Konami to celebrate Castlevania’s 35th anniversary with NFT drop

This year marks the 35^th anniversary of Konami’s Castlevania video game series, and the company has decided to celebrate it with a debut NFT collection launch.

Dubbed the “Konami Memorial NFT collection,” it would feature 14 unique artworks, one copy each for sale from the horror-action video game series.

The auction will be held on OpenSea, starting on January 12 at 5 p.m. EST. Konami will also sell other NFTs based on the game, some would be music, and others would be highlight videos. The complete list of NFTs to be sold are available on Konami’s auction site.

Participants in the auction can choose to have their names displayed on the Konami website as first purchasers.

According to Konami, “This is an initiative to create art NFTs using beloved in-game scenes from KONAMI titles, and for our fans to preserve them for many years to come.”

Compared to other NFTs, Konami’s NFTs do not have any other use; they only serve as mementos of the anniversary event.

So far, the announcement has been met with a largely negative reception by fans who have shown their dissatisfaction online. However, Konami seems undeterred and would likely go on with the venture. The company even hinted there might be more in the NFT drops in the future.

Konami is just another addition to the list of game companies that have released NFT projects or are planning to do so.

Electronic Arts, GameStop, Square Enix, and Ubisoft are some of such companies, and as with Konami’s case, most of these plans have been met with pushback from fans. Reasons for fans’ outcry range from NFTs being detrimental to the environment to NFTs being a cash grab attempt by companies. Some have even accused NFTs of being a money-laundering scheme.

Japanese game maker Sega also announced its NFT plans last April, but after seeing the backlash from fans, it is re-evaluating its decision.

Still, NFT technology marches on, fueled by hype and adoption by big brands and celebrities.

Photo: Konami