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{{Short description|Multiplayer game creation platform}} | |||
{{pp-semi-indef}} | |||
{{For|the parent company that develops Roblox|Roblox Corporation}} | |||
{{multiple issues| | |||
{{Distinguish|Robox}} | |||
{{expert needed|1=Video Games|date=June 2016}} | |||
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{{third-party|date=June 2016}} | |||
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{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} | ||
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{{Use American English|date=July 2024}} | ||
{{Infobox software | |||
}} | |||
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2015}} | |||
{{Infobox video game | |||
| title = Roblox | | title = Roblox | ||
| |
| logo = ] | ||
| logo caption = Logo used since 2022 | |||
| developer = ROBLOX Corporation | |||
| screenshot = Roblox app screenshot.png | |||
| distributor = ROBLOX Corporation | |||
| caption = The platform's "Charts" page (see ]) | |||
| engine = ROBLOX Rendering Engine<br />ImPlicitNgine | |||
| author = ]<br />Erik Cassel<ref name="ForbesHow">{{Cite web |last=Knapp |first=Alex |date=September 17, 2018 |title=How Roblox Is Training The Next Generation Of Gaming Entrepreneurs |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2018/09/17/how-roblox-is-training-the-next-generation-of-gaming-entrepreneurs/ |access-date=April 23, 2019 |website=]}}</ref> | |||
| platforms = ], ], ], ], ], ], ],<ref>{{cite news| url=http://blog.roblox.com/2014/07/roblox-arrives-on-android/| title=Roblox Arrives on Android| first=Andrew| last=Haak| date=16 July 2014| publisher=Roblox Corporation}}</ref> ],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/09/24/roblox-helps-you-make-your-own-xbox-one-games|title=Roblox Helps You Make Your Own Xbox One Games|last=McCaffrey|first=Ryan|date=24 September 2015|publisher=]|accessdate=12 March 2016}}</ref> ]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2016/04/roblox-enters-the-vr-space-with-launch-on-oculus-rift/|title=ROBLOX Enters the VR Space with Launch on Oculus Rift|publisher=}}</ref> | |||
| developer = ] | |||
| released = 2004 <br/> (as Dynablocks & Goblox,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://who.is/whois/goblox.com|title=goblox.com whois lookup - who.is|website=who.is|access-date=2016-10-08}}</ref> private alpha) <br/> 2005 (Public alpha) <br/> 2006 (official beta) | |||
| released = {{Unbulleted list| | |||
| genre = ], physics-based ] | |||
'''Windows'''|September 1, 2006<ref name="founding">{{Cite web |title=Roblox Company Information |url=http://en.help.roblox.com/hc/en-us/articles/203313370-Roblox-Company-Information |access-date=September 9, 2019 |website=Roblox Support}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Yaden |first=Joseph |date=May 4, 2020 |title=What is Roblox? |url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/what-is-roblox/ |access-date=June 1, 2020 |website=]}}</ref> | |||
| modes = ] | |||
|'''iOS'''|December 11, 2012<ref name=iOSR/> | |||
|'''Android'''|July 16, 2014<ref name="AndroidRelease">{{Cite news |last=Haak |first=Andrew |date=July 16, 2014 |title=Roblox Arrives on Android |url=https://blog.roblox.com/2014/07/roblox-arrives-on-android/ |access-date=June 26, 2020 |website=Roblox Blog}}</ref> | |||
|'''Xbox One'''|November 20, 2015<ref name=XboxOneRelease/> | |||
|'''Meta Quest 2''', '''Quest Pro'''|September 2023<ref name="QuestRelease">{{cite news|last1=Peters|first1=Jay|title=Roblox is finally coming to PlayStation|url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/8/23863712/roblox-playstation-ps4-ps5-rdc-2023|access-date=September 9, 2023|work=The Verge|date=September 8, 2023}}</ref>{{Efn|A public beta was released on July 27, 2023.<ref name="QuestBeta">{{cite news|last1=Peters|first1=Jay|title=Roblox is now available to try on Meta Quest VR headsets|url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/7/27/23810093/meta-quest-roblox-vr-headsets-beta|access-date=September 9, 2023|work=The Verge|date=July 27, 2023}}</ref>}} | |||
