Barrier 4 has provide you with a brand new type 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 known 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 carried out earlier than. The Cobra Kai recreation, as an illustration, takes place halfway by an animated TV episode, when the entire dojo will get right into a combat.
It’s a brand new type of recreation from a seasoned Roblox recreation developer, Barrier 4, based mostly in Pendleton, Indiana, mentioned Jonathan Millar, chief advertising and marketing officer of Barrier 4, in an interview with GamesBeat.
“We consider this as a model new medium,” Millar mentioned. “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 have interaction in absolutely interactive, playable scenes straight from each universes.
In these experiences, gamers will probably 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 number of weeks later, gamers can immerse themselves in a high-intensity martial arts showdown, embodying Robbie from Cobra Kai as they be a 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 fully inside Roblox.
A singular format made for Netflix
There are tons of experiences out there on Roblox — six million of them, in actual fact. However it is 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 succeed in the 88.9 million every day energetic customers on Roblox, which is capturing a technology of younger people who find themselves very onerous to succeed in in every other manner. Netflix has been creating a number of cellular recreation experiences, however Barrier 4’s method is moving into the territory of enabling Netflix to do one thing that many different firms can’t do — make fast video games out of streaming reveals in the intervening time once they’re actually standard.
Cobra Kai expertise
In a never-before-seen format, Roblox gamers will immerse themselves in a totally interactive and playable scene straight from the hit Netflix collection, experiencing the motion and suspense firsthand. The combat scene lasts nearly a minute or so in playable type, but it surely will get the purpose throughout.
On this progressive expertise, gamers will step into the sneakers of Robbie and combat 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 means of cutting-edge animation and proprietary
expertise, the scene has been tailored and engineered fully inside Roblox, seamlessly mixing the boundaries of gaming and media.
It’s a brief combat scene, however one you may 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 mentioned.
For Barrier 4, collaborating with Netflix on this undertaking has been a dream, Millar mentioned. Collectively, they’ve been capable of take Cobra Kai to an entire new stage 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 may think about that an entire 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 an entire film if we wished to and put 20 gameplay components all through it,” mentioned Millar. “However I believe the candy spot for studios might be going to be in that anyplace 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 folks watching? How a lot would you like folks taking part in? And what’s the area between every of these components? Watch sufficient, play sufficient. After which you may type of hold 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 solely on Netflix. It was directed by Vicky Jenson.
The Pixar-like animated movie is a couple of younger lady named Ellian from the magic world of Lumbria. She has to interrupt a spell that turned her kingdom into two elements and remodeled her mother and father into monsters.
The work took a number of 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 concept was to take you into the fantasy world of the film and allow you to really feel what it was wish to be there. You may also play a type 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, but it surely’s a really completely different expertise,” Millar mentioned. “You begin within the Nextworld expertise from Netflix on Roblox. And then you definately transfer into this scene.”
The sport has 100 completely different characters to animate, making it extra advanced than the Cobra Kai expertise, he mentioned.
“This took the undertaking to a distinct stage,” he mentioned. “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 wish to relive the expertise. You possibly can play it on simple, medium or onerous 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 type of sing alongside and bond with the IP as an entire. So it’s a distinct vibe than Cobra Kai,” mentioned Millar.
These experiences sign a big shift in media, mixing cinematic storytelling with the hands-on nature of gaming in a manner that’s by no means been carried out 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 facets 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 have interaction with their audiences, Barrier 4 is setting a brand new precedent.
Millar mentioned this expertise marks the start of a brand new chapter in how audiences work together with media, mixing the very best of each worlds: gaming and cinematic storytelling, creating deeper connections and unforgettable moments for followers.
“That is thrilling as a result of it is 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 instances,” Millar mentioned.
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 focuses on 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 trade by disruptive options that drive engagement and development.
