1 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:07,400 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news. 2 00:00:07,800 --> 00:00:11,000 Speaker 2: Video game platform Roadblocks the shares on the up and up. 3 00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 2: Of course, the company reported large and expected to jump 4 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:16,040 Speaker 2: and users for the first quarter, with its daily active 5 00:00:16,040 --> 00:00:18,680 Speaker 2: players jobbing twenty six percent ninety seven point eight million 6 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:21,439 Speaker 2: now and that was for the first three months ending 7 00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:24,400 Speaker 2: in March. Dave Pazuki, Reblock CEO, joins us and Dave, 8 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:28,520 Speaker 2: are you economic anxiety proof? Are you recession proof. 9 00:00:29,880 --> 00:00:32,000 Speaker 3: Ed? Carolyn, thank you for having me on the program. 10 00:00:32,040 --> 00:00:35,640 Speaker 3: I want to highlight significant performance in Q one. We 11 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:39,320 Speaker 3: just shared yesterday on our Earnie's Call on our really 12 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:42,800 Speaker 3: mission to get ten percent of the global gaming software 13 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:47,760 Speaker 3: market running on the platform. Roadblocks is virtual, Roadblocks is digital. 14 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:51,279 Speaker 3: We do not have any supply chain issues. There is 15 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 3: no shortage of Roadblocks, and we are contributing to the 16 00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 3: US trade import export ratio. We're bringing cash. 17 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:02,800 Speaker 2: Into the and you're paying some of those content creators, 18 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:07,640 Speaker 2: in particular developers. Dave, I'm interested in that ten percent figure, Like, 19 00:01:07,760 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 2: what sort of timeframe are we talking here? Because what 20 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:11,160 Speaker 2: you're about three percent? 21 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:14,200 Speaker 3: Now? Am I right? We're at about two and a 22 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 3: half to three percent. We have shared consistently that we 23 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:21,319 Speaker 3: believe we can grow at greater than twenty percent year 24 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 3: on year. We highlighted in Q one growth rates much 25 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 3: higher than that, including revenue growth rates of twenty nine 26 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:33,720 Speaker 3: percent year on year, daily active user growth rates of 27 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 3: twenty six percent year on year, and a couple really 28 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 3: interesting highlights. Over thirteen users on the platform, DAUS grew 29 00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:50,360 Speaker 3: by thirty six percent year on year and India huge 30 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:53,200 Speaker 3: market grew by seventy seven percent year on year. So 31 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:55,559 Speaker 3: we really think it's attainable. 32 00:01:56,720 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 1: Dave, I'm a passionate gamer in the over third category, 33 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 1: and I'd say that the biggest headlines right now are 34 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 1: the delay of GTA six high fidelity game and the 35 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:14,000 Speaker 1: delay of switch to on the console side. Is that 36 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:16,160 Speaker 1: way you think you're going to compete when you aim 37 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 1: ten percent market share? How did those two headlines impact 38 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 1: roadblocks and the platform. 39 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:27,880 Speaker 3: We have shared a roadmap, including highlighting genre expansion into 40 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:34,040 Speaker 3: RPG sports and racing battle games on the platform. We 41 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:36,960 Speaker 3: are seeing more of this on the platform. For example, 42 00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:42,799 Speaker 3: we recently NASCAR has teamed up with Driving Empire, Paramount 43 00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 3: teamed up with SpongeBob simulator, PGA Tour has teamed up 44 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:52,160 Speaker 3: so we're seeing more and more of this. We shared 45 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:56,200 Speaker 3: that these three genres, which will contribute to us getting 46 00:02:56,240 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 3: to ten percent of the gaming space, we believe grew 47 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:03,840 Speaker 3: over sixty percent year on year on the platform growing revenue. 48 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 1: What role is advertising going to play? 49 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:11,519 Speaker 3: We think we already have some creators on our platform 50 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 3: who are making more money on advertising than they are 51 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:18,919 Speaker 3: with virtual currency. We believe it's a natural compliment. What 52 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:21,600 Speaker 3: it's not big enough yet for us to break out 53 00:03:21,639 --> 00:03:26,040 Speaker 3: the numbers. We just released a partnership with Google that 54 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:30,760 Speaker 3: will provide more video advertising for some of our our developers. 