried, that's why we called them Digits. We thought not to talk about technology, but we know our players. They would have known exactly. In the end, we decided that it would be very reckless to try to hide it. Our principle is to create a safe place and a safe environment with Quartz. Thus, we must be clean and transparent in what we do.
Didier Genevois: May I comment a little on this? As Nicholas said, we knew if we didn't mention technology, the players would notice it. One of the first concerns gamers face when it comes to blockchain is its impact on the environment and the energy it consumes. So it was important for us to show that we are aware of this issue and that we are actively opting for the Tezos blockchain.
This is in line with our obligations as a corporation. Our research has a very strong synergy when it comes to the environment.
I'm afraid it's not just the environment. Many of the reviews that have been left suggest that gamers are wary that NFTs are new microtransactions or new loot boxes; that Digits will make games with Ubisoft more expensive. Are they right or wrong?
Nicolas PoardA: Well, first of all, the players are always right. Because they are ours and we love them. And yes, they are always right. But your observation is correct. The first thing I would like to say is that numbers are optional. This is what we have created outside of the gaming economy. Thus, players can decide for themselves whether or not to use Quartz. This is everyone's right.
In no case will we force our players to use Quartz and Digits. We simply tell them that there is a new system that can provide them with higher value than the one they already have. We offer them a choice.
We then built a platform regarding the selection criteria. We made it so it's pretty hard for people to get into it. Not only do you have to buy the game, you also have to play it for at least two hours. Thus, we complicate the entry threshold for speculators, who will find it more difficult to enter, invest and inflate the markets. We think, and the first numbers we've received confirm our expectations, that Quartz is for our players first and foremost.
One of the highlights associated with blockchain is decentralization. To take power away from large corporations and put it in the hands of consumers. Looking from the outside, one wonders the value of decentralization for a company like Ubisoft. How decentralization is useful for Ubisoft?
Nicolas Poire: The question is about the involvement of the players and how you share the ecosystem with them. When you look at Ubisoft's valuation, it's over $3 billion. But the entire ecosystem of Ubisoft products is valued at around $15 billion. The ecosystem is much more than just a company. The ecosystem consists of a company and players.
So the interest in decentralization for a company like Ubisoft is to open the doors of our games and make them bigger by sharing them with our players. I don't want to get into numbers, but these days, owning a part of a huge ecosystem can be even more interesting than just owning a game. I'm sorry as I know it's hard to understand now since such an idea doesn't exist in games yet.
The most cynical reviews from gamers said that it was all a ploy to line Ubisoft's pockets. But do you see it's about creating a deeper interaction with the players?
Nicolas Poire: Yes. The Play-to-Earn model is about allowing players to earn their own money, adding value to the entire ecosystem. So it's not just Ubisoft.
You remember what happened to the STALKER 2 team - when they announced NFT integration and then abandoned it after the backlash. What was your reaction?
Nicolas Poire: It's sad to see that there is still some resistance. But I'm not sure if we can compare what S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 tried to do with what we're trying to achieve with Quartz. I would say that they are slightly different things.
I know it's only been a couple of weeks since Quartz launched, but what are the key takeaways from the Digits launch?
Didier Genevois: We know that the selection criteria we set worked. A very large portion of the 2500 tokens ordered in the first 2 weeks came from Ghost Recon: Breakpoint players. It was nice to see this, because for us it was the biggest risk. That the market will be taken over by speculators. Which we absolutely did not want to do.
Nicolas PoireA: We are very pleased that everything is working as we intended. It wasn't easy because we are based on the Tezos blockchain, which is hardly an obvious and popular choice when creating an NFT. But we wanted to be committed to our choice. In addition, I think, based on user opinion, the Quartz platform is quite easy to get used to.
During the Quartz and Digits presentation, you mentioned the potential acquisition of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs). What did you mean?
Nicolas Poire: When you talk to DAO guys like Yield Guild Games, they really see themselves as a new user acquisition tool. Because if you create a good Play-to-Earn experience, these guilds will come into your game, and strengthen your ecosystem, as a result, you need to engage your entire economy and your entire community.
Guild involvement tells us specifically about the Play-to-Earn model. Is this what you are really interested in?
Nicolas Poire: Yes, we are interested in making money. For us, this is the same logic as today. So, we're trying to think of Ubisoft games as a place where your experience can make the most of it. This suggests that there are different kinds of values during the game.
Games are fun. Just enjoy the game. For example, in Assassin's Creed you study history, it's a very deep game. Now think about how adding a real reward can be a cool addition to the value that the game already offers us.
So, Quartz is an extension of what we are doing, and I would say that you need to be able to handle it correctly. That's why it doesn't make sense to use an existing game with an existing economy and try to translate it into a Play-to-Earn economy. A game with P2E needs to be created from scratch, because this is a completely different look at the game economy and monetization.
Are you already in talks to license Ubisoft characters as crossovers with other NFT games? Like axi from Axie Infinity. Are you looking into things like this to spread the Ubisoft brand in the existing NFT space or not?
Didier Genevois: We've done a few experiments in the past by joining Cryptokitties and Rabbids. There is definitely room for such cross-brand experiments.
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