|'''PlayStation 4'''|October 10, 2023<ref name="PSRelease">{{Cite web |title= Roblox launches on PlayStation in October |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/roblox-launches-on-playstation-in-october |last=Phillips |first=Tom |date=September 14, 2023 |access-date=September 21, 2023 |website=Eurogamer |language=en}}</ref> | |||
}} | }} | ||
| latest_release_version = 652 | |||
{{Infobox company | |||
| latest_release_date = {{Start date and age|2024|11|21}}<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://devforum.roblox.com/c/updates/release-notes/62 |title=Latest Updates/Release Notes topics |website=Roblox Developer Forum |access-date=November 21, 2024 |archive-date=November 21, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241121221947/https://devforum.roblox.com/c/updates/release-notes/62 |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
| name = ROBLOX Corporation | |||
| programming language = {{Unbulleted list|]|]}} | |||
| type = ] | |||
| platform = ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] | |||
| founders = David Baszucki<br/>Erik Cassel | |||
| genre = ], ] | |||
| location_city = ] | |||
| |
| license = ] | ||
| website = hide | |||
| area_served = Worldwide | |||
| key_people = David Baszucki <small>(Founder & CEO)</small><br/>Keith Lucas <small>(Chief Product Officer)</small><br/>Andrew Chmyz <small>(Chief Financial Officer)</small><br/>Adam Miller <small>(VP of Engineering, Technology)</small><br/>Ian Silverstein <small>(VP of Global Sales)</small><br/>Scott Rubin <small>(SVP of Business of Development)</small> | |||
| homepage = {{URL|corp.roblox.com}} | |||
}} | }} | ||
'''Roblox''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|r|oʊ|b|l|ɒ|k|s|audio=LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Roblox.wav}}, {{respell|ROH|bloks}}) is an ] ] and ] developed by ] that allows users to ] and play games created by themselves or other users. Created by ] and Erik Cassel in 2004 and released in 2006, the platform hosts user-created games of multiple genres coded in the ] ]. Early in Roblox{{'}}s history, it was relatively small, both as a platform and as a company. Roblox began to grow rapidly in the second half of the 2010s, and this growth was ].<ref name=Levy/><ref>{{Cite web |last=Morrison |first=Sherwood |date=July 12, 2019 |title=How Roblox avoided the gaming graveyard and grew into a $2.5B company |url=https://techcrunch.com/2019/07/11/how-roblox-avoided-the-gaming-graveyard-and-grew-into-a-2-5b-company/ |access-date=August 28, 2020 |website=]}}</ref> | |||
'''Roblox''' (stylized as '''RŌBLOX''') is a ] created and marketed toward children and teenagers aged 8–18. In the game, players are able to create their own ] and design their own games.<ref name="cnet">{{cite news|url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-19882_3-20070969-250/roblox-a-virtual-world-of-lego-like-blocks/ |title=Roblox: A virtual world of Lego-like blocks |publisher=] |accessdate=29 February 2012|date = 14 June 2011|last = Needleman|first = Rafe}}</ref> Games on Roblox can be ]ed using a ] edition of ] to affect events that occur in-game and create different scenarios. The company's main source of revenue comes from players buying Robux, the main virtual currency in the game, and from players buying "''Builders Club''" access, a status which gives virtual benefits to users. Players who have created an account may purchase either ''Builders Club'', ''Turbo Builders Club'', or ''Outrageous Builders Club'', otherwise known by users as ''BC, TBC,'' and ''OBC'', respectively.<ref name=":1">{{cite news|last=Shedletsky|first=John|title=Builders Club is Coming…|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2007/08/builders-club-is-coming/|publisher=Roblox Corporation|date = 2 August 2007}}</ref> | |||
