An NFT-targeted gaming console was announced and was immediately met with opposition from some players.
According to VCG , a new console has just been announced, targeting ‘Web3 Gaming’ – the common name for play-to-earn, play-to-own, crypto, blockchain or NFT games, using use blockchain technology as a fundamental component of their economic system.
The company Polium claims their ‘Polium One’ system will be the world capable of running games built on various blockchain platforms. “The device is powerful enough to run high-performance games, and it’s also very easy to use for a non-Web3-savvy traditional player,” says Polium.
Polium One, which will be released in Q3/2024, will only be able to be pre-ordered by players purchasing the ‘Polium Pass’, an NFT on the Ethereum network.
According to Polium, the controller bundled with the Polium One will have built-in security with a fingerprint scanner and a ‘Wallet’ button that gives players quick access to the device’s multi-chain wallet, which is designed designed to trade, exchange, bet and receive cryptocurrency.
Although Polium admits that only four employees are working on the new hardware, the console still meets gaming needs with support for 8K HDR at 120 FPS and ray-tracing.
The announcement about the NFT gaming console has been met with a lot of criticism and skepticism from some players, most of which are gamers who have not yet accepted the value and persuasion of blockchain games, in addition to Even the negative players thought it was a scam.
Some have also pointed out that the console’s logo appears to be an upside-down image similar to the GameCube logo. In response, the company said: “It looks similar to the GameCube logo, but theirs has a G and the cube represents their name. Our cube represents the blockchain and the P stands for Polium.”
Even the newly established Polium Discord server, seemingly launched without censorship, has been met with criticism.
The Polium side also responded on Discord regarding the initial reactions they received after the announcement of Polium One, some of which marked ‘FUD’, an acronym meaning ‘fearful’ fear, uncertainty and doubt’.
“We have received FUD and criticism regarding our performance,” the response read. “To clear things up, Polium’s four-man team is building a functional prototype for the console and its controller. We have experience in hardware and software development. We are currently working on the source diagram for the console and will release a prototype in November or earlier.”
Polium is expected to stream a demo version of Polium One live on YouTube or partner with an industry influencer to demonstrate the device can run games on multiple blockchains and built built in different programming languages. At the same time, the company will not accept any pre-orders or funding until the prototype version is released, if the community is interested, the game console will be put into mass production.
Regarding the lack of information on confirmed games, the statement reads: “There will be console games and we will make an announcement soon. The team is currently working with the game developers.”
Polium also bluntly announced that non-Web3 enthusiasts who only focus on FUD will be banned.