Ever since the Metaverse has gained attention across the globe, technology giants have tried to make their mark in the so-called world of the future. One such brand is Roblox, which has been making a lot of efforts to establish itself in the Metaverse. It is a free-to-play gaming platform, boasting a humongous user base. Roblox witnessed exponential growth during the COVID-19 pandemic when its already large user base shot up in numbers.
Roblox was originally an ordinary gaming platform, like Epic games. But now, the company’s focus has shifted to entrenching in the Metaverse.
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What is ROBLOX Metaverse
The Roblox Metaverse focuses primarily on the creation of an immersive virtual world in the existing gaming platform and technology. While other companies which are working on the Metaverse are investing heavily in tech such as AR & VR, Roblox has opted for a different path. The gaming giant is not convinced, at least as of now, to invest in these pieces of technology. Rather, it wants to create the best possible user experience by making use of existing and proven technologies.
Roblox makes money through brand partnerships during events taking place in their virtual worlds. For example, Netflix partnered with Roblox to promote its show He-Man by introducing relevant experiences in the Roblox Metaverse.
Also, there are a bunch of in-game items which can be brought only by using real-world currency. Creators get their share of revenue depending on how well their game performs.
Why is Roblox Metaverse Popular
As a virtual world, independent of AR and VR technologies, the Roblox Metaverse is an early entrant in the Metaverse. It has all the basic features that the audience expects from the Metaverse, ranging from surreal virtual world experiences to a cryptocurrency-based economy. But what makes it ahead of the competition?
One reason that has led Roblox to skyrocket in popularity is its platform versatility and easily accessible requirements. While other competitors are available only on a few platforms, Roblox is available on all major platforms such as Windows, Android, iOS and Xbox. Since the gaming platform has negligible usage of AR and VR, it doesn’t require users to buy headsets and other expensive equipment.
The Metaverse isn’t a simple phenomenon, it is an intersection of the physical and Virtual Worlds. Roblox has been making tremendous progress in this area by striking the perfect balance between the creators’ and players’ flexibility. A major chunk of Roblox’s user base consists of children under 16 years of age. Thus, the company’s focus is to create relevant experiences for them and get relevant promotions on board to attract more and more users.
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How Does Roblox Metaverse Work
Just like any other Metaverse, the Roblox Metaverse functions with the basic elements of a virtual world, like items, currency, events, mini-games etc. One thing that separates Roblox from other common gaming platforms is that Roblox is a creator-driven platform. Other major competitors create their games and publish them on the platform.
Let us take a closer look at some important aspects of the Roblox Metaverse that help it sustain its economy and keep its users engrossed.
Roblox Studio
The Roblox Studio is the company’s proprietary engine, which allows its creators to build virtual worlds and games. These creators are also allowed to publish their purchasable in-game items. It is not a difficult task to create games in the Roblox Studio, which is evident from the fact that a major part of the total 20 Million games produced are created by minors.
In-Game Purchases
There are a wide variety of purchasable items in the Roblox Metaverse. One of the most important and popular items is clothing and accessories for avatars. An Avatar is the virtual personality of members of the Metaverse, which can be customized by simply buying gears and accessories.
Every purchase can be made through Roblox’s cryptocurrency, Robux. Users are required to exchange real-world money for Robux coins. 400 Robux can be exchanged for 4.99 USD or roughly 400 INR. Otherwise, you can exchange any cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin, Binance Pay, Ethereum and Litecoin for Robux coins
All users are allowed to purchase in-game items, but only a few members of the Roblox Metaverse are allowed to sell them. These few people are the ones who hold a premium membership offered by Roblox.
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Events and Other Attractions
Events such as concerts and ceremonies are the backbone of the economy of the Metaverse. The Roblox Metaverse aims to organise events which are suitable to its target audience, i.e., minors. These events can have different objectives, such as brand endorsements and fundraisers.
Celebrities and rappers like Lil Nas X and David Guetta have performed in the past for the Roblox Metaverse.
Brand Collaborations
Many popular brands have been spending huge amounts of money on advertising in the Metaverse. In the case of the Roblox Metaverse, even luxury brands have partnered in the past to promote their products. Some giants which have endorsed their products in the Roblox Metaverse are; Spotify, Gucci, Nike, BBC, Netflix and Lego.
Roblox offers multiple channels to promote a branded experience, create a fanbase, and grow the audience for a brand.
Some Popular Games on Roblox
Here’s a list of the top-grossing games which witnessed billions of visits in the past years. It gives a good idea about the kind of content that the platform has to offer.
- Adopt Me!: It is an addictive game for kids which involves hanging out in a very family-friendly world, raising animals and other activities which hook young people for long hours.
- Blox Fruits: Players are required to fight enemies with swords and climb up difficulty levels. On their way to the top, they earn or collect rare and precious items.
- Brookhaven RP: It is an open-world game where players are given the freedom to perform any activity they’d like to do, like robbery, pizza delivery etc.
- Shindo Life: It is inspired by the popular Anime, Naruto. The game comes under the combat genre, where players are thrown into battles.
Some other popular games which have attracted millions of players are Pet Simulator X, Sonic Speed Simulator, King Legacy, Gacha Online and Livetopia.
Roblox metaverse is accessible on smartphones and other mobile devices without the need for VR headsets. Therefore, it is definitely easier to access and fun to play with.
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