- Sega’s Co-COO, Shuji Utsumi, has shifted his stance on blockchain gaming and NFTs, moving from skepticism to optimism
- Utsumi believes that the company’s partnership with Double Jump.Tokyo over a Sega-licensed trading card game will also help drive in-game NFT adoption
- Implementing crypto wallets remains a challenge, according to Utsumi
Sega’s Co-COO, Shuji Utsumi, recently expressed a positive outlook on blockchain gaming and the potential role of NFTs in the future of video games, marking a shift from his earlier remarks about play-to-earn games. In a recent interview, Utsumi discussed the evolving landscape of blockchain games and Sega’s collaboration with Double Jump.Tokyo to develop a new trading card game featuring NFT cards inspired by a 2005 game. Just three months ago, Utsumi revealed that Sega was pulling back from blockchain gaming, with observers putting this down to the crypto winter.
Sega Has High Hopes for ‘Battle of Three Kingdoms’
Utsumi’s u-turn comes following the announcement of the Sega-licensed trading card game “Battle of Three Kingdoms,” with the executive highlighting that the decision to license the game was motivated by a desire to “revive” the original game’s intellectual property while safeguarding its integrity.
The COO acknowledged that blockchain gaming remains a relatively uncharted territory for Sega, but revealed in a translated blog post that the collaboration offers the company an opportunity to gain insights into the world of blockchain games, describing it as a “win-win” for both parties.
Crypto Wallets Remain a Hurdle
Sega’s foray into blockchain gaming aligns with its broader strategy to explore and adapt to emerging technologies. While Utsumi recognizes the challenges faced by crypto games, such as implementing crypto wallets, he believes these challenges are worth overcoming for the potential benefits they offer.
One of the primary challenges is making crypto wallets more user-friendly, with Utsumi emphasizing the importance of getting users to engage with the game before introducing crypto wallets, as these wallets currently pose a hurdle for many potential players.
Despite these challenges, Utsumi is eager to see how NFTs can genuinely replicate the experience of owning a card in the gaming world and views Sega’s partnership with Double Jump.Tokyo as a sign of its commitment to staying at the forefront of technological advancements in the gaming industry.
Utsumi stated to Bloomberg in July that the company was “looking into whether this technology [blockchain] is really going to take off in this industry after all,” and apparently he has made up his mind on that matter.
