Sega boss says "play-to-earn" games are "boring" as Sonic dev scraps blockchain plans

Sonic Frontiers
(Image credit: Sega)

Sega, once a supporter of blockchain gaming, has had a change of hea𝓀rt and is now scrapping plans to make games using the technology.

Speaking to , Sega's co-chief operating officer Shuji Utsumi revealওs that the company is abandoning plans to create its own blockchain games for the foreseeable fꦚuture. "The action in play-to-earn games is boring," Utsumi tells Bloomberg. "What's the point if games are no fun?"

According to the exec, Sega also won't be allowing its biggest IPs, including Sonic the Hedgehog, to be used 🍬in third-party blockchain games so as not to devalue its content.&n🅷bsp;

For now, the publisher isn't sure wheth💦er or not it will implement Web3 technology in its , which is scheduled for 2026. "We're looking into whether this technology is really going to take off in this industry, after all," Utsumi explains. 

Despite the U-turn, Sega plans to allow third parties to use characters from its lesser-known series, such as T🍬hree Kingdoms and Virtua Fighter, ꦿas NFTs.

While the company behind Sonic has supported blockchain tech in the past, this isn't the first time it's raised concerns. Last year, CEO Haruki Satomi said the company would "carefully assess" the future of NFTs in its products following "negative reactions" from players and 🌠would not proceed "if it is perceiv🎃ed as simple money-making".

Last week, it emerged that Microsoft was consideri꧙ng acquiring a slate of dജevelopers, including Sega, but Utsumi quickly pointed out that Sega isn't looking for a buyout from Microsof📖t or anyone else

See our 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:new games 2023 guide for all the titles set to release before the year is out. 

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Anne-Marie Ostler
Freelance Writer

Originally from Ireland, I moved to the UK in 2014 to pursue a Games Journalism and PR degree at Staffordshire University. Following that, I've freelanced for GamesMaster, Games TM, Official PlayStation Magazine and, more recently, Play and GamesRadar+. My love of gaming sprang from successfully defeating that first Goomba in Super Mario Bros on the NES. These days, PlayStation is my jam. When not gaming or writing, I can usually be found scouring the internet fo𒁏r anything Tomb Raider related to add to my out of control memorabilia collection.