Troy Baker, an acclaimed and beloved voice actor known for his work in the video game industry, has outraged fans after announcing his participation in a non-fungible token (NFT) project.
Baker revealed his collaboration with Voiceverse NFT, a company specializing in audio NFTs, on Twitter. “I am in partnership with @VoiceverseNFTto explore ways in which, together, we could bring new tools to new creators to create new things, and empower everyone to own and invest in the IPs they create,” Baker writes. “We all have a story to tell. You can hate. Or you can create. What will it be?” The announcement was met with overwhelmingly negative response, as many accused the actor of “profiting” from a form of crypto technology that many consider a scam.
I am in partnership with @VoiceverseNFT to explore ways in which, together, we could bring new tools to new creators to create new things, and empower everyone to own and invest in the IPs they create.
We all have a story to tell.
You can hate.
Or you can create.
What is that ? pic.twitter.com/cfDGi4q0AZ— Troy Baker (@TroyBakerVA) January 14, 2022
I’m sorry but Troy Baker getting into NFTs is the most obvious fucking thing. There’s no one in games more ready to become an NFT Douchebag than Troy Baker.
– Dia Lacina (@dialacina) January 14, 2022
NFTs like this are almost explicitly scams and Troy Baker is not creative to participate in a scam. Most of these NFT scams depend on the endorsement of famous people. NFT projects are hot with celebrities like Troy because it’s easy to turn their fame into quick cash. https://t.co/NMzrs0p97c
— Catlike Reflexx (@VorpalFemme) January 14, 2022
Pretty crazy how Troy Baker supports an NFT project specifically designed to throw other VAs under the bus. But I guess that shouldn’t surprise me considering he was quiet when Laura Bailey was being harassed for what her character did to her character in The Last of Us.
— Xavier Gordon (758/1000) (@XavierGordon20) January 14, 2022
It’s going to be hate for this man, and there’s so much to hate about it – including that you support AI dubbing technology that aims to completely obliterate the careers of many of your peers. And then, you know, all the usual pointless NFT bullshit.
— Ryan Brown (@Toadsanime) January 14, 2022
Baker has yet to release a follow-up statement regarding his original post, but did briefly note that his partner company will not be doing NFTs with his voice. As detailed on its website, Voiceverse offers users “the world’s first voice NFTs” which it hopes will eventually integrate into crypto games and communities. Users who wish to strike an NFT with their voice will be able to use it “through the metaverse for real-time communication or for content creation.”
Although Troy Baker’s announcement caused controversy, the voice actor isn’t the first notable name in the video game industry to throw his hat in the NFT ring. Publisher Ubisoft recently came under fire after announcing that NFTs would be implemented inGhost Recon: Breakpoint, a decision that has apparently not yet been proven. In a similar vein, Square Enix has been lambasted by fans after announcing it will invest in crypto gaming in 2022, while Konami’s decision to celebrateCastlevaniaby organizing an NFT auction has also been decried by the players.
I think what I dislike most about this Troy Baker situation is the obviously manipulative language in the message.
“You can hate, or you can create” Frames the NFT debate in such a dishonest way.
People don’t just “hate”. NFTs are truly harmful to our environment. pic.twitter.com/0V4kw6hF2G
— Kaden (@KallixVA) January 14, 2022
the way troy baker waited until 1am to tweet about being an NFT comrade is so funny
— blahaj blast (@streamgoodfaith) January 14, 2022
Troy, it’s not about “hate”. NFTs are unethical. they have a serious impact on the environment and create a massive shortage of chips, computer parts, etc. do you know how nfts are mined? have you researched all of this?
– moss ball (@NIMR1EL) January 14, 2022
Non-fungible tokens are a form of cryptographic technology that authenticates digital items by assigning them a unique serial number and receipt. NFTs have become notorious among internet dwellers due to the amount of energy required to mint a single token, with many citing them as dangerous for the environment.
It’s not just the gaming industry that is embracing NFT technology. Comic book artist and writer Mike Mignola recently released a statement warning fans of a collection ofHellboyworks of art that were sold as NFTs. The creator notes that any NFTs based on his IP address are unauthorized and are sold without his consent. Similarly, the late Stan Lee’s official Twitter account was recently used to market a Chakra NFT, The Invincible, sparking outrage on social media.
Source: Twitter
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