At last month's SXSW event in Austin, Texas, Reggie Fils-Aimé took to the stage to discuss various aspects of his career, from the start of his tenure at Nintendo to his post-retirement work with Gamestop and Cornell University.

While talking about the future of video games and the innovations driving the industry, Reggie touched on the concept of Blockchain and "play to own". While he ultimately backed the idea and sees an opportunity with the concept, he firmly believes that it needs to be utilised in the interest of the player.

You can check out the interaction in the video above, but here's the quote from Reggie regarding Blockchain:

"So I'm a believer in blockchain, I think it's a really compelling technology. I'm also a believer in the concept of "play to own" within video games, and I say this as a player where I may have invested 50 hours, 100 hours, or 300 hours in a game, and when I'm ready to move on to something else, wouldn't it be great to monetize what I've built? I bet I'd have some takers here today if I wanted to sell my Animal Crossing island from the latest Nintendo Switch version; I'd like to be able to monetize that. Blockchain technology embedded in the code would enable me to do that."

Reggie went on to clarify that the use of blockchain needs to be thoughtful and altogether consumer-friendly:

"Now I say that in the context of "it needs to make sense for the player". It can't just be an approach by the developer that it's interesting or it's a way for them as a development entity to make more money. In the end it's got to be good for the player, but I see an opportunity."

So there you have it! It's likely the concept of blockchain is here to stay, with companies like Ubisoft and Square Enix both pledging to become big players within blockchain gaming. While Nintendo itself hasn't entered the world of NFTs and "play to own", it could simply be a matter of time at this point.

Be sure to share your thoughts on NFTs and blockchain in the comments below (but please, keep it civil!).

[source youtube.com]