Although GameStop is well-known for selling video games, accessories, and other items, customers in the past and present have long been interested in what the company has in store for the future. It is no secret that the switch to digital games has hurt GameStop’s earnings, and for the past few years, it has been actively working to rebuild its reputation.
It hasn’t been simple, and the future is still up in the air. GameStop slashed numerous employees earlier this month, including an executive role, and their recent foray into NFTs and blockchain technology hasn’t exactly been well received either. Now, it appears that a 9/11 NFT is for sale on GameStop’s marketplace, which is abhorrent.
GameStop is selling an NFT of this 9/11 suicide victim pic.twitter.com/CulIvW3jjd
— Cringe Political Posts (@cringepolitik) July 23, 2022
It should be emphasized that since this is not an open NFT platform, only certain people are permitted to use it to sell NFTs. Each NFT maker must submit an application, which GameStop must then approve. So while GameStop may not have been the primary architect of this 9/11 NFT, one of its acknowledged authors is. The artist known as Jules added an NFT based on the Falling Man picture.
For those who are unaware, the Falling Man is a famous picture taken during the Twin Towers attacks on September 11, 2001, in which a man is seen falling from the World Trade Center’s upper levels. Richard Drew, a photographer for the Associated Press, recorded this tragic moment. Many attacked the photograph when it was first released in 2001 for obvious reasons, but as time has passed since the incident, it has gained a better reputation. No one expected this devastating 9/11 capture to end up as an NFT, but it did.
The sole difference between the NFT and the original image is that the figure in the NFT has an astronaut outfit on. Both images are named Falling Man. There are 25 of them available for purchase on the GameStop NFT marketplace, each costing.65 ETH, or $994.85. So far, only two of them have been sold.
According to some users, this picture is always displayed when someone searches for GameStop online, and the NFT is still on sale as of this writing. GameStop has not made any public statements regarding this offensive and contentious NFT, but perhaps the firm will take action as soon as possible.
UPDATE: The GameStop marketplace no longer features The Falling Man NFT. The business has not yet responded to Engadget’s request for comment or sent a tweet regarding the takedown. However, the business said it was taking action against the NFT’s inventor in a direct message to one person. The business declared that “this NFT will be fully deleted from our marketplace.” We have already spoken with the creator about these acts and have already disabled this user’s minting power from their account.
