Why Hollywood is turning to Roblox and other gaming platforms to tempt Gen Z into cinemas
Surrounded by virtual cliffs and a cascading waterfall, dragon riders on Roblox's massive online gaming platform immerse themselves in a memorable scene from the new How to Train Your Dragon movie, a remake of the 2010 animated box-office hit of the same name.
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In the sequence, the young Viking Hiccup reaches out his hand to touch Toothless, the black, green-eyed dragon he once feared.
After players feed Toothless enough digital fish, their avatars reach out to pet the dragon, mimicking the scene from the movie. Then they hop on and fly on the dragon to an island where they can watch the trailer.
For 21-year-old Annabelle Barone, training a virtual dragon is an experience she will remember.
'It just makes me want to see [the new movie] even more,' says Barone, who plans to see the film with friends.
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