Whether you love or hate NFTs in gaming, it seems some companies are intent on monopolising on this new trend.
One, in particular, is Konami, who decided to celebrate Castlevania's 35th anniversary with a special 'Konami NFT Memorial Collection' auction. It's now sold off all '14 unique artworks" which consisted of game scenes, BGMs and drawn visuals, and managed to bank $162,000 USD in total. The sale took place on OpenSea - a marketplace where NFT artwork goes for the average price of around $12k.
The highlight of the lot was the sale of a digital map (essentially just a JPEG) of Dracula's Castle (from the original Castlevania game) for $26k. Yeah, we're not joking... Konami can potentially bank even more, as it earns royalties of up to 10% whenever its NFTs are sold again in the future.
Interestingly, Konami will also celebrate the winners of this auction by listing the names of the original buyers on its website for 10 months. A few other amusing things include the fact that these NFTs may not necessarily increase in value, and they might not even have a future. Here's the full notice about this from Konami:
"Konami will only be responsible for granting the use of the NFT and purchaser benefits for the NFT and will not provide any guarantee for the NFT itself. (e.g. continuity, compatibility with other services.)"
If you would like a crash course in the world of NFTs, be sure to check out the story we published yesterday:
If you do feel like you've missed out, you can always head over to Google, search for some Castlevania artwork, and make it your screen's wallpaper.
[source konami.com, via kotaku.com, videogameschronicle.com]
Comments 114
didn't know there could be more additions to reasons to hate modern-day konami
Seriously, this is getting out of hand. I've seen people defending NFTs like, "if you screenshot it, it's still not yours, you do not own it". Like, I'm not crazy to pay thousands of dollars for a JPEG that I can just screenshot and put as my wallpaper on the phone or whatnot. Anybody that jumps on the NFT bandwagon is just desperate to get money and, frankly, Konami isn't different nowadays.
@JazzyPone well they are trying really really hard
THIS is the big problem:
people actually give companies money for this.
how stupid can you be??
I LOVE Castlevania but this is stupid! Money laundering ...
I just copy and pasted the image into Word. I don't actually want it but somehow it felt like the right thing to do.
If you would like a copy please send me a cheque for $26,000 and I will email it over. I'll even chop down a few trees and murder a couple of dolphins for you in order to recreate the NFT environmental impact. Bargain.
They could've just saved the image from this article to have it... 🙄
@6ch6ris6 Companies basically taking advantage of people of low intelligence so is kind of disgusting to me
The n(ew) art this days,
Right click is piracy! Besides, there is no satisfaction in owning exactly the same image someone paid $26000 for, by just right clicking. I closed my eyes as to protect them from seeing an image reserved for the ultra rich and stupid.
I’m all against NFTs but frankly if you have that kind of money and are so reckless with it, you kind of deserved to be scammed
Soooo..
.
.
.
.. what can the person who bought this, do with it, other than sell it again.
@PhhhCough Nothing. Literally nothing.
Tech bro buys art..
Can we please just not talk about NFTs? I have to hear about them every second of every day on Twitter, and I'm getting pretty sick of it. I need a safe space from NFT.
I don't understand what any of this is and why people are valuing it.
I must be getting old.
Frightening.
that map...isn't even the full level layouts. They truncated the level layouts to make it fit in the silhouette.
I'm a fan of Castlevania who also loves looking at videogame map layouts, and I think this particular image is worthless.
@Clyde_Radcliffe @Ooccoo_Jr
I also saved the jpeg from this article, on principle. Does this make me an owner, a thief, or a normal person using digital media on the internet? Maybe I should ask Konami.
"Interestingly, Konami will also celebrate the winners of this auction by listing the names of the original buyers on its website for 10 months."
Oh that should go over well. I'm sure people online will wholeheartedly wish all the "winners" congratulations on their investments. That sounds like a terrific idea!
