Roblox thinks an older audience is ready for ads

As its users get older, Roblox intends to begin testing immersive ads by the end of this year, with a full launch planned for next year.

Background

For a long time after it started out, most people using Roblox were aged under 13, and while many current users are still in that age group, a majority are now over age 13, according to CEO David Baszucki. “We’ve crossed a huge threshold,” he told The Verge. “As we look at the growth in the 17 through 24 [year old group], which is primarily people still socializing and playing, that perception is going away.”

Why it matters

Currently income is generated largely by the sale of Robux, a virtual currency with which users can make in-app purchases. The changes constitute a major shift in how Roblox regards its users and how it – and its games developers – can monetise them. 

The gaming platform is effectively a metaverse and its successes or failures in introducing advertising to its highly engaged 52 million daily active users will be watched closely by brands and platforms everywhere. 

What’s planned

• Last week’s annual developer conference heard that an immersive ads system will allow advertisers to reach players in millions of games (“experiences” in Roblox parlance) through interactive billboards, posters, and other surfaces.
• Brands will only be able to reach players aged 13 years or older; Roblox will disclose when experiences contain ads.

• As well as ads within user-created experiences, brand “portals” can take players to a branded area (eg a Starbucks coffee shop).
• Roblox is also making avatars more expressive and testing voice chat. 

Sourced from The Verge