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Square Enix Symbiogenesis NFT project disappoints Parasite Eve fans

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Square Enix finally revealed Symbiogenesis, a project fans discovered the company filed a trademark for last week. While people speculated that this name would apply to a new Parasite Eve project, fans of that series were disappointed to find out that it’s not a new Parasite Eve game, but rather an NFT project.

When Square Enix filed for the Symbiogenesis trademark last week, fans believed that it was related to Parasite Eve despite the trademark not mentioning the game at all. Parasite Eve is a horror RPG series rooted in science and genetics, but it hasn’t gotten a new game since The 3rd Birthday in 2010. The term symbiogenesis refers to a scientific theory that involves two organisms combining into a single entity that then continues to grow and evolve with the combined attributes of the original organisms. As this theory is part of the foundation for the original Parasite Eve book the series is based on, it’s easy to understand why fans thought there could potentially be a connection.

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The reality revealed itself at India Game Developers Conference’s Web3 Conclave today Symbiogenesis is actually an NFT art collectible project slated to come out next spring. In a press release, Square Enix touted Symbiogenesis as brand-new content that allows people to combine collectible characters, storytelling, and playability. Basically, the project places the character artwork in a self-contained world where players can collect the artwork and use them as playable characters to ’untangle’ a mystery by completing missions that revolve around questions of the monopolization and distribution of resources.”

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NFT Collectible Art Project
SYMBIOGENESIS
Untangle the Story
Spring 2023#SYMBIOGENESIS #symgeNFT #NFT #NFTProjects pic.twitter.com/Kk1JvMdQx4

— SYMBIOGENESIS (@symbiogenesisPR) November 3, 2022

Fans were understandably furious at Square Enix for revealing Symbiogenesis as an NFT project because of the negative effects NFTs inflict on the environment. They made it known in the comments below the tweet that they were more interested in a new Parasite Eve game, not NFTs from something unrelated to it.

The Symbiogenesis NFT art project comes after Square Enix sold Final Fantasy 7 NFTs bundled with 25th-anniversary figures of Cloud Strife and other characters back in July. It was the first NFT project following President Yosuke Matsuda’s letter at the beginning of the year saying that the company is committed to exploring the usage of blockchain technology in games.

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Cristina Alexander
Cristina Alexander
Gaming/Mobile Writer
Cristina Alexander has been writing since 2014, from opining about pop culture on her personal blog in college to reporting…
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