A bustling meta-tropolis… Shares of tween-favorite online gaming platform Roblox popped 26% yesterday after it reported surprisingly strong bookings, suggesting that interest in its version of the metaverse (VR headset not required) is booming. Roblox said daily active users grew 19% last quarter to 58M+ people (who spent nearly 13B hours playing). Its bookings grew 17% as users bought its “Robux” in-game virtual currency.
Where "kidults" reign… Roblox found success with kids thanks to breakout games like "Jailbreak" and "MeepCity." In 2020, the company said that 75% of US kids ages 9 to 12 played Roblox. But efforts to attract older users (and grow up with its audience) are paying off: yesterday Roblox said user growth was especially strong with players over 17, and in the fall it said half its players were 13 or older. To engage more mature age groups, Roblox embraced adult-friendly entertainment:
- Footblox: Last year the NFL said it'd have a presence in Roblox through games and live events (FIFA's there too). Last week the NFL held a live Super Bowl concert on the platform, featuring an exclusive performance by Saweetie.
- Superstars: Mariah Carey performed on Roblox in December, and Elton John and Lil Nas X have done exclusive shows there.
It’s what’s inside that counts… While rival Meta has struggled to grow its Roblox rival "Horizon Worlds" (picture: deserted virtual vistas), Roblox is drawing in new and older users with high-profile sports and entertainment partnerships, plus viral user-created games. The effort seems to be paying off: Roblox said that last month its daily user count hit 65M.