Google & Roblox Target Gen Z with Ads In Video Games

"Immersive Ads" are now making their way into video games.

I really wish this was an April fools joke, but Roblox just announced a new partnership with Google, which would enable advertisers to purchase “Immersive Ads” in the popular Roblox video game.

Roblox is a browser based game where players build & explore worlds with lego-like characters. Its estimated that Roblox has close to 80M daily active users. 58% of the users are assumed to be under 16 years old.

Now Gen Z-ers will be presented with “Immersive Ads” on in-game Billboards. They will also be able to pay for in-game purchases by watching these ads.

Worse yet, these ads will be associated with in-game rewards.

Rewarded Video ads enable users to opt in and watch up to 30-second full-screen video ads within immersive Roblox games and experiences. In return, users receive in-game benefits from the creators of these games and experiences, also known as the ad publishers. Early tests show an average completion rate over 80%, with select experiences seeing completion rates over 90%1 as users saw the value2 in rewards, such as power-ups or in-game currency, and considered these ads additive to their overall experience.

Roblox is partnering with some of the biggest consumer research firms to measure effectiveness of ads and brand impact. Some of the biggest names in the space will participate including DoubleVerify, Cint, Kantar, and Nieslen - who will quiz kids on how they felt about the ads.

If other gaming platforms implement this (and why wouldn’t they?), it would mean the death for online gaming and the invasion of surveillance infrastructure in these virtual worlds.

Read the announcement from Roblox.