Konami plans massive NFT, Web3 and Metaverse-related hire

Japanese gaming giant Konami Digital Entertainment is looking to expand into the Web3 and metaverse space via massive new hires, according to a press release published on its official website. Famous worldwide for its video games, the company plans to launch a service where players can trade their in-game NFTs “through a unique distribution platform using blockchain.”

The Japanese entertainment conglomerate – which is most famous in western markets as a video game developer and publisher – is currently recruiting “a wide range of talent for system construction and service development to provide new experiences such as Web3 and Metaverse.”

Among the available positions in Konami’s Infrastructure Development Division are system engineering, programming, project management, and business development.  The company’s Production and Operation Division is also hiring for a producer, director, programmer, designer, planner, and project manager. Further, Konami’s Production Support Division is hiring related to legal, intellectual property, finance and accounting.

Despite NFTs having become a controversial topic in traditional gaming over the past year, Konami is evidently ready to push forward with adoption. The company clearly expresses its plans to “launch a service where players can trade their in-game NFTs (digital items) through a unique distribution platform using blockchain.”

The official press release notes that Konami is “developing a unique digital item distribution platform that conforms to the ‘Guidelines for Blockchain Games’ set forth by the Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association, Japan Online Game Association, and the Mobile Content Forum.”

Earlier this year, Konami tested the NFT sector when it sold a collection of NFTs via OpenSea in January — earning more than $160,000. Some video game-focused media outlets, alongside many video game industry pundits, criticized the move.

Earlier this month, another Japanese gaming giant, Sega, announced the upcoming launch of its first blockchain game, based on Sega’s Sangokushi Taisen franchise, in partnership with development company Double Jump Tokyo. The game’s blockchain elements will be built on Oasys, a Japanese scaling project.