EA Appears to Backtrack on NFTs

EA CEO Andrew Wilson has said his company is not currently looking to get into the NFT business despite earlier comments in which he referred to NFTs as the future of the industry.

Wilson made his more bullish comments in November, calling NFTs "an important part of... the future of our industry." But in an earnings call Tuesday night, Wilson was more circumspect when asked about whether EA was more likely to partner with an existing blockchain or NFT gaming firm or launch its own initiative.

"I believe that collectability will continue to be an important part of our industry and the games and experiences that we offer our players.

"Whether that's part of the NFT and the blockchain? Well, that remains to be seen. And I think the way we think about it, is we want to deliver the best possible player experience we can. And so we're going to — we will evaluate that over time. But right now, it's not something that we're driving audience."

Wilson also likened NFTs to other emerging technologies from the past that were touted as the future of video games, such as 3D, augmented reality and virtual reality.

NFTs continue to cause controversy across the industry, as prominent companies and figures announce NFT projects and, often, cancel those plans amid public backlash. Konami went through with its plan to sell Castlevania NFTs, and Ubisoft has dug its heels in with its own NFT platform. On the other hand, voice actor Troy Baker abandoned his NFT partnership, as did STALKER 2 developer GSC Game World.

Despite controversy and overwhelming lack of developer interest — 70% of game developers have no interest in working with NFTs — industry leaders continue to express interest in NFTs.