Troy Baker chooses not to create, cancels NFT plans

There’s hope

The Troy Baker NFT saga is seemingly over, as he has canceled his plans to enter the market several weeks after pitting fans against each other with his “hate or create” missive.

To recap, on January 14, famed voice actor Troy Baker delivered this bombshell, essentially declaring war against anyone who disliked the prospect of NFTs:

“I’m partnering with @VoiceverseNFT to explore ways where together we might bring new tools to new creators to make new things, and allow everyone a chance to own & invest in the IP’s they create. We all have a story to tell. You can hate. Or you can create. What’ll it be?”

Almost immediately after, I’m talking seconds later, the extreme dichotomy of “hate or create” became a meme (that I will never forget), and the internet completely blew up. It was one of the most bombastic and aggressive sells for NFTs yet, especially when compared directly to the soulless, dead-eyed edification of Jimmy Fallon hocking NFTs on late night. It didn’t help that the VoiceVerse project, which came under scrutiny after Baker brought it into the limelight, had controversies of its own.

But today, January 31, Baker had this to say:

“Thank you all for your feedback and patience. After careful consideration, I’ve decided to not continue the partnership with VoiceVerseNFT. Intentions aside, I’ve heard you and apologize for accusing anyone of ‘hating’ just by simply disagreeing with me.”

It’s just one person (and this was no doubt a financial decision rather than a moral one), but it’s an important moment in the NFT saga as a whole. Baker is ostensibly the voice of a lot of the industry at large, and he eventually backed down from this VoiceVerse partnership, much like a few studios have in the past. It’s a smoke signal for a larger push and pull between industry folks and their fans, who view NFTs as a bridge too far.

Thank you all for your feedback and patience. After careful consideration, I’ve decided to not continue the partnership with VoiceVerseNFT. Intentions aside, I’ve heard you and apologize for accusing anyone of “hating” just by simply disagreeing with me.

— Troy Baker (@TroyBakerVA) January 31, 2022