Nike on Thursday (Nov. 18) announced the launch of its foray into the metaverse, calling its Roblox-fueled immersive 3-D experience Nikeland. The space allows Nike fans to “connect, create, share experiences and compete,” according to the company announcement.
“Nike created this bespoke world with the backdrop of its world headquarters and inside Roblox’s immersive 3-D space, building on its goal to turn sport and play into a lifestyle,” the announcement says.
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Buildings and fields inside Nikeland are inspired by Nike’s actual headquarters, featuring detailed arenas for the social gaming platform community to test their skills in various mini-games, including tag, “the floor is lava” and dodgeball. Users can also design their own mini-games using interactive sports materials.
Nikeland visitors can use accelerometers in their mobile devices to transfer offline movement to online play. Users can move their devices and bodies to make in-game moves, including long jumps or speed runs.
Users can also deck out the digital versions of themselves in Air Force Ones and other Nike gear. Nikeland players earn blue ribbons and gold medals as they hit certain milestones or complete specific tasks, including competing in yards, building their yard, exploring and finding Easter eggs.
In December, Nike will bring Roblox and Nikeland to life inside Nike’s House of Innovation in New York City through a Snapchat lens. People visiting the kids’ floor will be able to see the space transformed into an augmented reality version of the virtual world.
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Apple Insider recently reported that Roblox is iPhone’s biggest gaming earner with “$3 million in revenue per day, and Apple gets 30% of that,” which means an estimated $900,000 a day. Roblox said purchases of the platform’s Robux in-app digital currency increased 28% in the third quarter of 2021 to $637.8 million.
Entrepreneur.com recently reported that the metaverse could represent an $800 billion market by 2024.