@LUIGITORNADO you and me both. Been gaming since the Nintendo came out in 1985, and even a little before that and I don't really understand any of this. Lol I'm old to I guess at 41.
If you haven't seen it yet..watch Idiocracy. It's all coming true.
Do you think, if I copied that image, then sent snippets of it to the "owner" and asked for a ransom to return the whole image, they'd pay up?
The joys of having more money than sense
But, why can't I just copy this picture and use it as a desktop. I...I honestly don't get this...or at least how stupid the people are that 'do'.
I have it also, all I had to do was "right click > save as" though so I saved some money
Wow Konami, I hope the $162k is compensation enough for the negative PR you’ve generated.
I personally would rather buy a vial of snake oil - it’s a better value since you’d at least get the container and not just some Castlevania-themed vapor…
@ArtiomNLS Ha same, I have the mona lisa in my kitchen
$26K or, and hear me out, right click - save as
@JazzyPone What’s to hate? They had something someone else wanted and was willing to pay for.
...
Konami must be laughing their a** off at the person who bought it. 🤣
@JohnnyC i hear you 👍
Well, if someone wants to spend insane amount of money on this, then good for Konami I guess? I don't like NFTs as a concept, but I think people will lose interest in them eventually.
Now use that money to make a new Castlevania game.
@Ironcore how can one go as low as to compare a monkey with lazer eyes or a man with 50 pixels total to a literal work of art known across the globe?
What a steal, for Konami...
I'd question how much of the "value" came from the novelty of Konami selling them.
Like someone might buy a Castlevania image for $26k from Konami. but is the random person that bought it really going to find someone willing to pay $27k or more
......... Just going to do it anyway huh? Whats the point of telling yall anything!
@Clyde_Radcliffe This person gets it!
Not trying to sound like I’m defending NFT stuff, but if people are just going to give companies money like this, yeah why would you stop? Ain’t no way I’m doing this though.
There are no pretty words to describe it, it is brutally how stupid and greedy people are to spend money on such a technical scam
Wouldn't let me post my one word response to this which sums up my feelings rather succinctly, so,
barf.
I'd laugh but more and more humanity is proving it's stupidity. 😞
Now Konami can make a good game with that money!
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
I hope all companies (not just gaming companies) who get involved with these NFT's get burned to some degree, making them regret it.
So is this like buying the OG Mona Lisa vs a print in the gift shop?
There's a market for stupid crap like this. Let those stupid people buy them, it's their money they're wasting, at the end of the day.
@Korgon It’s like Konami wants people to lampoon the winners.
@SoObsolete you guys aren’t too old. I’m 17 and I think this is one of the dumbest ideas to ever grace our civilization.
I just downloaded the image.
Best 26thousand I never spent!
What are NFTs and why has there been so many articles on them?
I right-clicked and saved, and I'm going to spend today printing this and plastering it all over the New York City subways!!! And then I'm going to hawk them on the street for a buck apiece. A modern-day pirate!
@SoObsolete @LUIGITORNADO When people say they don't understand NFTs, I like to tell them that it means they understand it perfectly.
@eltomo Genius, do it.
But seriously, this is so incredibly stupid that I'm at a loss for words.
@Funneefox I'm 19 and I agree, it's dumber than anything else I've seen.
@JRJalapeno Fantastic movie!
After buying you still realize that Konami still hold the rights to this piece of artwork.
The Emperor's New Clothes comes to mind! True Madness...
I'm not a fan of NFTs but my God! People love to moan about something they are not forced to buy. If people want to invest in NFTs to maybe make money, let them. No one is forcing you to buy them.
AWW man, what a bummer to those who were not able to purchase this invaluable masterpiece of art!
But hey I am here to solve your dilemma! I have screenshotted the pixel art and I can send it to you for a measly $100!!
@ArtiomNLS I’m not comparing the art, I’m comparing ownership. Would it not make more sense to learn at least the basics of a topic before engaging in conversation about it?
This isn't the proper use of NFTs.
