In 2023, Roblox and Fortnite emerged as the preferred platforms of choice for Gen Z and Gen Alpha, says a report by Gamefam. Users spend about 43 percent more time on these two metaverse platforms than YouTube and TikTok combined.
Joe Ferencz, CEO and founder of Gamefam, believes Roblox and Fortnite are critical for brands to connect with right now. He said it is a better way to advertise and a better place to advertise. “Platforms such as Roblox and Fortnite have the potential to be more than glorified brand billboards, especially for fashion brands who can quickly offer digital apparel to generate both consumer demand and intrigue.”
Ferencz explained that platform growth has continued steadily in recent years, but the real change came in through the expansion of branded experiences launched on Roblox, which saw a 50 percent increase year-over-year. “In 2023, Roblox alone saw a staggering 1.8 billion visits to branded games, across more than 240 executions. But there is a power curve, and I’m proud to share that Gamefam’s productions account for an outsize proportion of the top branded games, concerts, and integrations.”
He said these games continue to increase in popularity. “2024 is shaping up to be a year of moving past the proving phase, especially considering the investment Roblox and Fortnite are making in their developer and advertising tools. This will result in brands building amazing experiences, integrations, and connections.”
Ferencz pointed out that there is a real value generated for brands from the active engagement of playing Roblox and Fortnite versus the passive engagement of watching TV commercials or TikTok videos. “Additionally, we’ve seen several activations face significant challenges in gaining attention because brands didn’t understand how to automatically integrate with the Roblox and Fortnite communities.
“If there is no engagement, there is no audience. You can’t really buy airtime, you have to earn it here. We focus on educating our brand partners on exactly how they can fit into the broader ecosystem and build reward systems into our games to make sure players enjoy and return to those brands.”
The executive says gaming continues to be the most popular form of entertainment content for today’s youngest consumers. “And brands are looking to build connections in games their target audiences spend time playing.”
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