Roblox's Competitors: The Other Players In The Gaming Space

Roblox's (NYSE: RBLX) revenue increased 127% year-over-year (YoY) to $454.1 million in the second quarter of 2021. The company grew its average daily active users by 29% YoY to 43.2 million too.

To the delight of shareholders, the gaming platform's stock is up 14% since it went public in April. However, there are many competitors in the space that also capture the interest of investors. 

Unity Software 

Unity Software (NYSE: U) is a leading real-time 3D development platform for video games. In 2020, it recorded all-time highs for monthly active users thanks to increased interest in the company during the pandemic. Of the top 1,000 mobile games in Q4 2020, 71% were made using Unity.

Unity's main focus is offering a range of software tools to allow game developers to create lifelike virtual content across video game consoles, desktop computers, and mobile phones. The automotive, construction, engineering, and architecture industries can even benefit from this type of offering. Unity also has a partnership with Snapchat, providing creative and advertising technology tools to developers.

Revenue rose 48% in Q1 to $273.6 million, with a $149.2 million operating loss, or 55% of revenue, compared to a loss of $24.8 million, or 13% of revenue, in the same period last year.

While Unity Software has a lot going for it, sustained strong levels of growth will be necessary for investors to see a decent return on current prices. 

Take-Two Interactive 

Take-Two Interactive (NASDAQ: TTWO) is a video game publisher, with two major studios under its umbrella - 2K and Rockstar Games.

Despite it being eight years old, Take-Two is still earning handsome revenue from the record-breaking 'Grand Theft Auto V'. It is currently developing this game for the latest generation of consoles. Rumors are circulating that it is also planning to remaster older games in the GTA franchise.

The company's revenue decreased 2% to $813.3 million. It did have decent operating margins, recording $152.3 million in net income for the period, up 72% YoY.

Some investors have concerns about slowing GTA V sales. The game accounts for about a quarter of the company's total revenue. However, Take-Two plans to release 93 games over the next five years. This should help it to diversify its offering a bit more. The long-term outlook for Take-Two looks optimistic with its ability to generate a high rate of return from investments and strong annual earnings growth.

Microsoft 

As well as being a huge player in the computing space, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) also has a big presence in gaming. It is the owner of Xbox, the main console competitor to Sony's PlayStation. The latest generation Xbox launched in November 2020, with sales being generally solid despite supply issues.

Microsoft is also rolling out a beta version of the new Xbox Cloud Gaming service. This sees the company moving away from its traditional model of having users individually download games. This new offering is more like a Netflix service. With this monthly subscription service, over 100 games can be streamed without downloading.

Microsoft also owns Minecraft. As the world's most popular video game, Minecraft generates hundreds of millions in revenue each year. 

Finally, Microsoft is providing more tools for people who want to create their own games. This is part of the new cloud services program - ID@Azure. This is targeted towards startup developers, individual creators, and independent game studios. 

Total Microsoft gaming revenue rose 21% in Q2, reaching $46.15 billion, and still has plenty of room for growth in gaming and elsewhere.

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