@Ironcore in that case I do agree with you, anyone can take a pic of the mona lisa over at louvre and have it in their gallery. I was moreso bringing up the VALUE of art as a whole and the fact that a pixel art one can make in like 5 minutes gets sold for thousands of dollars, so it's obvious where the misunderstanding was.
Anyone who actually purchases an NFT needs to be laughed at and mocked for the rest of their life.
Quite literally one of the dumbest things you could waste a sh*t ton of money on.
lmao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! wonder if they are gonna sell pokemon nfts in the future, haha
A fool and his money are soon parted.
NFTs are a scam. Period
I hope we one day learn that the blockchain behind NFTs was all a lie and these are literally just regular JPGs, etc. ^_^ rofl
26k. Imagine how many people that could feed.
I remember a time when Konami meant quality games... oh how the times change.
What a horrible night for an NFT.
I'm sorry, have people gone MENTAL?
Stuff like this is exactly why NFT will stick around. Easy money for companies with more and more jumping into the bandwagon. Consumers are fickle to spend thousands on RNG Gacha, battlepasses, lootboxes, etc that has no real sense of ownership that will one day dissapear so NFT scam working is no surprise
Cool, and thanks for sharing, now I also own a copy without having to pay thousands for a set of imaginary numbers.
So the image posted in this article, which I can copy for free, was purchased by someone for $26,000. I own it. They own it. We have equal levels of ownership... why was mine $26,000 less than theirs? lol. How stupid.
I'm too old for this *****.
@ArtiomNLS It doesnt matter if the nft was a literal turd, the tech is all about ownership rather than the actual art itself. Very soon everything will be nft'd in the same was everything has a serial number, receipt and so on. NFTs are to art as what a receipt is to the latest gadget you bought.
So does this also mean that Konami cannot use that map (or other sold assets) again without the new owners permission?? This is the NFT stuff I'm trying to nail down...
@gaga64
Not exactly, as they can reproduce as many "Originals" as they want.
It is only a authentification of purchase.
I just saved it to my desktop. I own it now.
@MeloMan no they can they can even replicate it again. And sell it again. It’ll look identical but it’ll be a different NFT. Only the details in the blockchain would be different. That’s my understanding.
I'm getting bored of talking about how silly NFTs are, and there's not much left that hasn't already been said. It's just that it almost moves me to tears that Konami, whose name is attached to some of the greatest games ever made, is now diminishing itself by selling speculative assets.
I'm just upset konami got free money
Not Konami's fault someone paid for this!
Just downloaded the image anyone wanna buy it from me ?
@Teksetter Being fair Konami's probably 15 years removed from their last good PR to begin with.
@ArtiomNLS What's sad too is that people who are buying into NFTs were the same people who were hit hard by the pandemic, ripe for these scams to pluck. They think they'll get back the money they paid for the NFT, but they won't, as not many people are actually going to buy these outside of people who are idiotic enough to think it's a good investment.
I just made a copy of the pic. Where's my $26,000 Konami?
@Poco_Lypso probably , there are Pokémon cards that people literally spend millions on 🙈
@PhhhCough I thought they could earn royalties from others using the image
NFTs are the next Beanie Babies. These things are totally gonna be worth millions in 10 years...
@Poco_Lypso If Nintendo decided to make NFTs, that would be scummy and stupid. But they probably would still makes games on top of that.
That's what makes THIS particular instance so infuriating...Konami has done N-O-T-H-I-N-G with Castlevania for almost 10 years, in terms of making an actual game, and then we get this.
NFT adds nothing in this case, as he just got his stupid image along with a stupid token that does nothing. If it acts purely as a sign over of some rights, perhaps makes sense, but then it is just a mechanism, it adds nothing new or fancy which makes it worth talking about on a games site. It's like making a news article about how some guy bought a game, and got a green receipt instead of the usual white one.
