Roblox MTV VMA experience kicks off in the metaverse today

If video killed the radio star, then the metaverse could be coming for video next. At least, that’s what MTV seems to be banking on with its  first foray into metaverse, with a Roblox MTV VMA experience that kicks off this weekend to promote the upcoming MTV Video Music Awards.

The VMA Experience launched August 12 with one minigame and will add a new one each Friday until the show on August 28, for a total of three games. Players can collect MTV logo tokens, which they’ll use to vote for their favourite artist in the award show’s best metaverse performance category. The VMAs introduced the category this year, listing Charli XCX, Twenty One Pilots, BTS, Ariana Grande, Blackpink, and Justin Bieber as nominees for performances on platforms as varied as Roblox, Fortnite, Minecraft, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, and Wave.

“One of the most exciting things about it is that it brings the VMA experience to people wherever they are in the world,” said Amy Campbell, chief marketing officer of Paramount Media Networks and MTV Entertainment Studios, via The Wall Street Journal.

MTV’s entree into Roblox opens the door for even more musicians and music-oriented brands to take advantage of emerging opportunities in the metaverse. Ever since Fortnite first held a Marshmello concert in-game, the music industry has slowly been adapting to the metaverse as a way to reach new audiences. Brands like Spotify and musicians like Lil Nas X and George Ezra have hosted their own Roblox experiences. Some musicians have found it to be way to reach many more people at once than they could with a single real-life concert performance.

MTV previously developed an experience in Minecraft, but this is its first time jumping into Roblox’s metaverse. According to the Wall Street Journal, company representatives said MTV created the experience to reach younger viewers and learn more about Roblox as a platform.

Music and video games have always gone hand-in-hand. Many millennials can credit games like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and the Guitar Hero series with helping define their musical preferences. The intersection of music and gaming continues today as more musicians cross over into gaming in various ways, such as Post Malone’s Apex Legends Twitch streams and Beat Saber music packs featuring artists like Green Day and Billie Eilish.

If you can’t get enough music in Roblox, check out our list of Roblox music codes for August, which you can pair with some sweet avatar upgrades you’ll get with our free Roblox promo code list in August. And be sure to take your new sounds and gear with you as you visit the best Roblox games in 2022.