Since last month, the age of NFTs has officially reached us. Starting this month, it may be on its way out. Average prices have fallen by up to 70% since the February peak, conformable Bloomberg. However, this did not stop the broadcast of big names and sports figures to announce their own NFT collections.
This week, two life institutions for video games, the e-sports organization 100 Thieves and the streaming superstar Turner “Tfue” Tenney, announced the NFT collections. NFT, if you need a refresh, is the abbreviation “non-fungible token”. Thanks to blockchain technology, these cryptographic tokens are technically unique, they come with a “proof of work” that says the same thing. Some have sold for millions of dollars. However, many people sell NFTs of pre-existing images and videos – things you can download for free in JPG or GIF format by borrowing dubious value for the whole enterprise.
100 Thieves’ NFTs take shape “Unique pieces of art” that focus on the organization’s logo, which is also characterized in the clothing line. Several NFTs of 100 thieves have already been put up for auction, however for Ether, a popular cryptocurrency on the Ethereum blockchain worth $ 4,500 and $ 6,200. The rest are Wishlist members of the organization’s community for the next 24 hours.
Tenney’s NFT set, “NFTfue King of Gaming Collection” went on sale last night. Animated art is a little more effort than the 100 Thieves offering, describing a digital Tenney as a character in settings based on Fortnite, Call of Duty, and Minecraft. The clips are cute and smart, using their fun loop format. Already, people have auctioned up to $ 2,100 in Ether, although most copies are currently around $ 400. I just downloaded them all as MP4s, so I can say I did.
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There is also the fourth “special edition” NFT that describes the three digital Tenneys in a confrontation against each other. The winner of this auction will also meet Tenney in Tampa, Florida, for “an epic day full of streaming, gaming, vlogging, jet skiing and more.” It sounds like a dream come true for one of Tenney’s younger fans, but it’s unlikely that any of them will be able to afford it, given that someone has already bid over $ 3,000 for the NFT special edition.
This follows NFTs from other e-sports figures, such as Conor “Diamondcon” Johst, Call of Duty pro is currently playing in the official Activision Call of Duty League for the New York Subliners. Johst announced its NFT set last month and has since posted a video of a mock-up, but it doesn’t appear to have been released yet. Popular streamer Ben “Professor Broman” Bowman, too released an NFT of his GIF in February. Of the 50 copies, only one was sold for about $ 20 from Ether.
The environmental impacts of NFTs (and the blockchain in general) are well documented at this time, with the discovery of the artist and creative technologist Memo Akten that a single NFT – whose sale often involves multiple transactions – can have a carbon footprint roughly equivalent to more than a month’s worth of electricity consumption for someone living in the EU. This has led to endless debates in the art and blockchain communities as well moves towards more sustainable NFT transactions.
Talking to KotakuTenney acknowledged the environmental concerns surrounding NFTs and said trying to reduce the fees they charge was a high priority in creating his set..
“Unfortunately, we live in a world where millions of tons of carbon dioxide are emitted every year, ”said Tenney, who has been dealing with crypto for about a year. he said in an email. “Unfortunately, this was the case long before the NFT boom. That doesn’t mean we didn’t think about it when we developed NFTfue and insisted as a team that we work with a carbon system.neutral and –negative designer who prides himself on the use of renewable energy and technology in his creative process. I look at people like Beeple who take the same steps and praise them for it. ”
Kotaku also he reached for Johst and Bowman for more information on why they decided to make NFTs despite the environment concerns, but did not respond. 100 thieves declined to comment.
Some fans are not happy that the streamers and organizations they have been following for years are getting involved in NFTs.
“He’s not a fan” said a spectator on Twitter in response to Tenney’s NFT announcement. “I hope you reconsider.”
“I just found out that one of my favorite streams supports NFTs. I’m going to lose the hell, ”a fan, who is also an artist, posted on Twitter with reference to Bowman’s position on NFTs. In a DM to Kotaku, the fan added that their concerns come from “the impact on the environment and also the fact that, for me, at least, it is such a clear scheme, because people are now losing a lot of money from it”.
