LogInBy developing interactive product configurators, AR/VR experiences, virtual items and islands in platforms like Roblox, Fortnite, and Minecraft non-gaming companies can differentiate themselves from competitors and offer customers unforgettable experiences.
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Building Partnerships With Non-Gaming Brands
Opinions on the demand for creating 3D content among non-gaming brands differ. Some of the 80 Level interviewees believe that many non-gaming companies still depend on conventional marketing strategies, including static images and videos, which they view as sufficient for their requirements.
However, others highlight the significant interest among non-gaming companies in developing 3D content. According to them, demand is growing due to the increasing amount of time teenagers spend on platforms such as Roblox and Fortnite.
Matthew Warneford, CEO at Dubit (Full interview)
A lot of brands are very interested in 3D content. We track how many branded campaigns there are, and they are growing quickly year on year because they are where consumers are. Brands will spend money broadly in proportion to where consumers spend time now. We've created 5,000 virtual clothes in the last 6 months to sell inside Roblox, and of course, 5,000 sounds like a lot, but actually, Roblox players bought 2.2 billion virtual clothes last year.
Moreover, they note a huge trend in which non-gaming brands are partnering with outsourcing agencies. According to 3D Artists and creators, the collaborative process in this scenario differs from the interactions typically seen with gaming companies.
Creating 3D content can be extremely costly. However, by outsourcing this task, non-gaming companies can decrease operational expenses linked to recruiting full-time employees and managing infrastructure. It allows them to allocate resources more effectively and concentrate on core business operations.
Vladimir Tokarev, CEO at Artmer Studio (Full interview)
It all comes down to money, as always. For instance, when they need to render or process something, let's say they scanned around 70 models in half a year and then need to showcase them again in 3 months, they’d need to hire around 70 artists, or at least 20. This is very time-consuming; hiring takes a long time. Then, if your project is completed and doesn’t need ongoing support, you have to lay off staff, which is also quite expensive for a few countries.
Price And Project Requirements: What’s The Balance?
The Global Software Development Rates 2020 report from Existek revealed that in-house digital product development tends to be 53% more expensive due to higher hourly rates, taxes, and staff training costs.
The price of virtual content creation services can vary significantly, largely depending on the client's needs. According to the 80 Level interviewees, the average price is around 20-50K USD. Smaller tasks can require 10-20K USD whereas huge metaverse projects like entire game creation can escalate up to 150-200K USD.
However, respondents consider projects with simple mechanics costing over 50K USD to be too expensive. They also advise against projects under 10K USD, as they believe this may result in low-quality output.
Thus, the price of a project can be influenced by the various factors including complexity of the work, the kind of engine, the rarity of specialization, the quality requirements of the result. Moreover, brands can focus on creating 3D content in Roblox and Fortnite where they don't have to gain an audience, as players already have a positive attitude to these games.