Having hosted large-scale virtual concerts by superstar artists like Lil Nas X and Zara Larsson, gaming platform Roblox will now serve as the virtual location for a forthcoming Twenty One Pilots event, described in a media release as “a pioneering interactive virtual concert powered by the latest Roblox technology”.
Roblox and Warner Music Group announced the news today, with the forthcoming ‘Twenty One Pilots Concert Experience’ described by WMG’s Oana Ruxandra (see below) “as a completely new format of interactive music experiences on Roblox”.
The Roblox and Twenty One Pilots tie-up comes eight months after WMG joined a $520m Series H investment round in Roblox Corporation, the parent company of the kids’ gaming phenomenon.
Roblox, whose Average Daily Active Users (DAUs) rose to 43 million in May, went public in March, having reached a $45 billion company valuation.
The immersive performance begins inside Roblox on Friday, September 17 at 4 pm ET, kicking off the Grammy Award-winning Fueled By Ramen/Elektra artist’s sold out Takeøver Tour.
Designed in close collaboration with the band and longtime Creative Director Mark Eshleman, the virtual event will include what WMG calls a “dynamic setlist”, that gives users in each concert the ability to control the order of songs performed through instantaneous voting once the concert begins.
Each song will feature its own designed set with a high level of fidelity and realism, powered by Roblox’s lighting, physically based rendering, and motion capture technologies.
Emotes, interactive features, and bespoke virtual merchandise (“verch”) – including more than 30 exclusive custom-designed pieces will be available for purchase.
In addition, behind the scenes footage detailing the creation of the virtual concert and a Q&A with the band are available now as part of the pre-concert experience.
The event also includes “Metaverse-spanning pre-concert quests” that will be integrated into three top Roblox experiences — Ultimate Driving: Westover Islands, Creatures of Sonaria, and World // Zero, which collectively have over 400 million visits.
These quests will let users earn Twenty One Pilots prizes and include portals that allow users to be transported into the Twenty One Pilots pre-concert venue from across the Roblox platform in the days leading up to the concert.
“From selling out the small room and moving to the big venue next door, to now launching a virtual experience with Roblox for millions of users, the goal has always been the same.”
Mark Eshleman, Creative Director
Creative Director Mark Eshleman, said: “Twenty One Pilots is a band that has spent their entire career figuring out how to reach the most people possible.
“From selling out the small room and moving to the big venue next door, to now launching a virtual experience with Roblox for millions of users, the goal has always been the same.
“The Roblox team has made an effort every step of the way to honor the band’s fans, its lore, and history to make sure this experience aligns with what people can expect from a show.”
“Roblox is a perfect partner in delivering another unique and exciting new way for fans to experience the world of Twenty One Pilots.”
Mike Easterlin, Elektra Music Group
Mike Easterlin, Co-President, Elektra Music Group, said: “Tyler and Josh are two of the most unapologetically bold, forward-thinking artists I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with.
“Their commitment to connecting with their fans in new and creative ways is unparalleled, and I’m always amazed at how Mark continually finds ways to execute their imaginative vision.
“We are taking virtual concerts to the next level with our Twenty One Pilots virtual concert experience.”
“Roblox is a perfect partner in delivering another unique and exciting new way for fans to experience the world of Twenty One Pilots.”
Jon Vlassopulos, Roblox
Jon Vlassopulos, Global Head of Music, Roblox, said: “We are taking virtual concerts to the next level with our Twenty One Pilots virtual concert experience.
“We wanted to make it truly interactive and participatory for the fans, for the band, and for our broader Roblox developer community. Fans will be able to decide the order of the songs that they hear by choosing with their friends.
“They will be able to interact with the environment in creative ways becoming part of the show, and Tyler and Josh will participate in a live chat with fans after the virtual concert.
“This is what Roblox is built for, bringing people together to interact in new and exciting ways and we are just scratching the surface of what’s possible.”
“The Twenty One Pilots Concert Experience is a completely new format of interactive music experiences on Roblox.”
Oana Ruxandra, Warner Music Group
Oana Ruxandra, Chief Digital Officer & Executive Vice President, Business Development, Warner Music Group, said: “The Twenty One Pilots Concert Experience is a completely new format of interactive music experiences on Roblox.
“It is non-linear, it is choose-your-own-path, and it is the very reason why we have such a close partnership with Roblox.
“Our goal is to continue to build ever-evolving ways for our artists and fans to meet, connect and create something authentic together.”
In July, Roblox inked a strategic partnership with Sony Music Entertainment (SME).
In June, BMG signed what it describes as a “strategic agreement” with Roblox to “develop new opportunities for BMG artist and songwriter clients”.
A group of indie and major music publishers — via the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) — sued the video gaming platform in June for over $200 million in damages in the US, alleging widespread copyright infringement by the company.
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