Roblox is famously a platform where teenagers can build a game and attract millions of players. Now it’s seemingly also a platform where they can sell those games for millions of dollars.
Bloomberg reported on the “game-buying frenzy” that has seen 15 of the highest-earning games in June acquired from their original developers.
It’s apparently sparked by a change in Roblox’s policies last December making it easier for developers to transfer ownership of their games to other people – i.e. to sell them.
Among the companies mentioned as being the roller-uppers (is that a term? It is now!) are Do Big Studios, Voldex Entertainment, Splitting Point and Embracer.
The strategy is clearly to gather as many popular games as possible, then make money from them individually through in-game purchases, but also to create a network through which ads and brand partnerships can be sold.
That will make these companies partners for labels and artists running Roblox campaigns… but there may be an opportunity for larger music companies to explore acquisitions themselves too.
One extra twist to this story: one game mentioned in Bloomberg’s report is Blue Lock: Rivals (pictured above), which was bought for more than $3m after generating over $5m a month of in-game purchases.
As its Roblox page makes clear, it’s a “fan-made unofficial game” paying tribute to an anime series based on one of Japan’s most famous manga series. So this is fan-made content based on IP developed elsewhere, which is certainly a trend worth talking about.
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