The Polium One system will be released by Polium, a Web 3 company. The release is expected to take place sometime in 2024 and be the “world’s first multi-chain gaming console.” The system will be compatible with new and existing games built across several blockchains.
According to the console’s maker, “The console will be powerful enough to run high-performance games and will be easy to use for a traditional gamer who doesn’t understand Web 3.”
Polium One will be released in the late summer/early fall of 2024. It will only be available for pre-order by players who purchase a ‘Polium Pass’— an NFT on the Ethereum network with a limited supply of only 10,000 minted.
A company statement read in part, “We are currently doing the power tree for the console’s board. We should have a functional prototype by November or before.”
For security, the console’s controller will have a fingerprint scanner, and a wallet button to provide users quick access to the multi-chain wallet intended for “trading, swapping, staking, and receiving cryptocurrency.” The console will be capable of 8K HDR at 120fps and ray tracing enabled.
Despite the excitement the announcement has garnered, the Polium One has been met with a healthy dose of criticism. The skeptics range from those who aren’t persuaded about the viability of blockchain gaming to those who believe the entire thing is a scam.
One huge criticism has detractors pointing out that the console’s logo looks disturbingly like an up-side-down GameCube logo. In response, the company took to its Twitter account, replying, “It looks familiar, but GameCube has a G and the cube represents their name. Our cube represents blockchain and the P stands for Polium.”
In a separate statement on Twitter regarding the logo, the company said, “We did not copy Nintendo’s GameCube logo. There are multiple companies that are using a similar logo. But we will illustrate a new logo that is original.” Additionally, the logo has also drawn comparisons to the logos of PebbleHost, a known reputable server hosting service used for Minecraft, and UK-based publisher PQube.
The Polium Discord server also received criticism as it looked as if it launched with no moderation. Discord’s ‘scam alert’ channel, a forum ostensibly set up to let users report potential NFT scams, saw users write “this entire project” about the Polium One. In the ‘ideas and feedback’ channel, the very first comment states, “give up.”
Responding to these attacks, the company has leveled the accusation of fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD) against its skeptics. Polium’s statement reads, “To clarify, it’s four of us that are building the functional prototype for the console and controller.”
“We will show the prototype live on YouTube or have a well-trusted influencer show you all. The prototype will prove that the console can run games that are on different blockchains and built with different programming languages.”
The company also included, “There will be games on the console, and we will make some announcements soon. We are currently speaking to game developers.”
