Today was all about the NFTs. Yes, those things again. While on the one hand we heard all about how Ubisoft chose to celebrate the hard work of its employees by handing out what are basically jpegs, we heard about how the people at Itch.io believe that NFTs are nothing but a scam. Good on them. We also heard Phil Spencer’s feelings on the acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft and… Sonic the Hedgehog just robbed a bank?
Ubisoft Celebrated Its Employees' Hard Work By Giving Them NFTs
Ubisoft has been leaning hard into the whole NFT thing recently. The company hasn’t had any qualms about this new technology and has in fact become the first big business to plop them into a video game. Workers really weren’t happy about this. Well, the company has now just gone and rubbed their faces in it. “With the opening of the Ubisoft Quartz platform in December, we thought of creating an exclusive Digit for you — the ‘Ghost Recon 20th anniversary cap!’ If you want to receive this exclusive Digit, we will inject it into your crypto-wallet on the 9th of March.” Woo — and I cannot emphasize this enough — hoo.
Itch.io Says “NFTs Are A Scam”
While some have greedily taken to them, other companies have been slow to adopt NFTs. The platform Itch.io came out today with a vehement rebuke of this new technology. "A few have asked about our stance on NFTs,” the company said. “NFTs are a scam. If you think they are legitimately useful for anything other than the exploitation of creators, financial scams, and the destruction of the planet, then we ask that you please reevaluate your life choices.” But wait, it gets even better. "Also, fuck any company that says they support creators and also endorses NFTs in any way. They only care about their own profit and the opportunity for wealth above anyone else. Especially given the now easily available discourse concerning the problems of NFTs." Rock on, Itch.io. Rock on.
Phil Spencer Says The Activision Deal Was "Well Beyond Anything I've Ever Done"
Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard earlier this month for an incredible amount of money. Wondering what it must have been like to negotiate this deal? Phil Spencer dived into the details of the experience today. Spencer referred to the deal as "well beyond anything I've ever done.” Asked about the ongoing investigations into sexual harassment and workplace misconduct at Activision Blizzard, Spencer said that "one hundred percent of our focus is on the teams. We know there's work. We have our own work.” Hopefully this pans out into concrete actions rather than something to be swept under the rug, but time will tell, I suppose.
Sonic The Hedgehog Robs A Bank
Somebody wearing a Sonic mask broke into a bank recently and started threatening the teller with a hammer. “When officers arrived on scene, contact was made with witnesses who stated that a subject wearing a Sonic the Hedgehog mask entered the bank displaying a hammer and demanding money from the teller,” the incident report noted. “While demanding cash from the teller, the suspect then struck the teller’s window with the hammer as he continued with his demands. After being confronted by a bank employee, the suspect fled the location on foot.” Sonic managed to flee the scene, but the hedgehog didn’t make off with any money. Thankfully nobody was hurt.
Game Workers Organization Publishes A Guide For Players Detailing How They Can Support The Labor Movement
The organization called the Game Workers of Southern California published a guide for players interested in supporting the labor movement. This contains all kinds of useful information for anybody wanting to help out striking workers. “So, you’re a video game player! You enjoy titles from Activision-Blizzard, ArenaNet, Riot, or whichever other company is in the awful-working-conditions spotlight of the day,” the document begins. “Maybe it’s excessive overtime, maybe it’s starvation wages for quality assurance testers, or maybe it’s a culture of discrimination, harassment, and even assault. You see the people who make your games hurting and you want to help.” The guide then goes into the “dos and don’ts of fan support for progressive movements in the industry.” I recommend that you take a read.
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