Roblox is free to play, with in-game purchases available through a ] called Robux. As of August 2020, Roblox had over 164 million monthly active users, including more than half of all American children under 16.<ref name="NYTimes">{{Cite news |last=Browning |first=Kellen |date=August 16, 2020 |title=You May Not Know This Pandemic Winner, but Your Tween Probably Does |work=] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/16/technology/roblox-tweens-videogame-coronavirus.html |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=August 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200816195005/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/16/technology/roblox-tweens-videogame-coronavirus.html |archive-date=August 16, 2020}}</ref><ref name="Verge">{{Cite web |last=Lyles |first=Taylor |date=July 21, 2020 |title=Over half of US kids are playing Roblox, and it's about to host Fortnite-esque virtual parties too |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/21/21333431/roblox-over-half-of-us-kids-playing-virtual-parties-fortnite |access-date=July 23, 2020 |website=]}}</ref> Although Roblox has received generally positive reviews from critics, it has faced criticism for its ], ]s, and allegations of exploitative practices toward children. | |||
== History and development == | |||
== Overview == | |||
Roblox was created by founder and co-founder David Baszucki and Erik Cassel in 2004 and officially launched into its beta version, titled "Dynablocks" in 2004. Soon, "Dynablocks" was renamed to ROBLOX in 2005 and the website was officially launched in 2006.<ref name=":2">{{cite web|url=http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=32789865|title=Roblox Info on BusinessWeek|publisher=]|accessdate=20 September 2009}}</ref> It was named after a portmanteau of the words ''robots'' and ''blocks''.<ref name=":3">{{cite news|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2009/09/interview-with-telamon/|title=Interview with Telamon|publisher=Roblox Corporation|accessdate=20 September 2009|date = 14 September 2009|last = Herndon|first = Becky Lee}}</ref> Roblox is still in the beta stages today. | |||
=== |
=== Roblox Studio === | ||
] | |||
] | |||
Roblox allows users to create and publish their own games, which can then be played by other users, by using its ], Roblox Studio.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dredge |first=Stuart |date=September 29, 2019 |title=All you need to know about Roblox |work=] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/games/2019/sep/28/roblox-guide-children-gaming-platform-developer-minecraft-fortnite |access-date=April 21, 2020}}</ref> Roblox Studio includes multiple premade game templates<ref name=":101">{{Cite web |last=Haskins |first=Heath |date=September 16, 2021 |title=Roblox 101: How to Make Your First Game |url=https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/roblox-101-how-to-make-your-first-game |access-date=August 4, 2024 |website=PCMag}}</ref><ref name="androidpolice">{{Cite web |last=Leroux |first=Faith |date=January 11, 2024 |title=What is Roblox? Navigate the popular game creation platform with ease |url=https://www.androidpolice.com/roblox-game-platform-guide-explainer/ |access-date=August 4, 2024 |website=Android Police}}</ref> as well as the Toolbox, which allows access to user-created models, ]s, audio, images, meshes, video, and fonts. <ref name="Book">{{Cite book |last=Jagneaux |first=David |title=The Ultimate Roblox Book: An Unofficial Guide: Learn How to Build Your Own Worlds, Customize Your Games, and So Much More! |date=January 1, 2018 |publisher=] |isbn=978-1507205334 |page=240 |lccn=2017040387}}</ref><ref name="Toolbox">{{Cite web |date=July 31, 2023 |title=Roblox Toolbox Full Guide |url=https://learnbuildplay.com/blog/roblox-toolbox-full-guide/ |access-date=August 7, 2024 |website=Learn. Build. Play.