As usual with NFTs, the funniest part might be how bad the art is. Parts of the map are literally obscured by upscaled sprites. What's with the orange parchment background? They couldn't even sell the actual, original map asset with an NFT, it has to be stupid and garish to appeal to the market. This whole thing is such an awful branding exercise
Thank you for the free image, Nintendo Life. I shall right click away to my heart's content.
Simply put, the morons who bought these screen prints think they will sell for a huge profit. Some have already put them up for sales again. This is tulip mania revisited lol.
@ArtiomNLS Exactly. It's worthless unless it's a physical painting.
Id you buy digital art, you don't own it since others can copy it for free.
Secondly this 26.000$ art is worthless already as people already downloaded it for free.
Loss of value in only 1 day is one of the main flaws with NFT.
NFT have a list of other flaws too.
Konami were already very greedy. Their money sucking Pachinko machines.
Really people? Wow. -_-
@deadmaker They're certainly laughing all the way to the bank.
Thinking about something a bit about Castlevania...
So I've been told in the western versions of the infamous Haunted Castle, falling in a pit is an instant death and consequently instant Game Over (whereas the Japanese version merely deducts some health and sends the player back to a checkpoint).
So is then possible for this game to make the player lose THREE CREDITS from one mistake?
I can't think of another arcade game with such a steep penalty for a mistake. Congratulations, Konami?
They basically got over 100k for no effort just because other idiots have told these idiots these will be worth more in the future.
... right-click -> save as... That's it !
My goodness, Konami is really doing its very best to run themselves into the ground, no?
Well, at least I can still play my old favourites. Currently on a Suikoden binge. Finally started playing Suikoden 3, the only one I never played before.
Good thing NFTs are here to stay and within 10 years or so they'll be a permanent feature in all new releases.
@HeeHo ... and only if they find a buyer for that, which means after thinking this has ~$25k value, they need to find someone who things it is worth much more and / or be a mega-fan of Castlevania.
This just shows that those that do get rich on NFTs are already those who are rich themselves.
Nothing for normal people here, this is legal money laundering for the rich and famous.
So someone just paid $ 26,000 to put their name next to a picture on their website for 10 months, and because of this they will get spammed so much crap for being a sucker
It's a donation. No harm done.
“...some companies are intent on monopolising on this new trend.“
Do you mean capitalising? Who edits these?
@KoopaTheGamer I think this is a nascent form of NFTs, like blockchain it will be everywhere just not necessarily in cryptocurrency. I don’t know exactly what NFTs will be used for, but there is something powerful about being able to uniquely identify digital files and treat them as property - for better or for worse.
@CactusMan Mountains of well-deserved invectives aside, that 10% royalties bit was the real eyebrow-raiser for me in this story, too - not for any issues of legality, but from a pure investment product standpoint.
Tacking a mandatory double-digit future-sales surcharge onto something whose value comes almost entirely from the expectation of flipping it for a profit seems like one of the absolute worst things you could do (or best, I suppose, if you were trying to kill this fad dead). Like, anyone who bought this for $26k thinking they could sell it next week for $27k would now be actually losing money on doing so, instead of clearing a cool grand, and you would think the resulting disinterest from people staying away from it accordingly would deflate the value significantly.
Konami somehow found a way to make the bottled stupidity of NFT's even stupider. It's almost impressive.
You could've spent 26k on something a whole lot better than some pixel art...like a painting or something that you actually own. 🤔
Owning the NFT doesn't even give the purchaser ownership or rights to the image anyway
@Fath According to Google 5-10% seems to be the standard amount the orginal creators make when their NFTs are traded in general, not just Konami. That's all part of the scam why they want to promote people to buy these and sell them, because each time they do, the original "artist" gets paid. So they get paid when they sell the NFT the first time, and then they keep getting paid forever when anyone sells it (assuming anyone wants to buy it).
@Nintendo_Thumb Is that so? Huh, that's even weirder, then; thanks for the context .
Sweet I have a $26k NFT now. I'll sell it for the low low price of $1000 my loss is your gain!
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