Big fishes in Metaverse (part 3): Roblox, Epic games

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Written by

Always frustrated

2 years ago

*Roblox went public last March**, and the technology company operates one of the most popular online platforms, which in many ways can be called a metaverse with nearly 50 million active users per day.*

The company had a market capitalization of $ 38 billion at the time of listing and a peak of $ 78 billion last November. The game with the same name as the company name, Roblox, was the number one mobile game of the year 2020 in the U.S. in terms of revenue, ahead of Candy Crush, which was the market-leading game in the three years before. Roblox differs from most online gaming platforms in that users can create their own games in it. Developers and content creators receive 30 percent of the revenue from the game, for example, after selling virtual outfits and avatars. The number of worlds created now exceeds 25 million.

Within Roblox, brands like Vans or Gucci are emerging, and performers like Lil Nas X or 21 Pilots have given concerts.

Paris Hilton also entered the metaverse through Roblox last year, when the platform created an island called Paris World at the end of the year, which also houses a copy of his Beverly Hills castle and associated dog castle. At Paris World, fans can pay for virtual outfits with microtransactions or just to tour the island of Paris Hilton with a jet ski. Hilton also held a virtual party in her little world on New Year’s Eve.

According to third-quarter data, the platform has an average of 47.3 million daily users, typically juveniles, with 67 percent of active users under the age of 16, according to the company. In light of this, it’s already clear why big brands and performers choose Roblox: they can reach the consumer segment that is at the forefront of setting trends here.

Epic Games - Fortnite

Fortnite, one of the most popular games in the world, can also be classified as a metaverse in several ways. With the explosion of battle royal-type games, they gained global popularity, with the essence of 100 people jumping off an island, the circle bordering the playing field shrinking steadily, and then the last one to survive wins. One of Fortnite’s great strengths is that it works completely cross-platform, so you can play from virtually any device, from your mobile phone, to your PC, to your Playstation.

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, who is behind the game, previously described the Fortnite user experience as a metaverse, as it is a virtual 3D space that mixes gaming and non-gaming elements. Sweeney sees the metaverse as an "online playground," and Fortnite is just that.

Well known stars like Ariana Grande and Marshmallo have already given concerts in the game’s universe that have been attended by thousands of avatars.

The game regularly hosts in-game events that allude to pop culture (JJ Abrams, who appears as an individual avatar, once unveiled a new Star Wars trailer in the game) and is constantly expanding the number of partnerships. One of the latest such collaborations has been created with the high fashion brand Moncler, which has resulted in a variety of character looks and accessories that players can purchase.