Roblox and Nike have partnered to bring a new sports based experience, Nikeland, onto the platform.
Nikeland will feature buildings and fields based on Nike’s headquarters, including detailed arenas with various minigames like tag, “the floor is lava”, and dodgeball.
Players are rewarded blue ribbons and gold medals for competing in yards, exploring, and finding easter eggs.
Blue ribbons can be used to purchase building materials for their yards, whereas gold medals unlock virtual products for their avatars.
Players can dress their Nikeland avatar in iconic Nike products, such as the Air Force 1 Fontanka and the Air Max 2021, and display them in the digital showroom.
Furthermore, using the Nikeland toolkit, creators can design their own minigames from interactive sports materials.
Breaking down barriers
One notable feature in Nikeland is its connection to the real world, in that players can use the accelerometers in their phones to pull off in-game moves through movements in the real world, such as long jumps or speed runs. Nike claims that this will encourage users to get more active.
Since Nikeland is free for anyone to visit, Nike suggests that it is an experience that can break down the issue of access, one of the “biggest barriers to sport”.
In December, Nike will host an augmented reality version of Nikeland at its House of Inovation, based in New York City. The event is in partnership with Snapchat and will feature mini-games and easter eggs for players to find.
Recently, Roblox reported its Q3 2021 revenue was up 102 per cent, reaching $509 million, with more than 11 billion hours being played throughout the quarter.
