NFTs are great in theory, but problematic in practice. They’re a way of making use of the same blockchain technology that powers cryptocurrencies to ensure that digital files remain unique in a digital landscape that can create billions of copies of anything at the click of a mouse.
But because that technology requires a constant internet connection and massive computational power in order to sustain itself, NFTs are massive carbon emitters (at least, until we switch to a sustainable power supply).
Which is likely why Devolver decided to poke a little fun at NFTs during their presentation last night. Rather than sell their E3 presentation as a non-fungible token, Devolver decided to sell it as a “non-fuckwithable tape," which is similar in that it’s unique but different in that it’s a physical object and not a digital one. And it’s also a VHS tape, so you might have difficulty finding a tape player to actually watch it.
Unbelievably, someone actually purchased Devolver’s E3 presentation VHS tape for the cool price of $1,000, with the proceeds of that single sale going towards the Scratch Foundation, a free online coding community for kids to create their own games.
There’s no reason to really pay Devolver $1,000 for their presentation of course–it’s freely viewable on YouTube. Considering the presentation is a giant ad for MaxPass+, Devolver’s new “Premium Purchase” non-subscription monetization service, they really should be paying you and not the other way around.
Devolver had a lot of new games announced yesterday, including Death’s Door, Phantom Abyss, Trek to Yomi, Wizard with a Gun, and the physical-only Switch retro shooter, Demon Throttle. There’s way more on the way today with the Microsoft and Bethesda joint presentation, followed by Square Enix, Warner Bros., and the PC Gaming Showcase.
