Nike, the world’s largest athletic apparel company, has teamed up with video games maker Electronic Arts (EA) Sports potentially allowing Nike branded non-fungible tokens (NFT) gear via the .Swoosh platform including virtual footwear and apparel to appear in video games.
NFT uses cases have rocketed over the past couple of months. Multi-billion dollar companies from across the world are placing big bets on the NFT space allowing digital collectibles to redefine the way these brands engage with their new and current customers. This will eventually boost the image of the business and help to expand its customer base.
Numerous industries including sports, arts, real estate, education, ticketing, and entertainment have ramped up their presence in the NFT space in a fervent effort to capitalize on the way businesses monetize digital content, creating a more direct relationship between creators and their audience.
Nike Virtual Goods To Be Used In VideoGames
On June 1, Nike took to Twitter to reveal its brand new partnership with EA Sports that will bring select virtual assets created by .Swoosh, Nike’s Web3 marketplace platform, to future EA Sports’ video games.
What’s In The Game? Only time will tell…@EASPORTS x .SWOOSH 🎮⚽️🏈🏆 pic.twitter.com/AXgidKX7rd
— .SWOOSH (@dotSWOOSH) June 1, 2023
As per the announcement, the two behemoths will “build new immersive experiences” with an emphasis on customization, enabling users to better interact with the virtual characters in the video games. In a statement, Ron Faris, GM of Nike Virtual Studios said,
“This partnership will allow us to unlock some incredible new experiences for our .SWOOSH community and the massive EA SPORTS fan base.”
As part of the announcement, Nike released a teaser video showing a Nike-branded football and soccer gear, along with an image of a .Swoosh NFT collectible showcasing a football helmet. The sporting goods maker further noted it will release additional details regarding how .Swoosh NFTs will integrate into future EA Sports titles “in the coming months.”However, neither Nike nor EA Sports has disclosed which game titles will include Nike’s virtual goods.
Nike Increases Web3 Presence Though .Swoosh
This comes shortly after the leading athletic apparel company revealed the launch of its first NFT sneaker collection “Our Force1”, on its .Swoosh platform. Nike launched .Swoosh in November 2022 to allow users to buy, sell, and also design virtual shoes and apparel.
It is similar to a Nike Members community that grants users the ability to access virtual creations that are typically interactive digital objects and can also be worn in games and immersive experiences.
Old sole, new story.
The #OurForce1 collection features digital renditions of AF1s past, present and future built for the next generation.
Nike’s first-ever virtual collection is inspired by the AF1 Low, a classic style remixed hundreds of times since it dropped in ‘82. pic.twitter.com/dlq65VNeAb
— .SWOOSH (@dotSWOOSH) April 17, 2023
NFT Use Cases Skyrocket
NFTs are gaining significant attention and adoption in the mainstream industries, thanks to high-profile sales and auctions of NFT-based artworks, sports collectibles, and other items. The rise of NFTs is meteoric, and in just a few years, the market for digital artwork has gone from practically non-existent to capitalizing on the market worth billions of dollars.
High-profile companies are increasingly integrating NFTs to boost their brand value and increase their customer base. Recently, Japan’s All Nippon Airways, ANA Group, has launched an NFT platform known as “ANA GranWhale NFT MarketPlace” to trade art and photograph collectibles through its metaverse subsidiary ANA NEO.
ANA has launched an NFT business and the virtual platform ANA NEO will operate the “ANA GranWhale NFT MarketPlace”, making ANA the first airline in the world to sell NFT products!https://t.co/Cf7wdIKj5N
— All Nippon Airways (@FlyANA_official) June 1, 2023
Meanwhile, prominent luxury fashion houses such as Gucci, Tiffany’s, and Louis Vuitton have also jumped on the NFT bandwagon. Furthermore, on May 30, German luxury car maker Mercedes Benz’s Web3 arm “Mercedes-Benz NXT” announced its new NFT collection titled “Maschine,” inspired by automotive concepts.
