Nintendo “has interest” in NFTs, but doesn’t see the joy they provide right now

Mario remains free from the blockchain for now.

Image via Nintendo

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There seems to be a pattern to every NFT announcement within gaming. First, companies announce they will be involved in NFT minting or distribution. This announcement is inevitably followed by a large and vocal backlash from fans and others in the gaming industry, prompting the company to backpedal as quickly as possible. This pattern has played out a number of times now and is becoming almost predictable at this point.

It was only a matter of time before Nintendo waded into the NFT news, but not in the way fans might be fearing. During a Q&A session following their recent quarterly report, Nintendo executives fielded a question about the technology and if the game company had any plans to engage with NFTs or the Metaverse in general.

As reported by gaming analyst David Gibson, Nintendo’s response was that they “have interest in this area, we feel the potential in this area, but we wonder what joy we can provide in this area.” They certainly didn’t completely dismiss the idea of getting involved in NFTs in the future, but it seems to hinge on how the technology develops and what service or value it can provide their customers. The executives added that “this is difficult to define right now.”

Perhaps Nintendo has read the room and sees that fans aren’t really interested in NFTs at the moment. Maybe they have looked at the technology and decided it doesn’t add any real value to their products. Either way, don’t look for an official Mario NFT for sale any time soon.