Paramount Launches Its NFT Marketplace / Metaverse / Pesky Marketing Stunt Fans are already angry about it with non-fungible Star Trek tokens (or NFTs).
Paramount mimics what has worked for large NFT projects in the past; The Star Trek NFTs will represent “algorithmically generated starships” and can be purchased at the affordable price of $250 per pack. Incidentally, packs contain a single ship – which only looks like the Enterprise with about an 11 percent chance. You can (but absolutely cannot) guarantee that you’ll get a cool ship by buying the “Admiral’s Pack” instead of the “Captain’s Pack”, but you can only get these if you shell out a Recur Pass – a different one NFT, which costs at least $290.
Pictured: definitely no predatory gambling tactics. Image: Outstanding
The ships will be stored in what Paramount calls the “Star Trek Continuum,” which the company describes as “an experience center that will house this first and all future seasons of Star Trek NFTs.” These “future seasons” will include gathering crew members and vaguely unspecified missions as per Paramount’s roadmap.
In regards to what this “metaverse” or experiences will actually look like, Paramount’s press release is full of words that basically add up to a hand gesture: “Recur and Paramount are creating a roadmap of real-life benefits through the framework of this.” Through our multi-year partnership, Continuum owners will have access to exclusive perks, events, and content that expand the value of NFTs digitally and in real life.”
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Star Trek NFTs. The brand has entered the blockchain in the form of digital Funko Pops and licensed offerings on other platforms. And as my colleagues Chaim Gartenberg and Adi Robertson have pointed out, every time it happens it feels like a slap in the face to what Star Trek is all about. (I’m sure it’s just coincidence that every video essayist who describes post-scarcity “luxurious automated space communism” uses Star Trek imagery to describe it.)
This time, however, Paramount is going all out. It just portrays Star Trek Continuum as the beginning of Paramount.xyz and threatens…er, promises that it’ll add next Nickelodeon and Paramount Pictures franchises. Yes, that means we could see SpongeBob NFTs next. And yes, I think that means that in adulthood I’ve gotten to the point where I see my childhood being plundered.