METAPHYSICS

AMAZON FOLLOWS ROBLOX WITH LAUNCH OF IMMERSIVE ADVERTISING EXPERIENCE IN FORTNITE

Amazon Ads is launching a new interactive experience on Fortnite, providing brands with unique marketing opportunities and guaranteed promotion through Amazon-owned streaming platform Twitch.

The project, titled The Glitch, is described as "an integrated galaxy of brand-customized, playable worlds" within Fortnite. It is being developed by Halo co-creator Alexander Seropian and his game studio, Look North World.

In collaboration with Twitch and Amazon Ads, Look North World has tailored each virtual world to reflect the identity of individual brand sponsors. For example, in the Domino's-themed world, players can visit a fully modeled pizzeria and host pizza parties that restore their character's health.

This new venture was announced at TwitchCon San Diego on Friday, October 20th, where the first brand collaborations—featuring Domino's and Peloton—were revealed.

To support the launch of The Glitch, Amazon Ads has partnered with popular Twitch streamers to ensure they play and live-stream the experience from day one. These streamers will continue to promote the game over time, even when new branded worlds are not introduced.

The launch of The Glitch can be seen as Amazon’s response to Roblox, which recently integrated virtual advertisement billboards into its game. Brands like ELF and Walmart use these billboards to increase awareness among Gen Z players while directly promoting products within the game.

Earlier this month, Roblox also teamed up with Shopify, allowing players to purchase goods directly from brands and creators without leaving the game. This has transformed Roblox into a direct sales tool for brands entering the metaverse.

Both Amazon and Roblox are tapping into the rapidly expanding gaming content market, which is currently valued at approximately $200 billion. The sector is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12-14% over the next few years.