No longer a background player when you pause a show or leave the room, the Roku The city screensaver has transformed into its own civilization. On Thursday, the streaming company introduced a new way to lure its customers to the screen with See You in Roku, which takes you into its world through movies and a few interactive features.
There are six short films dedicated to Roku that take you to different parts of an imaginary location, including Mount Roku, a pirate ship, and Roku Island (where an unfortunate plane crash leaves someone with a serious eye injury). Viewers can enter the purple-hued city and watch scenes from its hospital, Roku General, or witness a fierce showdown between gangsters over sharing connections.
In addition to these movies, you can also romp around the volcano, go see the Kraken in the bay, or use your Roku remote for other adventures around town.
“Roku City has always been a little mysterious – honestly, that’s part of its charm,” said Damon Van Deusen, vice president of the Roku brand. “We wanted to reward fans’ curiosity instead of keeping them guessing. ‘See You in Roku’ is our way of finally opening it up, while still keeping the personality that made people fall in love with Roku City in the first place.”
This isn’t the first time the streaming giant has played with its brand. Last April, the company launched City Dash, a spaceship-themed video game that viewers can play on the home screen. And in May, Roku gave the home page a major overhaul to make the interface more personalized.