Another problem with NFTs is that, from a technical point of view, anyone can create an NFT from the work, rights or absence of any other person. Right now, if you search for popular streamers names in the NFT OpenSea market, you will find many chips that use their images. There are, for example, a whole set of “Non-Fungible Streamer” cards based on Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, Timothy “TimTheTatman” Betar and the couple behind Girlfriend Reviews, Matt and Shelby. Are additional sets of books which also focuses on different streamers. An NFT of the original Pogchamp emote is currently on sale for five Ether, or over $ 10,000. A simple pixelated piece based on Imane “Pokimane” Anys was recently sold for about $ 100. There is also an NFT of Anys “claps her hands after saying the word N”. And, of course, there is an NFT of her legs. No one has bid for them yet.
Some streamers, viewers and even Twitch employees speculate that this is just the beginning.
“NFTs have the potential to disrupt sub-ads and ads to generate money on all creators’ platforms,” said Twitch, senior manager of strategic partnerships in esports, Jason Hitchcock. Kotaku has been in the cryptographic space since 2014, he said on Twitter. “NFTs will not be just art or videos. Spectators will buy membership tokens that unlock benefits because they are members of the community and directly support the creator. The possibilities are endless. ”
In a DM to Kotaku, Hitchcock offered additional ideas: “Imagine: a creator sends a special token to everyone with 5 or more NFTs of art, and this token gives the viewer access to a special Discord, a super private event calendar -fans and discounts on merch form their store. ”
Others have suggested that emotions and other visual elements of the streaming ecosystem make sense as streamer-specific collections. These, in turn, could help streamers sustain themselves without Twitch taking a cut from the top. While some streamers have embraced this idea, many are not happy.
“Fuck ‘,” said Twitch partner RadderssGaming in response to a question about the future viability of streaming NFTs. “I am just trying to have one less impact on the environment than I already do. ”
Partner Twitch Bread witchcraft, who answered the same question simply saying“No, bad,” she clarified her position on Kotaku. “It’s yet another example of how we are willing to destroy our planet if it means money, money, money,” she said in an email. “From my perspective, so many people enter NFTs to feel that they are entering the top floor of a new cryptographic trend, without thinking about the damage it can do. The greenhouse gas emissions from NFT are ridiculous. They are inexcusable. I see the technological innovation behind it, I really see it, but superimposed on it is only the greed of late-stage capitalism. ”
Hitchcock agrees that environmental issues should be a major concern, but he still believes there is potential in NFTs for e-sports organizations, streamers and other industries.
“I understand the sentiment behind environmental concerns,” he said. “Bitcoin mining uses a lot of energy. I think every industry needs to prioritize the environment while operating … At the end of the day, Ethereum is here to stay, growing rapidly with a strong network effect and we see services that people adopt like NFTs and Challenges. The genius has come out of the glass, so if you are really interested in reducing the environmental impact of Ethereum and bitcoin, then you should become active in the community with your voice and energy to help these technologies become more efficient in the long run. ”
Of course, if the NFT market continues to grow, little of this will matter in the long run. But if it stabilizes …as experts suggest, it could—And big names like Tenney and 100 thieves continue to buy, ethical questions will become much more pressing, as will basic questions about whether people really care about buying NFT streamers and e-teams. sports. In the world of art and sports, the stars managed to earn millions from NFTs, but the smaller names didn’t do so well. Will the same pattern be repeated in streaming and e-sports? On top of that, e-sports itself possesses some bubble-like characteristics On their own. If NFTs also end up being a balloon, you have a balloon in a balloon – not exactly a solid base from which to build.
Breadwitchery sees the call for an additional source of income due to the general inconsistency of payment for the streamer, but even then, it is worried that the streamers go all-in on NFTs.
“As a Twitch streamer, could NFTs help you make more money without a big business taking some of your revenue?” Sure, “she said.” But you’re harming the environment for profit, just like big business. You buy in the same corporate mindset as them; you just feel more individualistic about it, because you’ve got yours. “
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