BRAND GAMES

Roblox Developers Conference 2024 (RDC24)

5 minUTE read

We’re fresh back from RDC24, where Roblox put their focus on brand success. In this post we take a look at the top announcements for brands.

TL;DR

Short on time? Here are our Top 5 takeaways from RDC24:

1. An even bigger audience

Roblox now has 79.5 million daily active users, with strongest growth among users aged 13 and older in the lucrative US/Canada/EU markets.

2. In-game commerce

Brands can now sell physical merchandise directly within Roblox, thanks to a new Shopify partnership.

3. Party on

The new Party feature offers brands innovative ways to engage groups of players.

4. Music and entertainment

Roblox is becoming a major hub for immersive music experiences (and other verticals get a boost too).

5. New tools

Roblox’s new generative AI tools will reduce development time and put the focus on creating more and better content.

For more detail and a summary of everything else that was announced, read on.

An even bigger audience

The Roblox player base is now bigger than ever, and they have declared their goal of hitting 1bn daily active players – which they’re some way off, but it shows commitment to growth which is important when you choose a platform for your brand.

Roblox now boasts 79.5 million daily active users, with double-digit growth in all regions and a particularly strong rise in users aged 13 and older. This means brands looking to connect with a diverse and global audience have a prime opportunity to engage with millions of players every day.

In-game commerce

Roblox players have long been able to earn and wear virtual items – now they can purchase it in real life too.

One of the most exciting developments is Roblox’s integration with Shopify, allowing brands to sell physical merchandise, and other products/services, directly within Roblox experiences. Players can now interact with a brand and also purchase real-world products that get delivered to their homes or get tickets for a real-world event – like the Beetlejuice movie.

This seamless connection between digital engagement and real-world commerce opens up a new channel for retail and product marketing. For brands, this offers the potential to drive both in-game engagement and real-world sales.

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Party on

Roblox's new Party feature and the rebranding of Roblox Groups to Roblox Communities give brands new ways to connect with players.

Party allows for group play, team-based challenges, and real-time communication, enabling brands to create social, interactive experiences. Meanwhile, Roblox Communities offers tools like forums where players can discuss gameplay, provide feedback, and engage with brand representatives.

For brands, this means the opportunity to build active, loyal communities, encouraging deeper engagement. These features will enable us to build lasting relationships between players and brands, making their presence on Roblox more interactive and community-driven.

Music and entertainment

Roblox's partnership with DistroKid opens up new opportunities for entertainment brands to create immersive experiences.

We can host virtual concerts, integrate trending tracks, and engage players with music-driven events. Features like What’s Playing and Music Charts will help tap into music trends in new ways.

New tools

Roblox is improving ease of content creation with new generative AI tools. The platform is developing an AI model that allows creators to use text prompts to generate in-game assets like landscapes and objects.

For developers, this means the ability to quickly and efficiently create high-quality content without always needing to create from scratch.

By reducing that aspect of production time, we can put more effort into creating standout experiences and building engagement, so brands get better results.

Other announcements

10% of Global Gaming Content Revenue: Roblox aims for 10% of all global gaming content revenue to flow through its platform, with a target of 1 billion daily active users. They expect 300 million daily users, with 80% coming to play and the rest to shop, communicate, or learn.

‍Roblox Communities: Roblox Groups are being rebranded as Roblox Communities, offering features like forums to help brands and creators foster better engagement and manage their communities more effectively.

‍Search and Discovery Enhancements: Roblox has improved content discovery with tools like Today’s Picks and better algorithms to help surface diverse experiences, potentially increasing visibility for brands.

‍Creator Affiliate Program: This program allows brands to earn a share of revenue for new users they bring to Roblox, incentivising us all to promote the platform.

‍Performance Improvements: Roblox has made significant improvements in performance, reducing crashes and improving frame rates on lower-end devices, allowing for more scalable and accessible experiences.

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‍Safety Tools: Roblox introduced new tools like the Ban API and Alt Account Detection, helping developers maintain a safe and positive environment within their experiences.

‍Price Optimisation Tools: A new recommendation tool will help developers and brands test and optimise pricing strategies within their games, potentially including regional pricing adjustments.

‍E-Commerce and Brands: Brands including e.l.f. Cosmetics and Warner Bros. have already tested in-game commerce on Roblox, allowing users to purchase real-world products within virtual experiences, blending digital interaction with physical sales.

‍Increased Revenue Share: Brands and developers can earn a higher revenue share for paid-access experiences, with rates of up to 70% for high-priced content.

So that wraps up our snapshot of RDC24. We're looking forwards to being a part of all these exciting feature updates, as well as attending RDC next year.

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