Pacsun is bringing Southern California to the metaverse with help from Roblox.
Pacsun is offering a second immersive virtual environment on the Roblox digital gaming platform.
The specialty teen apparel retailer is debuting “Pacsun Los Angeles Tycoon” on Roblox. This global 3D immersive experience enables users to develop their own virtual map of Southern California, including initial builds in Downtown Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and Hollywood.
Created in partnership with metaverse developer The Gang, Pacsun Los Angeles Tycoon is an extension of Pacsun's presence on Roblox and comes almost a year after the release of PacWorld, Pacsun's interactive metaverse mall experience hosted on the gaming platform. In addition to building their own digital Roblox malls where they can sell virtual goods, Pacsun customers will now be able to create their own Los Angeles neighborhoods within Roblox.
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Once customers complete building a virtual region of Southern California, a dedicated piece of a Pacsun store will be unlocked in the specific zone that represents a prize for completing the region. Users then get access to the virtual stores and are able to view and buy community-created merchandise.
At this point, users can also invite friends to engage with their designs in each city. There will be 20 digital items inspired by Pacsun's spring 2023 collection of physical apparel, as well as a wearable avatar accessory called "the aura.”
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Pacsun Los Angeles Tycoon also features a number of branded Easter eggs, such as graphic tees. There are also a number of virtual obstacle courses, as well as an autograph-seeking quest in the Hollywood-inspired area of the map near the end of the game, which concludes with users being granted the Pacsun aura.
"Following positive consumer response to both PacWorld and our seasonal catalog of clothing offering on Roblox, we recognize the importance to expand our presence on Roblox and continue to offer our community new build experiences, where they can step outside the mall and leverage their skills to build their own rendition of the Los Angeles cities that make up the heart of Pacsun," said Brie Olson, co-CEO at Pacsun. "Pacsun Los Angeles Tycoon is filled with all-new surprise and delight moments that tie in elements from our physical offerings rolling out this year, and we're excited to debut our Spring 2023 collection in a way where our community can experience it in both virtual and physical worlds."
"This experience stands out as a first-of-its-kind branded city building tycoon on Roblox,” said Evan Opperman, client director at The Gang. “Pacsun is leading consumer engagement in the metaverse through bringing this core piece of their brand - Los Angeles origins - to fans worldwide. This experience is grounded by a build-and-collect tycoon game loop, and includes fun elements like street art, beach carnivals, and movies among other side quests and challenges. Users will connect in a visually gorgeous, art-driven, and super fun setting that is uniquely differentiated from other experiences on the platform.”