Roblox and Metaverse: What Are The Latest Announcements?

Roblox is a very much loved online gaming platform, with an average of 190 million users per month. Kids, teenagers, and adults love Roblox, mainly because it creates an environment where pretty much everything is possible. It is possible to create your own game and participate in thousands of other games present on the platform. Indeed, among 43.2 million, %28 of Roblox users live in the USA and Kanada, which makes 12.1 million children users only in these countries.

Beyond the entertainment Roblox brings to people, nowadays, it has come to people’s attention that Roblox is opening its doors to Metaverse. 

So, how much of a place does Roblox has in the Metaverse? Roblox can be a part of Metaverse – if it is not already is it? Today, we are here to clear your mind about the relationship between Roblox and Metaverse. You do not have to know about those two concepts at all, and we will go through them in detail. So, without further ado, let’s get started!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Roblox is a popular gaming platform where users can create their own games, NFTs, and participate in others’ games. 
• Metaverse is an idea that has a history that goes back, in which it is aimed to carry out the existing world into an online environment.
• Roblox illustrates a good example of how Metaverse may look like in the future.
• Some of the most striking features of Roblox are graphics, avatars, real-time interaction, and virtual economy.

What is Roblox?

It would be best to start off with the basics so that nobody has any question marks left with them. Roblox is an online platform where users can gather, create games, play games, and in essence, share their experiences. You will understand when we go through the definition of Metaverse; the main idea behind Roblox and Metaverse are pretty much similar. 

It is a common mistake to think of Roblox as a basic “game;” there is a lot more than that. First of all, Roblox does not offer a game itself; all the games within Roblox are created by the users there. So, one big part of the Roblox experience is to create games. You might be curious about what do the games look like in Roblox. The best thing is, they can look like anything. It is possible to create any kind of game since it gives extensive flexibility and vast imagination. 

As you may already understand, Roblox is a “parallel games universe.” There are actually no limits to what can be done – you can meet with friends, be a chef, adopt a pet, run away from the city, and so on. It is nearly like what we are doing in real life, isn’t it? 

What is Metaverse?

Coming back to the Metaverse, it is an online universe idea where we can, well, do everything we can in an online environment. As we mentioned earlier, the idea of the Metaverse is not new at all since the roots go back to a novel that was written in 1992. As technological advancements are unstoppable now, the idea is becoming much closer to becoming real. The metaverse can also be described as a virtual universe where everything is interconnected. 

• Basically, the metaverse is a technology that aims to create a digitally accessible public space. 
• The metaverse, which plans to cover all the activities that individuals have in the physical (real) world, such as production, consumption, socialization, shopping, and social activities, is a perfect context for cryptocurrencies to be used as a value exchange tool. 
• Moreover, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) seem to be a functional technology in this digital space to keep the ownership of objects traceable and to make valuable objects exhibitable and discoverable.
• In short, the metaverse can create a new reality space that can go hand in hand with all other decentralized technologies.
• Celebrities and famous brands such as Paris Hilton and Nike are also involved with the exciting world of Roblox, since it also builds a virtual economy. 

Roblox itself can be a basic example of Metaverse characteristics when you think about it. There are different platforms (games) within Roblox, and not only the users can go through them all, but they can also create the games. Now at this point, it can be described as why Roblox cannot be a Metaverse as it is, but it is impossible to overlook the similarities. Moreover, there are some announcements made by Roblox, which can give us great hints about what is expecting us in the long run, which we will talk about in detail. 

Honestly, since Metaverse is not yet formed entirely and we do not have a tangible thing to talk about it now, it is not quite possible to define it precisely. Yes, we know what we can expect, but all we have now is the building blocks of it and not the whole picture. It would be best to describe Metaverse as a “change in our way of experiencing technology.”  

See more on ”Metaverse and Gaming World”

Roblox and Metaverse: Changing the Way We Experience ‘’Games’’

Recently, Roblox and Metaverse had been two concepts that started to be mentioned together quite frequently, and for good reasons. One thing to keep in mind is that Roblox does not have a goal to create a Metaversal universe. The platform wants its users to create their own Metaverse, and there is a difference between those two. 