55 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:34,680 Speaker 3: So it's part of building an economic ecosystem, you know. 56 00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 3: We also shared that over one hundred creators on the 57 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 3: platform made over a million dollars in the last twelve months, 58 00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:45,600 Speaker 3: So there's a huge variety of creators starting to make 59 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:46,920 Speaker 3: good businesses. 60 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:50,960 Speaker 2: And Wedbush, for example, the analyst, they're saying that payment, 61 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:53,280 Speaker 2: when it improves the content, it draws more people there. 62 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:56,560 Speaker 2: Dave Weber also say, look, when you actually tell us 63 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 2: exactly you break out the numbers advertising, that's the next 64 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:03,160 Speaker 2: cat list for roadblock shares. Any timeframe and when you 65 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 2: will be able to break out the advertising numbers. 66 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:07,960 Speaker 3: We want to break out those numbers sooner as soon 67 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:10,880 Speaker 3: as we can. They are growing, stay tuned, we're looking 68 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:15,280 Speaker 3: forward to that. That said, we're growing at enormous rates 69 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:19,159 Speaker 3: with the core business of virtual currency, both on engagement 70 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:23,440 Speaker 3: and on users, really significant outperformance in Q one. 71 00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:25,960 Speaker 2: I'm going to go to the delicate side because last 72 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 2: time you joined us, Dave, it was all about parental controls. 73 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:30,760 Speaker 2: It's all about the focus on safety. Now since we 74 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:33,400 Speaker 2: last spoke, there's been a couple more legal cases come 75 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:36,280 Speaker 2: your way. Look, these lawsuits aimed at you and at 76 00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:41,520 Speaker 2: Discord and once again is about alleged grooming, sexual exploitation 77 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:44,520 Speaker 2: using the platforms. How are you dealing and responding to 78 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:47,120 Speaker 2: those particular lawsuits. How you're feeling, Dave? As well as 79 00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:48,960 Speaker 2: I know you have your own family using it and 80 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:50,800 Speaker 2: you think seriously about this stuff. 81 00:04:51,920 --> 00:04:56,200 Speaker 3: I would say both optimistic and as well a humility 82 00:04:56,240 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 3: for the responsibility we have. You know, any single inci 83 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:04,640 Speaker 3: and on our platform is one too many, and there's 84 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:08,280 Speaker 3: almost one hundred million daily users on the platform every day. 85 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:11,840 Speaker 3: We take this as an enormous responsibility. We are taking 86 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:15,680 Speaker 3: leadership here in that all communication on our platform is 87 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:19,440 Speaker 3: filtered and goes through AI filters, which are getting enormously better, 88 00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:23,440 Speaker 3: including voice. There's no image sharing on our platform, so 89 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:26,599 Speaker 3: there's less risk of some of the things that happen 90 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:30,080 Speaker 3: in that area. And more and more we're focusing not 91 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:33,960 Speaker 3: just on under thirteen, but on thirteen through seventeen year olds. 92 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:37,839 Speaker 3: That's also a delicate age. We're starting to lean into 93 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:42,600 Speaker 3: age verification around this. We work very heavily with local, state, 94 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:46,239 Speaker 3: and federal law enforcement. Roadblocks is a dangerous place for 95 00:05:46,360 --> 00:05:49,760 Speaker 3: bad actors, so we have a big responsibility here. 96 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:52,480 Speaker 1: Dave, you talked about M and A actually in the 97 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:56,760 Speaker 1: roadbox ecosystem during the call. Give me some solid numbers 98 00:05:56,800 --> 00:05:59,240 Speaker 1: on what that looks like and some MNA for the 99 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:01,120 Speaker 1: company as well. Going forward. 100 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:06,440 Speaker 3: We have shared that there are over there's now three 101 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:09,880 Speaker 3: creators on a run rate of over fifty million a year. 102 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:12,600 Speaker 3: You can put some multiples on top of that and 103 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:16,760 Speaker 3: estimate what their businesses might be worth. At our Developer 104 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:21,040 Speaker 3: conference last year, we shared a prediction there'll be a 105 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:25,200 Speaker 3: billion dollar valuation studio on the platform. We think that's 106 00:06:25,320 --> 00:06:29,240 Speaker 3: very very possible. Internally, we haven't announced any M and A, 107 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:31,800 Speaker 3: but we are generating a fair amount of cash. You know, 108 00:06:31,839 --> 00:06:34,799 Speaker 3: we have well north of three billion dollars of cash, 109 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:37,480 Speaker 3: but no roadblocks. M and A plans right now. 110 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:40,039 Speaker 1: Dave Zukier roadblocks. Thank you very much for joining us 111 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:41,120 Speaker 1: on Bloomberg Technology