Image source: The Crypto Times
Build Your Realm: Game of Thrones is a highly-popular fantasy television series that first premiered on HBO in 2011.
Based on the series of novels “A Song of Ice and Fire” by George R.R. Martin, the show quickly gained a massive following for its complex storylines, dynamic characters, and shocking plot twists.
The show has won multiple awards, including numerous Primetime Emmy Awards, and has become one of television’s most watched and critically acclaimed series.
The show’s popularity has extended beyond the small screen, with its influence being felt in popular culture, merchandise, and even tourism.
It was only a matter of time before Game of Thrones entered the NFT world.
Game of Thrones NFTs
The famous HBO adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s novels received its official NFT collection: “Build Your Realm.”
The anticipation led to the collection selling out seven hours after its release on Nifty’s NFT marketplace.
However, the quality of the NFT collection’s art drew similarities to the show’s final season, and many were disappointed.
Build Your Realm
The first series of the Build Your Realm collection was first announced in December.
It is a collaboration between Nifty’s and Daz 3D, a digital production company that produces NFTs.
Each token is minted on the Palm blockchain and features elements from the land of Westeros.
It allows collectors to create their own avatars and build a unique realm to their liking.
The NFTs were distributed through a presale of 3,450 Hero Boxes before a public sale came four hours later, offering 1,500 Hero Boxes.
The Hero Box costs $150 or 0.11 ETH, and they have one Hero Avatar, three Story Cards, and nine Resource Cards.
Controversy
While highly anticipated, the Build Your Realm NFT launch was riddled with controversies.
Two of the most frequently raised issues are minting problems and poor avatar designs.
On Wednesday, Nifty’s announced it was hitting the brakes on the queue, citing congestion.
“We’ve paused the queue temporarily to work through current transactions,” they tweeted.
“Processed payments that did not result in NFTs appearing in your wallet will be reversed or refunded.”
“If any Hero Boxes remain, we’ll resume the sale shortly.”
Read also: Niall Dailly to drop a unique music VR NFT experience
Complaints
Prospective buyers aired their frustrations on Twitter as the issue persisted.
One user said they waited one hour only to be told to wait a further two and a half hours before they could mint.
Meanwhile, another was able to get hold of their NFT.
However, once they had it, the floor price dropped, the lowest price for NFTs in the collection that could be bought.
Although minting and delivery issues are common when a project launches, the most vocal criticism boiled down to the avatars.
The Build Your Realm avatars’ visual look was slammed, emphasizing how the hands were designed.
Bryan Brinkman posted two avatars, describing the design as “looking like salad fingers.”
“This Game of Thrones NFT collection is just like the last season of the show: no creative vision and terrible,” said Justin Taylor.
Loopify, the co-founder of Web3 game project Treeverse, described the collection as the worst thing he’s ever seen, alluding to his avatar’s hand.
Room for growth
While the Build Your Realm criticism may come off as harsh, it could lead to improvements in the project.
Last year, the Web3 game project Pixelmon was hyped to be the next big thing.
With promises of a Pokemon experience, the artwork proved to be its initial downfall, with a founder saying the reveal was a mistake.
However, Pixelmon managed to launch a comeback.
The project overhauled its roadmap and brought in a new leadership team.
The Minecraft-like models were transformed into polished 3D creatures.
NFTs and mainstream
Build Your Realm is the latest proof of NFTs joining the mainstream.
In December, Donald Trump released his own collection of 44,000 NFTs, selling out within 24 hours.
However, the excitement quickly soured as the floor price of the NFTs plummeted.
In addition, the NFT market has seen improvements, with the following collections receiving double-digit increases:
- Bored Ape Yacht Club
- Bored Ape Kennel Club
- Azuki
- CryptoPunks
References:
Crypto Twitter reacts to official ‘Game of Thrones’ NFTs: ‘Worst thing I’ve ever seen’
NFT game Pixelmon attempts comeback after $70M ‘horrible’ art reveal
