Walmart has recently teamed up with Unity, a leader in creating real-time 3D (RT3D) content, to incorporate Walmart’s commerce APIs into Unity-developed games and applications. By offering the capability for the developers to market physical products in RT3D experiences across over 20 platforms, the partnership strives to eliminate the gap between virtual and physical lifestyles for customers. Moreover, it unveils new monetization methods in games and experiences designed with Unity.
Empowering Developers And Boosting User Engagement
The partnership benefits from Unity’s significant user base, with at least 1.1 million developers using the Unity editor monthly. The developers contribute to an average of 3.6 billion downloads of ‘Made with Unity’ applications every month, highlighting the massive reach and impact of the partnership. Walmart aims to offer its retail capabilities in the virtual space, presenting new commerce opportunities within these digital platforms.
Vice President and General Manager of Metaverse Commerce at Walmart’s Store No. 8, Tom Kang, articulated the potential that comes with this partnership. He stated:
“We have an opportunity to connect the physical and digital realms in a way that only Walmart can, meeting our customers and members with authentic experiences where they already are.”
The initiative enables developers to create engaging user experiences by enabling in-game transactions for physical products, hence maintaining the immersive nature of digital environments.
Marc Whitten, President of Create at Unity, reiterated these sentiments, highlighting the partnership’s potential to boost commercial innovation in games and virtual experiences.
“We’re excited to be able to give Unity developers the option of another new revenue stream while keeping players within their games and experiences.”
Walmart’s Dive Into Immersive Commerce
Walmart’s recent explorations in immersive commerce have included partnerships on three Unity-based experiences: ‘Avakin Life’ by Lockwood Publishing, ‘House Flip’ by fun-gi, and ZEPETO by Naver Z. These incorporations enable users to buy real-life counterparts of in-game items, merging virtual activities with physical shopping.
For instance, with ‘House Flip’, users of the mobile game, designed for decorating, renovating, and selling virtual properties, can acquire the actual versions of the items they use in the game.
The introduction of Walmart’s Unity Software-Development Kit (SDK) strives to enable developers to further integrate Walmart’s Commerce APIs into their projects. This method aims to boost gaming experiences by letting in-game purchases of physical goods, increasing player engagement, and unleashing affiliate commissions as a new monetization strategy.
