“Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds” is an online role-playing game for PC, Android and iOS
The ability to purchase tokens in-game and spend them on cryptos has drawn heavy criticism from gamers
Developer Netmarble is trying to appease its players with a statement and is sticking to blockchain and NFT plans
This is Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds
“Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds” is a video game by South Korean developer Netmarble and Japanese publisher Level-5 that can be played on PC or smartphone (Android and iOS). It is an online role-playing game and is about a virtual reality game within the game. In the character of a tester, you dive into the virtual world of the fictional adventure “Soul Diver”. As a player, however, you quickly notice that the explored world is not virtual at all. A mysterious girl named Rania then entrusts you with a mission. Namely, you should rebuild your own kingdom, which was plundered by powerful enemies in the past. This should save the two connected worlds from certain destruction.
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The game is based on a blockchain and contains so-called “play-to-earn” elements. This means that the players receive tokens in the course of the game, which they can spend either within the virtual world for their own progress or outside of the game for cryptos. However, the tokens used in the game as a kind of currency can not only be earned, but also purchased through in-game purchases for real money. In addition to the possibility of exchanging these tokens for cryptocurrencies or other tokens, according to media reports, Netmarble also announced that it also wants to introduce NFTs as digital assets in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Criticism rains down for crypto, blockchain and NFTs
While everything that revolves around crypto and blockchain is currently very popular, the release of the blockchain-based game concept was met with great displeasure among fans. Because if there’s one thing players absolutely hate, it’s pay-to-win. This means that characters within the game can be upgraded against payments in such a way that they have a clear advantage over others who only level up through game progress. This distorts competition and takes the fun out of many gamers. The token system of “Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds” enables such a pay-to-win. According to the EUROGAMER website, many players noticed right from the start “that buyers of cryptocurrency have a great advantage since they buy the best sets and animals directly”. The imbalance is particularly noticeable in fights between two players.
But not only pay-to-win is a thorn in the side of many fans. The equipment with an unnecessarily large number of crypto elements also causes criticism. Some users announced on Twitter that they would either not install the game at all or delete it immediately because of these components.
I uninstalled it right after I read about the plans for the first time. ? Don’t feel like this NFT, crypto shit.
– Jellyfish ???️????? (@diedunichtbist1) May 26, 2022
I think it’s great that you’re letting us know about this. ?? I toyed with the idea of trying it out. But not after this message. For my part, I will not give blockchain technology a chance.
– スカイライン２サン (@skyline2sun) May 26, 2022
Developer Netmarble comments on the criticism
Shortly after the European launch of “Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds”, Netmarble recognized the resentment in its fan community and responded to the criticism. In a message in its own forum, the developer writes that he can understand that there are some questions from the players about the play-to-earn tokens. The concept used serves to improve the gaming experience and not, as perceived by many players, to make it worse. “Our goal is to create an environment where users can fully explore the amazing world of Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds, and we believe the token economy system is a way to achieve that,” explains Netmarble. There are two types of “currencies” available in the game. “They can be used to power up your characters or exchanged for tokens that can be used outside of the game.” How the players use the tokens is entirely up to them. Exploring all content is also possible without participating in the token system or blockchain technology. After all, there are various ways to experience “Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds” and the token ecosystem is just one of them. Anyone can therefore completely refuse to use it, which the developer thinks is perfectly fine. Netmarble will keep its community up to date on further news in this area.
As the announcement shows, Netmarble is not taking the criticism from its players as an opportunity to turn away from blockchain technology and the token system. The crypto plans for “Ni no Kuni: Cross World” should therefore be pursued further. With its forum post, Netmarble is merely trying to convince that the game can also be played with pleasure despite and apart from the play-to-earn. It remains to be seen whether the developer will be successful with this.
Nicolas Flohr / Editor finanzen.net
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