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Walmart weds gaming, commerce closer together with interactive series
Walmart continues to step up its efforts to tie together e-commerce with gaming, a popular activity with valuable Gen Z consumers. The collaboration with Spatial, an 18-plus gaming platform, on Walmart Unlimited marks the first use of Walmart’s Unity SDK, which the big-box store aims to integrate into future Spatial experiences and other independent video games built on the Unity engine. Unity’s editor is used by some 1.2 million game developers monthly, potentially giving Walmart a wide reach. Walmart has dubbed these cross-channel commerce experiences as Adaptive Retail.
“Gaming is one of the biggest forms of entertainment on earth, reaching more than 3 billion people spanning diverse backgrounds and interests,” said Justin Breton, director of brand experience and partnerships at Walmart, in a statement. The executive added that “Unity broadens our ability to engage with new customers by adding value to the gaming industry for both gamers and developers.”
Web-based Walmart Unlimited has the look and feel of superhero media and throws a spotlight on Walmart suppliers. For example, one character is based on Ibraheem Basir, the founder of the Creole, Caribbean and Latin American-inspired food brand A Dozen Cousins. After users play through each episode of the trilogy, they can shop goods from featured suppliers through a dedicated in-game hub. The final two installments will be released in April and May.
Walmart Unlimited was directed by animation studio Martian Blueberry and developed with the help of game studio Pigiama Kasama. The concept echoes past Walmart gaming initiatives, including experiences built for Roblox like an ambitious Universe of Play world that was wound down after six months. Walmart’s gaming bets have received some pushback from advertising watchdogs that view these tactics as a way to stealthily market to children.
Walmart Unlimited represents a new experiment for the big-box store but is part of its larger strategy of boosting online retail as it looks to stay competitive with Amazon. The company’s global e-commerce sales rose 16% in the crucial fourth quarter, bolstered by U.S. marketplace growth.