As we already mentioned, Roblox is a platform that is basically created by its users, more or less. Roblox community claims that they are aiming to create the Metaverse by making it both “immerse and social.” Of course, it doesn’t stop us to talk about what we can expect regarding Metaverse in Roblox. One significant change that gives space to the discussion of Metaverse is some changes in Roblox about the graphics. There are many others though, we will talk about them in more detail. 

Changes in Graphics: Abandonment of Legos

Perhaps you know, the graphics and visuals in Roblox were lego-like, not quite simulation graphics that are a part of augmented reality. In 2020, that changed, and Roblox developed its visuals to more simulations and made it more “realish.” The new advancements in the visuals are interpreted as an opened door to the Metaverse. 

Improvements in simulation elements such as aerodynamics and real-time in-experience CSG provide lifelike graphics that can be tweaked to convey a concept to life. These enhancements will make it possible to create helicopters, planes, or other vehicles using real-world geometry, even curves, and then leave the rest to the physics engine. So, it will become more than just being a “lego look.”

Avatars: Creating Unique Identities

It doesn’t even end here. The rise of avatars in Roblox gives us even more space to talk about the Metaverse. Suppose you understood the idea behind Metaverse correctly. In that case, you should now know that just like in real life, we are supposed to have one identity across platforms, which would eventually enhance the reality we have there. Roblox highlights the importance of avatars being “personalized,” just like how you are in real life. This allows an increased amount of expressivity by giving place to emotions, personal characteristics, and style. 

This kind of “personalized avatar” idea is becoming increasingly popular with platforms such as Ready Player Me. We can observe that there is an apparent attempt to make Metaverse a real thing; as Mark Zuckerberg mentioned, we can be there in a span of 10 years. 

BONUS: Did you think of NFTs when we say ‘’avatars’’? Avatars, each unique and irreplaceable, can be produced as NFTs and traded, sold as works of art, and create their own financial value. That’s true: A new realm of reality.

Layered Clothing and Dynamic Head: Diversified Options

One more recent development in the Roblox community is the Layered Clothing feature. Layered clothing can further develop the customization possibility since the users can decide on how they will look with greater flexibility. Moreover, the “Dynamic Head” feature allows facial features and emotions to become a part of the game. How cool? With all of those new features adding up together, it is possible to talk about some robust Metaverse characteristics becoming real, such as combinatorics and expressiveness. 

Real-time Interaction: Metaverse Socialization

One thing that Roblox takes very seriously, especially when it comes to becoming a part of the Metaverse, is the real-time interaction. The development team had been working quite hard on making real-time interaction possible so that players can have the full experience of being a part of the Metaverse (well, perhaps not “full” yet, but quite close to it). 

Virtual Economy: Brand New Places for Ads & Shopping

Another development in Roblox that brings it closer to the Metaverse idea is the virtual economy. There are already millions of Roblox users who are making money out of the platform, and last year Roblox announced premium payouts, which can be described as “engagement-based payouts.” This payout is created to reward developers who create engaging experiences for other users. This also includes earning Robux with the purchases made in those experiences. 

Moreover, sponsored content is also becoming a part of this virtual economy. With the rise of avatars in the Roblox community, it is now also possible to earn money through selling avatar items. All those improvements bring life to the advanced virtual economy, which we are used to seeing in the cryptocurrency world. 

Celebrities and Businesses in Roblox Metaverse 

Recently, there has been different news about businesses and celebrities investing or becoming a part of the Roblox Metaverse. 

For example, Paris Hilton just launched a Metaverse business in Roblox by creating an island in Roblox. In these islands, users will have the chance to experience Beverly Hills –  a hangout place as to how Paris herself experiences it. It is also possible to make purchases on this island, clothing, or private yachts; the range is pretty wide. Paris Hilton defines the Metaverse as a place “you can do everything you can do in real life but in a digital environment.” We think it can be the best definition of it, go Paris! 

