KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 28 — Local animation studio Monsta says it will expand its new digital experience platform to fans of its animations through virtual game applications like The Sandbox, Roblox, and Minecraft.

Monsta chief executive officer Nizam Abdul Razak said they expect to spend about RM10 million on the platform, which would also involve the studio’s newest superhero interactive game, Mechamato Roblox, set to debut on Oct 15.

"...now they (children and animation fans) are not just watching, they also want to play, meet each other. They want to meet their favourite characters and become them.

"This is why we invest heavily in the metaverse such as digital experiences so that children can always relate to our brand. Because they are not mere spectators but want to be part of the game and play with their favourite characters,” he told Bernama after attending the 2022 Monsta Conference today.

Earlier, when announcing Monsta’s five-year plan, Nizam said the company does not focus solely on animation work but was also producing cross-border digital products.

Meanwhile, Monsta Chief Operating Officer Kee Yong Pin said in addition to creating a safe virtual space for children, the digital experience was also designed to be more interactive and also have educational elements.

"Till today, parents still support our animation, and they will do so with our digital experience. We will have more quizzes and games. It need not be related to the game or clashes but to answer questions like Monsta Matematik.

"Each of our quizzes has an educational element. So parents will be more confident that the children will learn something and benefit from the two hours they spend there,” he said.

Monsta, the creator of the popular animated series BoBoiBoy, Mechamato, Papa Pipi and Fly With Yaya, has laid plans until 2027 for their superhero characters, including new characters they will introduce in the future.

The animation studio is currently entering its third phase, Monsta 3.0, which focuses on more collaborations with various companies and brands to penetrate the international market. — Bernama