Although my home is littered with gaming systems, mobile devices, and computers running everything from AAA titles to niche indies, my 8-year-old daughter prefers to spend her time playing Roblox, a free-to-play game available on any screen she can get her hands on. Roblox Premium costs her a significant portion of her allowance.
It’s not just her. According to Rooster Money, Roblox is the most popular game for 5- to 12-year-olds in the United States, and it is expected to overtake Fortnite in the UK’s pocket money spending charts in 2020. As of the start of trading on the NYSE, the company was valued at $45 billion. With over 32,6 million daily active users and 8 million active creators and developers from 180 countries, you can play it virtually anywhere from an Xbox to a phone, laptop, or PC. Creating a Roblox account is completely free.
Despite his protests to the contrary, my 11-year-old son is frequently seen playing Roblox when I peek over his shoulder. Because he can play it with everyone, it’s one of his favourites.
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Virtual Worlds
Initially, my daughter requested that I play SharkBite. My PC was connected to her phone, and I was able to join in. If you want to win SharkBite, you’ll have to devour other players in order to do so. They grab weapons and try to kill or evade the deadly jaws that have been cast as survivors. Because of a boat collision, my daughter’s avatar is now sitting, but that didn’t stop us from screaming and laughing as we tried to hide from the hungry beasts that were waiting for us.
You can easily invite friends to join you in virtual worlds or games through the platform’s easy-to-use invitation system. At the press of a button, they can be spawned right next to each other. My children are constantly negotiating which game to join with their friends on their phones, thanks to open chat channels. Long download times and loading screens are eliminated, as are avatars and the most basic controls. Exploration is a lot of fun because of the sheer variety and uniqueness.
A new game to me called Royale High was also on the agenda. When I contacted the app’s creator, Callmehbob, she refused to reveal her real identity.
When Callmehbob (also known as @Nightbarbie) was unable to find a game she liked, she decided to make her own. To my surprise, it turned out that many other players wanted a similar game, and it took off like wildfire.”
While Roblox has been around since 2007, Callmehbob didn’t begin developing a game for the platform until 2017, when she was 22 years old. Royale High has been played more than 5 billion times, even though she had no prior experience in the gaming industry. Making a game that you want to play and that you can make money playing is essential, according to her.
As Callmehbob points out, “Roblox has so many players that you’ll find your perfect audience.” It still amazes me how many players have the same mindset and like the same things that I do.
My English classes at Royale High are held in a castle-themed school. After a quick interactive spelling test (I got a perfect score of 10/10), I dash to my locker to retrieve the correct book in time for chemistry. Later, I bathe and put on a new outfit for a dance. I’m overcome with emotion when I’m crowned king of the ball, which comes with a bouquet of flowers and 500 diamonds, after dancing and drinking punch.
While working on Royale High’s design, Callmehbob says, “It’s been a constant balancing act between making entertaining games to earn currency and creating entertaining shop items to spend that currency on.”
In addition to the school itself, there’s a magical world to discover outside of Royale High. There is a campfire in the middle of the forest, and we find a smore-making kit nearby. Mini-games abound, as do opportunities to earn or acquire currency for the purchase of enviable clothing and accessories.
Speaking of the increase in Roblox users, she says, “I think we helped bring in a whole new wave of people, by making a more feminine game, a style/genre I frequently search for and want to play but is somewhat difficult to find. There are many other female-oriented games that came before me, so thank you for laying the foundation!
Despite the fact that half of all gamers are female, this type of gameplay is underrepresented in the larger games industry, which is still dominated by men. A lot of people prefer games with a more laid-back pace or a different type of gameplay.
“Roblox is an excellent platform for students who are new to game design, but it also provides the opportunity to learn advanced coding, modelling, and game design skills,” says Philip Williams, the head of Library Services at United World College of South East Asia’s East Campus.
Robux, the platform’s in-game currency, can be purchased with real money. Premium payouts, which give developers a share of subscription fees based on how much time players spend in their games or virtual worlds, are how they make money for developers. It is possible for developers to make money by selling virtual goods such as clothing and weapons, as well as game passes and virtual assets. I’ve heard from my daughter that you can tell “noobs” from their outfits, which is why she wanted to join the subscription service.
It is possible for developers to use Robux to promote their games on the Roblox platform. As virtual worlds become more popular, it is important to be discovered. The higher you bid, the more frequently your ad will appear on Roblox’s bidding system. It’s difficult to turn those ad views into money. According to my kids, they rarely click on advertisements and instead discover new games through word of mouth.
Creativity Hotbed
A city-based role-playing game called Brookhaven follows. You can buy a house, get a licence to drive different types of vehicles, and even find work. In order to get away from the robbery, my daughter leads me on an adventure that involves robbing a bank. Then I get a job as a pilot and we parachute back to the ground after triggering an emergency. It’s a mess, but it’s a lot of fun.
Everybody I talk to says Roblox isn’t just for kids, and it’s not just a platform for young people, either; the majority of players are under the age of 13, and nearly half of them are female. With kids who grew up with Roblox and continue to play it into adulthood, this is especially true.
However, there will always be some discomfort. There are now concerns about online dating and inappropriate behaviour on Roblox due to the fact that the platform has built its user base largely as a family-friendly environment. I’ve tried a few games that have a more adult feel, but my kids say they haven’t encountered any disturbing content. There is human moderation and a filter for younger players to remove offensive language, but a platform of this size is bound to have dark corners.
If you’re concerned about your children’s safety, you can access Roblox’s settings to control who they can chat with, restrict chat to friends only, and vet their friends list. You have the option of limiting your child’s access to certain games or even disabling chat entirely in their account settings.
Another fan favourite, Flee the Facility, provides a fitting conclusion. As a beast, one player hunts down survivors who must hack computers to open exit doors. With a red light and musical cues, you’ll know when the beasts are near. Dead by Daylight’s addictive hook and sense of peril are present, but violence is only implied rather than depicted in graphic detail. As she hammers me to oblivion, my daughter is a beast and shows no mercy.
The last thing I hear is “Ha ha, die noob!”
Roblox, despite its flaws and idiosyncrasies, is a fertile ground for innovation. With so many options, it’s been a lifeline for my kids during lockdown, allowing them to keep in touch with friends when they couldn’t otherwise.
Updated on March 19: We’ve added instructions on how to change game settings to restrict who your kids can talk to. Several company statistics have also been updated.
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