Here is another invitation Paris do on Twitter:

After this news, many celebrities and businesses followed Paris, and there is a great interest in Roblox Metaverse nowadays. Another example comes from Nike, which announced a partnership with Roblox in November 2021. This partnership includes an online environment (more like a virtual playspace) named “Nikeland.” As it was announced, it was known that Nikeland includes the basic characteristics of Roblox, where people can play games and meet with their friends.

Here is a tweet of Nike on Nikeland:

Moreover, Nikeland also includes a mobile integration feature, in which it is possible to convey real-life movement to the game. And of course, there is a Nike showroom in Nikeland where the users will be allowed to purchase items for personalizing their avatars – yes, your avatar can wear Nike!

But the expectations are beyond what is presented to us – since this is only the beginning. There is nothing stopping neither Nike nor Roblox to develop this partnership further and conveying many other events and activities that Nike holds in real life. At the end of the day, this is what is excepted from the Metaverse, isn’t it? 

Nike isn’t the only brand that is implementing a brilliant marketing strategy through Roblox. We have mentioned that millions of players use Roblox every day, and with the emergence of Metaverse, there is a perfectly convenient environment for marketing. Tommy Hilfiger is another brand that launched a collection for Roblox, which, again, the players can use on their avatars. 

What can Expect in Roblox Metaverse? 

Up to now, we have talked about the latest improvements and announcements in the Roblox Metaverse. For the sake of wrapping things up, let’s take a look at what does Roblox CPO Manuel Bronstein thinks about it. In an interview he participated in, he stated the significant virtual fashion events held in Roblox and added that self-expression in those terms is crucial whether it’s for Metaverse or real life. From this, we can interpret that Roblox is most likely to keep an eye on the fashion and avatar customization in its Metaverse, as a tool for self-expression. It is visible due to the collaborations with brands already, though.

Moreover, people are also taking this virtual fashion issue seriously. At the Gucci Garden event on Roblox, a virtual bag was sold for around 4000 USD. Only this situation is sort of proof that the Metaverse is becoming real and people are taking it seriously. Owning a Gucci bag in Roblox doesn’t have any benefits for real life – you cannot carry it around and put your stuff in it. It will only be present in the online environment. Or is that because the online environments are not fully online anymore – becoming more and more real each day? 

We are used to seeing people preferring specific brands for their looks, and most of you probably didn’t estimate that it will be the same in the online environment. Thanks to Metaverse, it is happening right in front of our eyes. 

How Will Roblox Metaverse Look Like in the Future? 

We put lots of importance on those concepts throughout the article. But really, is Roblox Metaverse even real? Is it really happening? We also discussed several differences between the “true” Metaverse and the nature of Roblox. Unfortunately, all of those questions are not entirely clear; all the answers given will remain ambiguous. Well, according to Bronstein, Roblox truly represents a Metaverse since the experiences offered are not limited to a single category but rather a combination of what we are used to seeing in real life. 

Bronstein also explained what the future of the Metaverse could look like. He highlighted that today, the essence of Metaverse is having fun and being entertainment-focused. Indeed, the Roblox Metaverse is built up pretty much based on those aspects. However, he thinks in the future; it will become more about everything rather than just being an entertainment tool. In other words, Metaverse is thought to replace your office, classroom, the café you frequently visit, and even your swimming pool. 

When you think about it, it is clear that it will not happen overnight. Once again, think of the internet. Do you think that everything became how it is today once the internet structure was set? Of course not. There was a huge process -which is even continuing today, where people are introduced to it, new applications and features came, and it kept developing. This is what will happen with the Metaverse, a collaboration of various platforms and applications. Roblox seems to be a nice pioneer on that. 

One issue that has been going on in the Roblox Metaverse is about the audience. The great majority of Roblox users are under 13, even though millions of adults are using Roblox. Roblox has to keep an eye on the safety of children while creating its Metaverse. If not, they will be at significant risk of losing the majority of its users. It is, though, taking safety very seriously. But what will happen when Metaverse becomes the main source of entertainment and not just a newly developed idea? Can Roblox keep being relevant in the field by taking such high safety measures? Well, we will see. 

As Bartle stated, “You cannot have a Metaverse. You have to have the Metaverse.’’