Atari is hopping aboard the NFT bandwagon while somehow making them even worse

Once beloved arcade giant Atari has announced that they’re releasing commemorative NFTs in celebration of the companies 50th anniversary, they’re combining them with loot boxes to make the experience even worse. 

Created in tandem with Republic Realm, Atari’s NFTs aren’t just the boring ol’ usual hyperlinks to JPEG’s oh no, as Atari has specifically designed “GFTs” or giftable NFTs if you will. When you purchase one of these NFTs, you don’t even know what you’re getting to make things even more exciting.

The special commemorative GFTs will celebrate Atari’s classic 2600 console, as well as fan-favorite games such as Combat, Swordquest, Asteroids, Centipede, and more. However, if you want to purchase one of these GTFs, you best hope that you enjoy all of these games, as there’s no telling what you might get.

You’ll only know what you’ve spent your hard mined Ethereum on at some ambiguous “special date,” according to a roadmap on the GFTs very own website. Once your GFT unwraps, you’ve got a chance at getting a common, rare, or epic quality NFT, which makes the whole process feel a whole lot more like transparently gambling than just bidding on the success of usual NFTs. 

After all the GFTs have been unwrapped, lucky, or unlucky, NFT holders will be able to “compete for in-game competitions,” as well as interact with each other on Discord. What a luxury. According to the roadmap, Atari also has “more to come in the metaverse….” Yay.

Sign-up for the limited-edition Atari 50th Anniversary NFT Collection drop at https://t.co/0JS1xiL5Dn

Secure your spot and get a 10% discount #GFTshoppe #nft #atari pic.twitter.com/iZQ8NkRK5Z

— Atari (@atari) January 27, 2022

“The Atari brand is synonymous with video games, and video gaming is the backbone of the metaverse,” CEO Wade Rosen said in a statement.

“What better way to commemorate Atari’s 50th anniversary than by ushering in a new era of technological innovation while also honoring the brand that launched the modern video game industry?” Rosen continued. If that’s an actual question, Mr. Rosen has a few ideas, so close listen closely. Anything but this.