Why EA Sports and Nike think gaming NFTs can really work this time

Further Reading

Details are still scarce, and Nike says that more information will be available "in the coming months." But the company said in a statement that "select .Swoosh virtual creations" will "unlock brand new levels of customization within the EA SPORTS ecosystem" and provide players with "unique new opportunities for self-expression and creativity through sport and style."

In other words, it sounds like you'll soon be able to put your NFT Nike sneakers on your Madden team.

Why this time could be different

Further Reading

Those NFTs might become even more valuable to Nike fans if and when they can be used to unlock digital drip in EA Sports titles. And these kinds of "real-world clothing" cosmetics also seem like items that could be relatively easy for other developers and publishers to integrate into their own games (unlike Ubisoft's awkward, serial-numbered virtual items). That means other publishers could theoretically follow EA's lead here, integrating support for Nike's virtual fashions as a marketing tool targeting fashion-conscious gamers.

What's In The Game? Only time will tell...@EASPORTS x .SWOOSH ???? pic.twitter.com/AXgidKX7rd

-- .SWOOSH (@dotSWOOSH) June 1, 2023

That could plausibly create a kind of cycle where support from more games leads to more interest in Nike's NFTs, which in turn leads more game makers to sign on, and so on. If enough game makers start featuring those Nike collectibles, we could plausibly reach NFT bulls' dream scenario of digital items that you buy once and use across multiple properties around the Internet.

Further Reading

Regardless, by leaning on Nike's established brand--and letting it serve as a third party that markets and sells the NFTs themselves--EA Sports could avoid some of the problems other companies have faced in trying to build and sell NFT collections from scratch.