You Can Now Game in the Metaverse

It was typical to see young people wasting their time doing what was considered to be “nothing” decades ago, when the game industry was still in its infancy. But the game business has seen countless revisions and modifications since those storied times. With the introduction of virtual reality and the Metaverse, gaming on consoles and computers will become more immersive than ever.

South Africa brands have shown they are quite interested in the Metaverse. According to Accenture’s Technology Vision 2022, 43% of executives in the country and 63% of executives nationwide believe that the metaverse will be a breakthrough or transformative technology that will have a positive influence on their organizations. South African retailer Game, has now joined the likes of MTN, Nedbank and Primedia to make their debut in the Metaverse through a Game-branded Roblox game.

In a challenge to sprint across a downtown city neighborhood, the game blends South African culture with the fantasy. As they fight to reach the top of the scoreboard, players will use potholes as portals, party at rooftop DJ performances, and avoid goo from exploding pigeons.

Players who can complete this assignment in the shortest amount of time will be rewarded materially. Those entering the environment will be charged with finding 8 comet fragments across the city block (inspired by the retailer’s Black Friday ad campaign). Each day’s top player will receive R5000 in vouchers, followed by the second-place finisher with R3000, and the third-place finisher with R2000. The competition ends on 28 November, but the game will remain available in Roblox for players to enjoy.

While the development of the Metaverse is still in its infancy, it has the potential to transform every aspect of brand building. Brands in South Africa are already seeing the Metaverse as the next evolution, and are willing to expand their online footprint. It is believed that gamification is currently underutilized in Africa and the region is yet to develop necessary infrastructure to reap the gaming reward.

Commenting on the launch, Game’s vice president of marketing Katherine Madley expressed excitement on the launch, noting that the company plans to keep growing its Metaverse presence.

“We are so excited about this launch, as we open up our brand to a new audience…we have seen the incredible growth of the gaming sector globally and heard the call from consumers for brands to be more innovative in their approach.

“Rather than a once-off project, we see this platform as an ongoing, integral part of our brand going forward. We are working to ensure we push this kind of innovation forward in our business, and plan to grow this offering,” Madley said.