October 12 – FIFA has opened the doors to it metaverse real estate with FIFA World debuting on the 50-million user Roblox platform.
In what FIFA says is a multi-year agreement, FIFA World is free to access and themed around a celebration of “the power of football and the rich history of its pinnacle events”, said the world governing body.
The platform will be key to the creation and launch of new football gaming titles as FIFA enters the final season of its previously lucrative EA Sports partnership for the long running and massively successful FIFA series of football video game titles.
FIFA World will allow football fans to hang out in social spaces, earn rewards and collect exclusive virtual items through various skill games and collectors’ challenges.
Video content will come via FIFA+’s library, while Spanish star Pedri and Germany’s Lena Oberdorf will also be present in the space. FIFA World will also create in-game events, and has launched in time for the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
“As part of our commitment to grow football and develop ways for new fans to engage with the sport, FIFA’s immersive experience on Roblox will provide football fans with a hugely exciting new way to interact with friends, celebrate the rich culture and heritage around the world’s biggest sports competition, and demonstrate their creativity and national pride through various features and mechanics,” said FIFA chief business officer, Romy Gai.
“FIFA believes that such a multi-layered experience will result in a truly inclusive and fun gameplay – in turn, engaging new and existing football fans from across the globe, as well as promoting the values of the sport to an even broader audience”.
Roblox is essentially an online game platform and game creation system that allows users to programme games and play games created by other users. Released in 2006, the platform hosts user-created games in multiple genres. Roblox is free to play, with in-game purchases available through a virtual currency called Robux.
Christina Wootton, VP Global Partnerships at Roblox, added: “We believe discovering and enjoying events together with friends from all over the globe is a unique experience that often can’t be replicated in the physical world,” said.
“With FIFA World, fans are able to come together to celebrate and express their fandom with one another, support their favorite teams, and get access to FIFA’s top sporting events year round.”
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