KINGSHIP, a virtual band comprised of Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) NFTs that was created by Universal Music Group’s 10:22PM label, just released a new virtual experience in Roblox.
The immersive experience will let fans participate in quests to unite the band members. Along the way, users can win free in-game items like emotes, accessories, and digital assets inspired by the band to adorn their avatars.
In the coming weeks, more limited-edition virtual goods will become available, and fans will be able to sample music created by band members James Fauntleroy and Hit-Boy — both Grammy award-winning producers.
One unique aspect about the Roblox experience is that the ‘KINGSHIP Island’ supports facial animation, allowing visitors to embody the band members with facial expressions mapped by movement. This feature is available for purchase on the Roblox Marketplace.
Unsurprisingly, members of KINGSHIP’s Web3 community will have privileges in Roblox. According to the announcement, holders of the KINGSHIP ‘Key Card’ — the Ethereum-based NFT pass released by the band — will have special access to a virtual ‘Floating Villa’ and exclusive Roblox badges.
The 5,000 Genesis Key Cards were released in May 2022 to give fans access to exclusive content, music, and token-gated content and experiences from the band. Their current floor price on OpenSea is .059 ETH, though it has been as high as 4.2 ETH in the past. Worth noting, only 1% of the Key Cards are listed on OpenSea, suggesting holders still believe in their value and future projects from the band.
KINGSHIP was created at the height of the NFT craze in 2021, and features three Bored Ape NFTs and one Mutant Ape. The virtual ‘supergroup’ was inspired by the popular band Gorillaz, one of the first bands to use avatars to represent themselves. Though KINGSHIP has been quiet in recent months, this collaboration with Roblox, a gaming platform with over 214 million monthly active users, could put the group back on the map.
Roblox Is a Home for Web3 Music
The new immersive experience from KINGSHIP and Roblox is exciting news for fans, especially for holders of the band’s NFT Key Cards. But a new virtual music experience from Roblox should come as no surprise. At Rarity Sniper, we covered several stories about the popular gaming platform collaborating with musicians for virtual Web3 experiences. Here are some of the most recent headlines.
First, three months ago, the Korean pop-group Blackpink opened a permanent metaverse experience in Roblox called ‘Blackpink: The Palace.’ The virtual activation lets fans enjoy Blackpink’s music, take pictures with the band member’s avatars, participate in games, and purchase custom wearables and emotes for their avatars.
Next, in February, the NFL teamed up with Intuit and rising hip-hop star Saweetie for the first-ever metaverse Super Bowl Concert in Roblox. The concert took place in Rhythm City, a music-themed experience from Warner Music Group.
Lastly, in January, Warner Music Group collaborated with Gamefan to create Rhythm City, a metaverse activation in Roblox centered around gaming and music. The new virtual space blends music and gaming into a 3D experience, and includes mini-games and VR concerts.
We will have to be patient to see if KINGSHIP’s new virtual experience in Roblox is popular with fans and gamers. But considering Roblox is one of the biggest online gaming platforms in the world, and that it continues to dedicate time and energy to promoting music on its platform, it certainly seems like a good fit.