Barrier 4 has give you a brand new form of Roblox recreation: An animated present on Netflix that has a playable scene the place the present turns right into a online game. It’s referred to as “playable media.”
It’s like a TV present or film that’s playable, and Barrier 4 is beginning with video games based mostly on the Cobra Kai TV present and the Spellbound film. It’s a type of transmedia that hasn’t actually been achieved earlier than. The Cobra Kai recreation, for example, takes place halfway by an animated TV episode, when the entire dojo will get right into a battle.
It’s a brand new form of recreation from a seasoned Roblox recreation developer, Barrier 4, based mostly in Pendleton, Indiana, stated Jonathan Millar, chief advertising and marketing officer of Barrier 4, in an interview with GamesBeat.
“We consider this as a model new medium,” Millar stated. “It’s playable media.”
Barrier 4 and Netflix have joined forces to create new experiences on the Roblox platform, bringing gamers nearer than ever to the worlds of Cobra Kai and Spellbound. In a brand new format, Roblox gamers will interact in totally interactive, playable scenes immediately from each universes.
In these experiences, gamers shall be transported into two distinct worlds inside Netflix’s central hub on Roblox, Nextworld. They’ll first step into a fascinating musical scene from Spellbound, reliving an iconic second from the film.
A couple of weeks later, gamers can immerse themselves in a high-intensity martial arts showdown, embodying Robbie from Cobra Kai as they be part of Miyagi-do teammates in a recreated scene from the present.
Each experiences showcase a seamless fusion of gaming and media, achieved by superior animation and proprietary expertise crafted completely inside Roblox.
A singular format made for Netflix
There are tons of experiences obtainable on Roblox — six million of them, the truth is. However this can be a distinctive alternative for Netflix to make use of the novelty of the “playable media” to capitalize on its place in each video games and video leisure.
It additionally permits Netflix by Nextworld to achieve the 88.9 million day by day lively customers on Roblox, which is capturing a technology of younger people who find themselves very arduous to achieve in every other manner. Netflix has been creating a variety of cellular recreation experiences, however Barrier 4’s strategy is moving into the territory of enabling Netflix to do one thing that many different corporations can’t do — make fast video games out of streaming reveals in the mean time after they’re actually common.
Cobra Kai expertise
In a never-before-seen format, Roblox gamers will immerse themselves in a completely interactive and playable scene immediately from the hit Netflix sequence, experiencing the motion and suspense firsthand. The battle scene lasts nearly a minute or so in playable type, however it will get the purpose throughout.
On this modern expertise, gamers will step into the sneakers of Robbie and battle alongside Miyagi-do teammates in one of the vital adrenaline-pumping scenes from Cobra Kai. This one-to-one recreation mirrors the unique Netflix episode, providing followers an genuine, high-intensity martial arts showdown from inside Nextworld, Netflix’s central hub inside Roblox. By cutting-edge animation and proprietary
expertise, the scene has been tailored and engineered completely inside Roblox, seamlessly mixing the boundaries of gaming and media.
It’s a brief battle scene, however one you’ll be able to play repeatedly. And it proves the purpose of a seamless transition from animated present to recreation.
“The Cobra Kai scene is like streaming tv, combating a battle that celebrates the IP,” Millar stated.
For Barrier 4, collaborating with Netflix on this venture has been a dream, Millar stated. Collectively, they’ve been in a position to take Cobra Kai to a complete new degree of fan engagement, making ‘Playable Media’ the way forward for go-to-market technique.
On this case, it’s only one second captured in playable type. However sooner or later, you’ll be able to think about that a complete bunch of scenes may very well be playable, permitting gamers to go from scene to scene, both in an animated sequence or in a playable sequence.
It’s an experiment thus far, however one that would result in extra whether it is profitable.
“From a functionality standpoint, we might do a complete film if we needed to and put 20 gameplay components all through it,” stated Millar. “However I believe the candy spot for studios might be going to be in that wherever from 30 seconds to 5 minutes.”
He added, “I believe it’s going to be a steadiness, relying on the IP. How a lot would you like individuals watching? How a lot would you like individuals taking part in? And what’s the area between every of these components? Watch sufficient, play sufficient. After which you’ll be able to form of maintain it going.”
Spellbound
Spellbound is an animated musical journey film that stars Rachel Ziegler, John Lithgow, Jennifer Lewis, Nicole Kidman, and Javier Bardem. It debuts on November 22 completely on Netflix. It was directed by Vicky Jenson.
The Pixar-like animated movie is a few younger woman named Ellian from the magic world of Lumbria. She has to interrupt a spell that turned her kingdom into two components and reworked her dad and mom into monsters.
The work took just a few months to do each initiatives, the place the duty was to rework one scene right into a playable type. Within the case of Spellbound, the thought was to take you into the fantasy world of the film and allow you to really feel what it was prefer to be there. You may as well play a form of Guitar Hero-like recreation the place it’s a must to click on or faucet to hit the notes as they scroll by at quick speeds.
“What we did right here is we did one thing similar to Cobra Kai, however it’s a really totally different expertise,” Millar stated. “You begin within the Nextworld expertise from Netflix on Roblox. And then you definately transfer into this scene.”
The sport has 100 totally different characters to animate, making it extra complicated than the Cobra Kai expertise, he stated.
“This took the venture to a unique degree,” he stated. “We’re pushing the road with reminiscence administration on Roblox” with the extent of realism.
The scene recasts a 30-second second of the film, and it yields about 5 minutes of gameplay for the gamers who need to relive the expertise. You may play it on simple, medium or arduous and carry on taking part in to enhance your rating. It’s additionally a type of rewarded gameplay. While you end it, you get a reward of user-generated content material.
“The gamers are literally rewarded and incentivized by IP-specific UGC. So not solely are you
Robloxifying the media, you’re rewarded with IP from the media, and also you’re getting attending to form of sing alongside and bond with the IP as a complete. So it’s a unique vibe than Cobra Kai,” stated Millar.
These experiences sign a major shift in media, mixing cinematic storytelling with the hands-on nature of gaming in a manner that’s by no means been achieved earlier than. Whereas transmedia collaborations have been gaining momentum—by in-game billboards, video integrations, and branded pop-ups—this collaboration is charting new territory.
For the primary time, scenes from each a film and TV present have been translated right into a playable 1:1 expertise inside Roblox.
This goes past conventional transmedia, by fusing the immersive features of gaming with the narrative depth of streaming media, Barrier 4 is coining the time period “Playable Media.” This isn’t nearly watching the story unfold — that is about taking part in it.
The way forward for go-to-market technique
As manufacturers proceed to discover new avenues to interact with their audiences, Barrier 4 is setting a brand new precedent.
Millar stated this expertise marks the start of a brand new chapter in how audiences work together with media, mixing the perfect of each worlds: gaming and cinematic storytelling, creating deeper connections and unforgettable moments for followers.
“That is thrilling as a result of this can be a go to market technique for Netflix for each a streaming TV program and for a brand new film. So we’re getting two distinct actually cool use circumstances,” Millar stated.
Play now
Rejoice the launch of Spellbound and play this first-of-its-kind expertise from inside Netflix’s Nextworld.
Barrier 4 is a cutting-edge animation studio, born on Roblox, that makes a speciality of creating high-performing campaigns on the Roblox platform. With over 150 model companions and a powerful 11 billion recreation visits, the corporate is revolutionizing the business by disruptive options that drive engagement and progress.
