Fans of Final Fantasy 7 certainly have a lot to look forward to in the coming months. The game celebrated its 25th anniversary with a brief, but packed showcase revealing a remake of Crisis Core and the first look at Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. The series is finding new fans thanks to its repeated outings as free PS Plus titles. However, a cloud has loomed over Square Enix’s IPs this year given it announced there would be NFT integration with the publisher's properties. Final Fantasy 7 appears to be the first target.
Square Enix recently announced a new line of Cloud Strife action figures, using the original character design from the PS1 Final Fantasy 7, and an NFT version of the figure is available upon purchase. Like Square, many publishers and game developers have expressed interest in NFTs, but have since dropped their attempts to adopt the technology due to repeated fan backlash and a plummeting crypto market. However, Square Enix is still moving forward with Blockchain tech, and ironically decided to bring NFTs to a game all about environmental awareness.
The Environmental Impact of NFTs
Non-Fungible Tokens, otherwise known as NFTs, are like digital trading cards. They exist on the Blockchain with no tangible form, and have a price tag dictated by the highest bidder. The technology grew in popularity throughout much of 2021 before drastically falling off this year. NFTs might seem harmless enough, but they create real-world concerns regarding energy consumption, which creates an easy comparison between NFT creators and Final Fantasy 7’s Shinra Corporation.
Although the energy required to mint an NFT varies depending on the Blockchain network, studies conducted by independent Blockchain analysts suggest that minting one NFT uses 142 kWh, according to Medium. To put that number into perspective, the US Energy and Information Administration (EIA) says the average American home used roughly 30 kWh per-day in 2019. That means one NFT uses more than four times the energy required for one house, all so an image of Cloud Strife can exist on the Blockchain and potentially be sold to the highest bidder. NFTs certainly don't sound like something Cloud, Barrett, and Tifa would care for given the events of Final Fantasy 7.
Final Fantasy 7’s Eco-Friendly Stance
Final Fantasy 7 was one of the first PS1 games to push the boundaries of storytelling and cinematics, digging into real-world topics with deep themes. The game tells a decidedly pro-environmentalist and anti-corporation story, especially throughout its first third. Final Fantasy 7 stars a group of scrappy activists known as Avalanche who are fixated on stopping the Shinra Corporation from extracting Mako (the planet’s primary energy source) from Midgar. Shinra gives little thought to the long-term damage it inflicts on the planet so long as its executives are getting paid, and the company can continue its war profiteering.
At its core, Final Fantasy 7 is a cautionary tale about companies exploiting the Earth for profit, and needlessly wasting energy while the planet is hurting. It's evident that Final Fantasy 7 and its themes of going green don't mix with a technology that is needlessly consuming so much energy. In an ironic twist, Square Enix has almost taken up the role of the Shinra Corporation, assuming it knowingly understands the environmental impact of NFTs. It is unknown if Square Enix will continue to sell them - fan reception to the news has been poor. Hopefully the company can course correct.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake is available now for PC, PS4, and PS5.