When it comes to the intersection of gaming and technology, few people in the world have greater influence than Elon Musk. Not only is Musk the founder and leading CEO of Tesla, one of the biggest names in electric vehicles, but he is also a figurehead in many other innovative technologies, notably his involvement in a variety of startups through his venture capital firm, Space X. With Musk’s vast investments in technology, it is not surprising that some have wondered whether he will acquire the gaming phenomenon Roblox. The company and its online platform, which allows users to create and play games, are estimated to have a value near USD$30 billion and to have seen more than 150 million users play on their platform each month in 2020. It is perhaps the most significant example of a gaming platform thriving and turning a profit in the current gaming landscape, and there have been several reports of potential buyers trying to buy out the platform. However, there have been no reports of Elon Musk being involved in any of these efforts.
Kris Wittenberg, a business executive at one of Musk’s venture capital firms, acknowledged that, while that has not been something they have looked into, “It would be easy to see how such a move would fit into their portfolio—Roblox is widely celebrated as one of the rising stars of the gaming industry.” For example, Roblox has seen a meteoric rise in popularity in the past year, going from 8 million active users in March 2020 to 128 million by January 2021. For any business executive, such extraordinary growth over such a short span would be a major calling of attention, but for a technology futurist like Musk it may appear even more attractive.
Roblox itself is a very open, accessible platform with a vast potential for growth and appeal across age groups, unlike many of the other PC and console titles that tend to be played mostly by an older user base. Being a part of Roblox offers investors the chance to crash traditional gaming structures, transforming an industry that has evolved little in the past 30 years. Given his love of innovation, this could have further appeal to Musk. Of course, as with any transaction between large companies, many predictable variables come into play.
The major potential hiccup in Musk making an acquisition would be the financial resources needed to acquire the platform. Elon Musk himself is already the majority shareholder of multiple companies, including Tesla and SpaceX. The cost of adding a gaming platform the size of Roblox to that portfolio would be substantial and would likely require a large financial partner such as Microsoft or Apple to make it feasible. With the sheer range of established players that Musk is already attached to, including Tesla, SpaceX, SolarCity, Hyperloop, and the Boring Company, it is also unclear how his involvement with a gaming platform would interact with these other investments. It’s possible that adding yet another business to the mix could be too prohibitive both financially and logistically. This may be why we have yet to hear of any talks between Musk’s venture capital firm and Roblox.
What is certain is that should Elon Musk acquire Roblox, it would have a profound impact on the gaming industry. The combination of Musk—the man renowned for making ambitious and revolutionary technologies more accessible—and Roblox—the company on the forefront of pushing gaming into the new digital age—could be a powerful force to drive game development forward. Of course, it is purely speculative at this point as to whether or not Musk will make a move on Roblox. However, if he does decide to make the investment, it could be the start of a new era of gaming.
Roblox’s economy
The Roblox in-game economy has become intertwined with real-world economics. Many players are able to earn real-world money through the sale of virtual items, or through donations from other players. An in-depth study conducted by DCCI estimates that Roblox currently has an economic engine of over $110 million that generates income from digital item sales and micro-transactions. This is remarkable when compared to the other global e-commerce companies such as Amazon, Alibaba, and eBay — all of which have multibillion dollar profits. What’s more, the Roblox economy has potential to only continue growing. Roblox users can currently purchase virtual items ranging from furniture and clothes to game passes and game boosters. Some of the more popular items can easily sell for upwards of hundreds of dollars. It’s easy to see why some have suggested an acquisition of Roblox could prove to be a wise investment for someone like Elon Musk.
What Roblox will offer?
The potential synergies of a combination between Musk’s resources and Roblox’s expertise may be enough to drive long-term growth for the gaming industry. Roblox already offers great user experience for their players, and a collaborative effort between Roblox and Musk could help the platform provide even better features. For example, with Hyperloop and SolarCity, Musk could help Roblox become even more energy efficient, reducing the load on their data centers and powering the platform with more renewable energy sources. Additionally, Musk’s artificial intelligence technology could be implemented in Roblox to help automate manual tasks such as customer support or game development. Roblox could also benefit from Musk’s insights into innovation by tapping into his experience to drive further platform improvements.
Mysterious investor?
Recent reports suggest that there may already be a mysterious investor looking to acquire Roblox. Speculation about who this investor might be is running rampant, with some guesses ranging from Amazon to Microsoft or Apple. No specific figures have been reported, but analysts believe that the investor is willing to shell out a hefty sum to acquire the company. This could complicate any potential move from Musk if the mysterious investor is more willing to pay more money than Musk is.
Future of Roblox
At this stage, it’s hard to tell if Elon Musk will indeed make a move on Roblox. However, regardless of who the new owner may be, there are plenty of investors and gamers who believe the platform will keep growing and maturing in the coming years. Roblox’s ability to reach a much younger audience than traditional gaming platforms without sacrificing quality has made it one of the most successful players in the gaming industry. With further investment, Roblox could be poised to become even bigger and better in the years to come.
Influence of technology
Roblox is also aware that technology and the way players interact with it is constantly evolving. There are already rumors that the platform may be considering incorporating VR into their games, which would represent a major technological leap forward. Similarly, Roblox recently rolled out an AI-powered system called Content Moderation Services that can detect cyberbullying and harassment, demonstrating their commitment to staying ahead of the curve. With an investor like Musk, Roblox may be in line for more such innovative features.
Return on Investment
Any potential purchase of Roblox by Musk would have to have a very attractive return on investment in order to compete with the potential returns of the other investors. However, Musk’s experience and expertise in other areas, such as artificial intelligence, renewable energy and space exploration, could open up potential areas to explore, create new products, and generate additional revenue while remaining true to the core values of the company. Furthermore, looking back to the past successes of Musk’s companies like Tesla and SpaceX, it’s easy to see how he could bring value to the gaming industry through the acquisition of Roblox.
Acquisition or not?
For now, speculation about a possible acquisition of Roblox by Musk continues. While it appears he has not yet put in an offer for the gaming platform, the potential for massive profits and industry disruption make it an attractive investment for the technology entrepreneur. With his track record of making ambitious and revolutionary technologies more accessible, it’s easy to imagine Roblox becoming the next great innovation from Musk.
