This is it, Ubisoft is taking its first steps into the world of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The French video game giant is launching Quartz, a platform based on the Tezos (XTZ) blockchain where players can acquire game items in the form of NFTs.
Ubisoft enters the world of blockchain
Ubisoft has officially announced the launch of the beta version of Quartz, a new platform linking the world of blockchain and traditional video games.
Through this platform, players will be able to buy “Digits”, i.e. game items (clothes, vehicles, weapons, etc.) in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). These are the first NFTs to be playable in a mainstream game, as they will be compatible with Ubisoft games.
The Quartz platform will be available in beta version from December 9 in a few countries around the world, including the United States and France. The first Digits will appear in the game Ghost Recon Breakpoint and will be distributed to players via free airdrops over three dates: December 9, 12 and 15, 2021.
Introducing Ubisoft Quartz
We’re bringing the first energy efficient NFTs playable in a AAA game to Ghost Recon: Breakpoint!Try it in the beta from December 9 with three free cosmetic drops and learn more here: https://t.co/ysEoYUI4HY pic.twitter.com/owSFE2ALuS
– Ubisoft (@Ubisoft) December 7, 2021
More concretely, each Digit is made unique by a serial number that will be visible on the item in the game. In addition, the Ubisoft Connect player’s username will be embedded in the Digit’s metadata. When a Digit is sold to a new owner, its username will be added to the metadata, creating an ownership history for the NFT.
In order to ensure that players can properly enjoy Digits, without any speculation surrounding NFTs, Ubisoft Quartz will only be available to players who meet certain eligibility criteria. These include having passed a certain level of experience in the game to prove legitimacy.
Ubisoft wants to create “a true metaverse “
The launch of the Quartz beta is the next step in Ubisoft’s four-year exploration of blockchain technology. Indeed, through its Entrepreneur Lab and Strategic Innovation Lab in Paris, Ubisoft has learned the right approach to getting into blockchain games. The company has worked with startups such as Dapper Labs, Sky Mavis and Sorare, which have since raised huge amounts of money.
Ubisoft Quartz is the first brick in our ambitious vision to develop a true metaverse. And it can’t come to life without overcoming the limitations of early forms of blockchain for games, including scalability and power consumption,” said Nicolas Pouard, head of Ubisoft’s Strategic Innovation Lab.
One of the reasons why Ubisoft chose Tezos (XTZ), a blockchain based on a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism. Indeed, the choice is mainly explained by the low energy consumption of the Tezos protocol, compared to blockchains based on Proof-of-Work (PoW) for example.
Energy efficiency is a key requirement to propel blockchain technology into a future where it can be widely used by millions of players. We chose Tezos because of its original Proof-of-Stake network and its leadership on clean NFTs,” said Didier Genevois, blockchain technical director at Ubisoft.
French video game giant Ubisoft, which had sales of $2.5 billion in the year 2020, is thus the largest company in its industry to adopt NFTs.
