Walmart has introduced two “immersive experiences” on the online game platform Roblox. The store is portraying the launch as an ambitious foray into the metaverse, but the “experiences” — two online realms branded Walmart Land and Walmart’s Universe of Play — are really simple means to market products to children. Roblox may seem little, yet it has over 50 million daily active players, two-thirds of whom are under the age of 16. That suggests Walmart is most likely experimenting with virtual worlds in order to capture this market.
Virtual lobbies include Walmart Land and Universe of Play. Inside are a number of minigames and experiences, such as a Ferris wheel, “interactive piano corridor,” and DJ booth, the majority of which direct players to certain businesses. A virtual dressing room, for example, allows you to use the money earned in Walmart Land to outfit your avatar with Skullcandy headphones or a Fitbit activity tracker. You may race Razor scooters around a track or hang out with PAW Patrol characters in Universe of Play. It’s all really rudimentary in terms of aesthetics and gaming mechanics, but that’s to be expected from Roblox.
According to the statistics for Walmart Land’s accomplishments, a sizable number of people have logged in, with 200,000 “Welcome to Walmart Land” badges granted for the first time joining the game. Other feats, however, such as obtaining a free “treasure box” from a circling blimp, have only been obtained by a few thousand players.
