Roblox has launched a $35 million Creator Fund towards "next-gen experiences" on the platform.
The fund is an expansion on the types of content supported by Roblox’s programme, now going beyond gaming and into short-form videos.
With well over 60 million daily users Roblox already generates more money than some countries, and adding to this TikTok’s tumultuous position in the US with a possible ban incoming, the potential for a video service within Roblox is of major note indeed.
More than a game
Roblox already offered financial support to game makers and designers via its Game Fund, but Fast Company has reported an evolution and rebranding of this into the Creator Fund. This means that in addition to distribution of funds to innovative projects on its gaming platform, IP holders and creators outside of gaming with be able to join the programme too.
"Roblox’s vision for creators is to enable creation of anything, anywhere, by anyone," explained Roblox vice president of developer relations Matt Curtis.
Furthermore, creators given a piece of the $35 million fund will have the right to incorporate partnering IPs into their content, like Avatar: The Last Airbender, for example.
And the potential for video content within such a huge platform cannot be understated; Roblox helped to fund Neura’s Clip It creation tool which works in-platform as a way for users to make videos - custom avatars, animations, images, sounds and more included.
Expanding content
“We’re excited to announce that, with this evolution, Roblox is expanding the types of content funded by the programme, bringing new opportunities for Roblox’s network of creators across the globe. Our Creator Fund allows even more creators and IP holders to join the program while still staying true to its original mission of empowering creators who want to build something that has never existed before," said Curtis.
"As a platform, Roblox has already evolved far beyond games, and both the user and creator communities have expanded over the past few years. So, we’re bringing new opportunities to fund creators building new types of content for this."
Video content could prove to be Roblox’s means to expand its reach to an even broader audience - especially to audiences older than Gen Z - particularly if TikTok does end up departing from US screens; a new source of short-form content with a known name behind it is a smart thing to prepare just in case, and given Roblox’s track record, is likely to find some level of success regardless of TikTok’s fate.
And the idea of videos within Roblox isn't an untested one either. Last year, Spin Master debuted its new Bakugan Netflix series in Roblox to provide a "shared experience" for fans.
