"Final Fantasy 7" is a remarkable game in many ways, with environmental destruction as a major theme. Sure, it uses the concept of lifestreams, but from that exciting opening, this is a story of eco-warriors taking on the evil, earth-destroying corporate giant Shinra. The original developers of Final Fantasy 7 could never have imagined that 26 years after its release, the game's parent company would be peddling energy-wasting junk.

Square Enix announced a set of Final Fantasy 7 trading cards incorporating NFT (thanks, VGC (opens in new tab)). It's a 207-card collection called "Final Fantasy VII Anniversary Art Museum: Digital Cards Plus" and will be sold in packs of six physical cards with one digital replacement card enclosed. The latter can be exchanged for an NFT version of one of the 207 physical cards on the Enjin NFT platform (i.e., the user must create an Enjin wallet).

Curiously, part of the NFT's sales pitch has always been that its "unique" status increases its value and that the holder is free to sell the NFT: but not here. According to Square Enix, users can acquire as many Final Fantasy 7 NFT cards as they like, but there is currently no mechanism for selling or transferring them. In fact, these so-called NFTs seem to lack most of the features that NFT fans take for granted.

First of all, you cannot actually own the cards. No one would think that just because you bought a "Cloud Strife" digital card that you own the copyright to the image. All rights belong to Square Enix, and "no one, whether commercial or non-commercial, individual, group or company, may reproduce, process, distribute or republish the digital cards without our prior consent," with the only exception being for private use.

"Digital cards are not currently marketplace compatible and cannot be transferred or resold to third parties," Square Enix states, although they can be exchanged through the Enjin Wallet app. Surprisingly, for all that Square Enix continues to say that it is fully involved in the NFT, it continues to say that it is not responsible for the Enjin platform and that "you may not be able to view or use your digital cards in the future as the service is terminated."

Don't be too hasty all at once. The official website (which opens in a new tab) shows that the artwork is familiar to all fans, from the original FF7 to the recent remake, and will be available on March 31 for 440 yen ($3.30 / £2.70) per pack. The announcement is accompanied by a short instructional video on how to enjoy the digital cards.

This is not even the first time this has happened with Final Fantasy 7. Last year, Square Enix announced a Cloud action figure (opens in new tab) under the Digital Plus Edition brand.

I think one could at least argue that these NFTs, or digital collectibles, or whatever you want to call them, are like pack-in bonuses for fans who purchase the physical product. You may think the Internet has driven the NFT out of the game (open in new tab): but maybe the NFT really is here to stay. Where are all the well-meaning anti-corporate heroes when we need them?