JD Sports has officially entered the metaverse with its King of the Game metaverse experience. Thirty-Two celebrities, including Anthony Joshua, a British boxer who formerly held the World Heavyweight Boxing Champion title, British rapper Kano and Youtuber KSI, partnered with the shoe and apparel brand for its metaverse debut.
The experience builds on the company’s King of the Game social media campaign. In the video advertisement for the campaign, various individuals are competitively playing air hockey, racing titles and other games in a neon-infused arcade The new metaverse experience launched on Facebook’s gaming platform and marked the first time a game geared towards sneakerheads has launched on Facebook’s gaming platform.
Brands in the Metaverse
JD Sports is just the latest apparel brand to dive into the metaverse. Fashion brands such as Nike, Forever 21 and Gucci already have a foothold in the metaverse. Of course plenty of brands outside the fashion industry are also making their mark in the metaverse. Popular big box retailer Walmart launched Walmartland and Walmart’s Universe of Play in Roblox earlier this year. Even restaurants are finding their metaverse niches, like fast-food restaurant Wendy’s and its Wendyverse. While many types of metaverse experiences exist, games remain one of the most popular forms of metaverse content.
The King of the Game metaverse experience is set in a magic arcade within a shopping centre. JD Sports’ metaverse game allows players to create custom avatars and partake in various mini-games. Sporting a neon aesthetic, the arcade features pinball and claw machines, among other games, for users to enjoy. Consumers can also compete against friends in virtual table football and other typical arcade titles.
Additionally, users can collect JD coins as they explore the arcade-style world and may find themselves on the national leaderboard. According to Drapers Online, a group of grassroots creators reconstructed the metaverse experience within Meta’s Crayta platform.
Jack Brassell is a freelance journalist and aspiring novelist. Jack is a self-proclaimed nerd with a lifelong passion for storytelling. As an author, Jack writes mostly horror and young adult fantasy. Also an avid gamer, she works as the lead news editor at Hardcore Droid. When she isn't writing or playing games, she can often be found binge-watching Parks & Rec or The Office, proudly considering herself to be a cross between Leslie Knope and Pam Beasley.
