One of the most popular games on computers and mobile devices could see increasing engagement on consoles soon if a job posting leads to the expansion of the franchise.
What Happened: A job posting from Roblox Corp (NYSE:RBLX) is picking up steam across technology sites as it could mean the hit game could soon be added to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles from Sony Group Corp (NYSE:SONY).
Roblox is a free-to-play game that was launched in 2006 for the PC and was later added to mobile phones using the Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) iOS store and Google Play store from Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL) in 2012 and 2014, respectively.
The game is also playable on the Xbox One console from Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT). It was added in 2015. To date, the game has remained absent from Nintendo and Sony consoles. A Nintendo Switch Roblox version for the Nintendo Co. (OTC:NTDOY) console has been rumored for some time and now Sony rumors are gearing back up.
A job posting from Roblox calls for a “Senior Software Engineer, PlayStation Console.” The job posting, which was highlighted by RevealEra, reveals the person could be helping bring Roblox to multiple consoles.
“As a gaming console software engineer, you’ll help build and support our game engine used by millions of users worldwide for the Sony PlayStation platform, and other leading gaming consoles on the market, the listing reads.
The listing also mentions developing and supporting the game on consoles such as Microsoft Xbox One.
Related Link: Roblox Q4 Earnings Highlights: Record Full-Year Revenue, DAUs And More
Why It’s Important: Expanding to other consoles has been a topic of discussion with Roblox before. Moving to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation and the Meta Quest from Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:FB) were said to make “perfect sense for Roblox,” according to CEO David Baszucki. The comment came on an earnings call in May 2021.
Roblox declined to comment on a report from The Verge about the job listing.
Investors should keep this job posting and rumor in their heads as it could be a lucrative opportunity for Roblox to grow its user base and further increase monetization.
Roblox ranks as a top 50 most-played game on the Xbox One, according to TechCrunch. The mobile game also is a regular chart-topper and is the highest-grossing game on the iPad.
Roblox reported fourth-quarter revenue of $568.8 million, up 83% year-over-year. Bookings of $770.1 million were up 20% year-over-year in the fourth quarter.
The company had 49.5 million daily active users in the fourth quarter, up 33% year-over-year and a company record.
Roblox said daily active users in the month of January were 54.7%, up 32% year-over-year.
“As we look ahead to 2022, we will continue to develop our technology to enable deeper forms of communication, immersion and expression on our platform,” Baszucki said.
RBLX Price Action: Roblox shares are down 7.35% to $41.12 with one analyst downgrading the stock. Shares have traded between $39.51 and $141.59 over the last 52 weeks.
Photo: Courtesy Roblox
