Nike
- Users able to compete in and design mini-games, as well as outfit their avatar in Nike products
- Sportswear brand already eyeing up metaverse with logo and slogan trademarks last month
Nike is taking another step into the digital realm through the creation of a new world on the Roblox online game platform.
Nikeland, which features the backdrop of the US sportswear giant’s world headquarters, will enable users to connect, create, share experiences and compete in the space.
Nike added that the project builds on its goal to ‘turn sport and play into a lifestyle’.
Users visiting Nikeland will be able to head into arenas and compete in various mini-games such as tag, the floor is lava, and dodgeball. Creators on Roblox can also design their own games from interactive sports materials.
In addition, Nikeland visitors can take advantage of accelerometers in their mobile devices to transfer offline movement to online play. For example, a user can move their device and body in real life to pull off in-game moves like long jumps or speed runs.
The branded virtual platform also has a digital showroom, where players can outfit their avatar with special Nike products, ranging from new soccer boots to classic trainers.
Nikeland is free to visit on Roblox and users will receive in-game rewards based on their performance.
It represents Nike’s latest move to blur the line between real and digital. In October, the company filed new trademark applications for its famous swoosh logo and ‘Just Do It’ slogan in ‘downloadable virtual goods, namely, computer programs’ featuring products such as footwear and clothing ‘for use online and in online virtual worlds’.
The move appears to have been made with an eye on Nike products being made available in the metaverse and other digital environments.
Prior to that, Nike-owned Jordan Brand teamed up with the Fortnite video game in 2019 to produce character skins wearing Nike trainers. Later that year, Nike filed a patent for CryptoKicks, which would link physical footwear with a non-fungible token (NFT) to verify ownership.
