Another bait and switch causes fans to react strongly about Symbiogenesis, the new Square Enix NFT project.
There are millions of Square Enix fans around the world – fans who love Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Parasite Eve, just to name a couple of franchises. What many of these fans aren't a fan of are NFTs, and these new Square Enix NFT projects aren't doing anything to endear the company to its fan base.
There was some interest in Symbiogenesis even before it was first revealed. When games journalists first spotted a Square Enix trademark application for Symbiogenesis, speculation became rampant: fans thought that this was the return of Parasite Eve. Symbiogenesis, after all, is a scientific evolutionary term that is referenced and used as a concept for older Parasite Eve games.
But now, Square Enix has done the worst thing they could do to fans who have been hoping for the return of a dormant project – announce a completely unrelated project and announce that it's an NFT title. And that's exactly what happened with Symbiogenesis. Arguably, the only thing Square Enix could have done that would have been worse than this was confirm that it was indeed a Parasite Eve title, but that it's an NFT Parasite Eve game.
Of course, fans weren't too happy with this announcement, and many have gone to work flaming Square Enix for announcing their first-ever NFT game:
I get that in Japan, NFTs don't have such a negative status, but it's insanely tone deaf to ignore the rest of the world condemning NFTs due to them being a huge scam.
It's not too late. Delete this tweet and apologize.
— BGG (@BGG_Twitch) November 3, 2022
https://twitter.com/QueenRemula/status/1588110282307514370
— Leonhoopa (@leonhoopa) November 3, 2022
Of course, many are disappointed to learn that Symbiogenesis turned out not to be a Parasite Eve game, after all:
So, you guys thought NFT's, a system that is hated by most and mostly proven to be a scam was the better option instead of bringing back Parasite Eve, a series beloved by many with constant outcry for a reboot or remaster whilst using a name that nods to PE?
Very interesting…
— BasicAF_Steve (@BasicAF_Steve) November 3, 2022
Oh, suzi, I am so sorry https://t.co/GG3YMHMbYd
— Georgette CMLL (@TheR0bot) November 3, 2022
Some have related how Square Enix has become the villains in their own story:
The time has come again to use this image pic.twitter.com/QFEMIaT0fv
— Quang Dam Le (@Qdamle) November 3, 2022
Square Enix being fine with harming the planet and poisoning their relationship with fans to gain some cash be like: pic.twitter.com/Re3lSkxmsc
— Tuxedo Bowser (@tuxedobowser) November 3, 2022
Square Enix should already be expecting this response, especially since fans have been mad at them since they announced their focus on NFTs at the start of this year. Many feel that the creation of these NFT games paid too much of a price when Square Enix gave up its Western IPs so they'd have enough resources to put into projects like this.
Symbiogenesis will be Square Enix's first full-fledged NFT game, which is set to release in the Spring of 2023.
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