SpongeBob will get prepared for Tremendous Bowl LVIII with Roblox and Gamefam

Gamefam introduced final week that it was partnering with the NFL on a particular activation: A SpongeBob-themed Tremendous Bowl occasion inside a number of of its in style video games in Roblox. This occasion is a continuation of Gamefam’s earlier collaboration with the NFL, which incorporates final yr’s Saweetie live performance and its Tremendous NFL Tycoon sport. The occasion launched on February 2 and can run via February 19, previous the tip of Tremendous Bowl LVIII.

The SpongeBob-themed occasion is within the just lately launched SpongeBob Simulator, in addition to a number of of Gamefam’s different video games: Simple Obby, Tremendous NFL Tycoon, Twilight Daycare and TMNT Battle Tycoon. Every sport options a variety of completely different Tremendous Bowl and SpongeBob-related quests. Gamers full challenges for a variety of completely different prizes, together with wearable cosmetics associated to the occasion.

Parker Bennett, Gamefam’s affiliate supervisor of name partnerships, spoke to GamesBeat about constructing the in-game occasion. “The entire foundation across the occasion is ‘The Tremendous Bowl involves Bikini Backside.’ So we needed to carry a mashup of SpongeBob and Tremendous Bowl LVIII throughout all 5 titles. You actually really feel such as you’re in Bikini Backside and the Tremendous Bowl is there when you’re taking part in these video games … All these video games have giant audiences constructed into them — there are sports activities followers inside Roblox. They actually get to expertise the Tremendous Bowl in-game in a enjoyable and interesting approach they wouldn’t be capable to in any other case.”

Approaching a youthful era by way of Roblox

The profit for the NFL, says Bennett, is that the Roblox occasion helps promote the Tremendous Bowl to a youthful viewers who may in any other case ignore the sport in favor of Roblox. This echoes the sentiment of CEO Joe Ferencz, who mentioned of the SpongeBob occasion, “As Roblox continues to scale, we’re seeing an amazing alternative to amplify the largest IRL moments for Gen Z and Alpha. Constructing on our profitable work with the NFL, we’re excited to super-charge our program by bringing one of many world’s greatest cultural touchpoints to a brand new viewers on Roblox, with the purpose of immersing the subsequent era of NFL followers within the craze of Tremendous Bowl.”

Alli Guglielmino, Gamefam’s SVP of development, advised GamesBeat in the identical interview that one of many targets for the developer is authenticity, and never alienating gamers uninterested within the Tremendous Bowl. “We wish to ensure the expertise is extraordinarily genuine to gamers and the sport itself. We don’t need something to really feel prefer it’s not part of the traditional gameplay expertise… . It’s nonetheless precisely the identical gameplay, however it’s simply including these enjoyable and kooky parts to it.”

Ed Kiang, VP of video video games on the NFL, concurred with this sentiment in a press release, “The NFL continues to satisfy followers the place they’re and metaverse gaming has confirmed to be a profitable avenue for the league in reaching that … Bringing collectively the NFL with SpongeBob and TMNT to Roblox’s over 70M every day customers additional demonstrates how the NFL is working to succeed in new audiences whereas partaking present followers with entertaining and progressive activations tied to the NFL’s largest tentpole occasion.”