We Visited Visa’s Roblox Paris Olympics Village Experience
We went to the Paris Olympics - in Roblox! Here's our take on the Visa corporate brand experience.
Last week, Catherine and I spent some time in the Visa Olympics experience in Roblox. Skate on top of a tightrope? Sure! And who wouldn’t want to race on top of a track and field up to the sky? Or use a tennis racket to paddle a fiery, flying volleyball?
We took pole vaulting to new heights, raced around the track with lightning speed, rode on a balancing beam, went rock climbing, and cycled through the scenic routes of the virtual Paris Olympics Park.
We enjoyed Visa’s Roblox Paris Olympics Experience, and for all the wrong reasons.
It was a play-space created for adults by adults. And that’s the problem: let’s break it down.
Visa Olympic Village in Roblox
Let’s start off with what it was meant to be.
Visa press boasted the experience would be “a variety of Olympic-inspired mini-games, while also allowing users to access virtual products in the Olympic Shop, learn about Olympic sports and receive the latest updates during Paris 2024.”
Instead, the game falls short in compelling gameplay, multiplayer social elements or educational content.
While charming and colorful, is a typical corporate Roblox experience. Too bland, too pretty and dull.
The game lacks the type of spontaneity and dynamism needed to keep players returning back and generate some of the awe we experience from watching the actual Olympic Games. Ultimately, the game lacked imagination and rigor.
The Visa Roblox Olympics felt too “safe” and predictable.
Audiences don’t go to the Olympics for “safe” games - people play for the thrills, buzz, and high-adrenaline adventure of Olympics sports.
Then there was the question of my purpose as a player in the Visa Olympic Village: am I a tourist or an active athlete?
Oddly, it felt more like a gym with separate athletic experiences than a performative, athletics competition. I couldn’t join a team, practice a sport or cheer on the teams; who was I, and why was I there?
Takeaway - Roblox Corporate Activations
While we applaud Visa for creating the Olympic Village in Roblox and the athletic challenges, while short, were fun - the game suffers from many of the similar pitfalls that other corporate Roblox brand activations face:
Overly simplistic in-game challenges
Inadequate design (un-curated sandbox spaces)
Limited/no multiplayer social engagement
No lore or storytelling element
Unclear player purpose
For brands to differentiate themselves and encourage multiple visits and social sharing, they must consider building game experiences that are:
rich in complex sports gameplay
have a compelling reason for players to be in the space
embed themselves deeply in the social tapestry of Roblox’s player base
Otherwise, they risk creating experiences that lack strong player retention, relevance and brand loyalty.
To connect with Gen Z and Gen A audiences, the Visa Roblox Paris Olympics Experience would have been more effective had it prioritized *sports* competition - not an un-curated, open sandbox world that leaves players feeling lost, confused and unfulfilled.
"the Visa Roblox Paris Olympics Experience would have been more effective had it prioritized *sports* competition - not an un-curated, open sandbox world that leaves players feeling lost, confused and unfulfilled." This seems to be the problem with a lot of these one-off Roblox experiences. Maybe an example of what works, like Vans World perhaps, would be a helpful guide for VISA.