}}</ref> Games, officially referred to as "experiences" on the platform,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Robertson |first=Adi |date=May 14, 2021 |title=Apple said Roblox developers don't make games, and now Roblox agrees |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/14/22436014/apple-roblox-epic-fortnite-trial-what-is-game-name-change |url-status=live |access-date=December 21, 2021 |website=] |archive-date=September 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210903170009/https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/14/22436014/apple-roblox-epic-fortnite-trial-what-is-game-name-change }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Peterson |first=Mike |date=May 14, 2021 |title=Roblox rebrands as 'experience' creation platform amid Epic Games v. Apple trial |url=https://appleinsider.com/articles/21/05/14/roblox-rebrands-as-experience-creation-platform-amid-epic-games-v-apple-trial |url-status=live |access-date=December 21, 2021 |website=] |archive-date=August 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210823200633/https://appleinsider.com/articles/21/05/14/roblox-rebrands-as-experience-creation-platform-amid-epic-games-v-apple-trial }}</ref> are ] with Luau (stylized: Lua''u''), a ] of the ] 5.1 programming language, while ] is used for background processes such as memory management.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wirtz |first=Bryan |date=September 29, 2023 |title=Getting Started With Roblox Scripting |url=https://www.gamedesigning.org/learn/roblox-coding/ |access-date=August 4, 2024 |website=GameDesigning}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=What Code Does Roblox Use? (Lua, C++, Java, or Python) |url=https://funtech.co.uk/latest/what-code-does-roblox-use-lua-c-java-or-python |access-date=August 4, 2024 |website=FunTechBlog|date=June 27, 2022 }}</ref>{{Bsn|date=September 2024}} Luau supports ] and is designed to maximize ].<ref name="How">{{Cite web |last=Vanbrocklin |first=Tyler |date=December 26, 2012 |title=How to Learn Roblox and Roblox Studio |url=https://gamedevelopment.tutsplus.com/articles/how-to-learn-roblox-and-roblox-studio--gamedev-2304 |access-date=June 7, 2020 |website=Game Development Envato Tuts+}}</ref><ref name=":101" /><ref name="androidpolice" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Why Luau? |url=https://luau-lang.org/why |access-date=2024-08-03 |website=Luau |language=en |quote=All of these motivated us to start reshaping Lua 5.1 that we started from into a new, derivative language that we call Luau. Our focus is on making the language more performant and feature-rich, and make it easier to write robust code through a combination of linting and type checking using a gradual type system.}}</ref> Luau has been released under the ] since November 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 3, 2021 |title=Luau Goes Open-Source |url=https://luau-lang.org/2021/11/03/luau-goes-open-source.html |access-date=2024-08-03 |website=Luau |language=en}}</ref>{{Psi|date=September 2024}} | |||
] | |||
David Baszucki and Erik Cassel founded Roblox, then known as Dynablocks, in 2004. After a year of development, Dynablocks was renamed ROBLOX and was launched into beta in 2005. In 2005, people could gain the currency at that time, ''Roblox Points'', by completing single-player mini games developed by Roblox admins. As the game was released publicly in 2006, people came to the game slowly, but eventually the game started growing exponentially to its noticeably large 6 million account base. | |||
Users are able to create purchasable content through one-time purchases, known as "game passes", as well as ]s that can be purchased more than once, known as "developer products".<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Carter |first1=Marcus |last2=Mavoa |first2=Jane |date=March 17, 2021 |title=Why is kids' video game Roblox worth $38 billion and what do parents need to know? |url=https://theconversation.com/why-is-kids-video-game-roblox-worth-38-billion-and-what-do-parents-need-to-know-157133 |access-date=March 28, 2021 |website=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Cao |first=Jing |date=March 14, 2017 |title=Roblox Unearths $92 Million to Challenge Microsoft's Minecraft |work=] |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-14/roblox-unearths-92-million-to-challenge-microsoft-s-minecraft |url-status=live |access-date=February 6, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180821093935/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-14/roblox-unearths-92-million-to-challenge-microsoft-s-minecraft |archive-date=August 21, 2018}}</ref> As of 2020, Roblox reported that more than 2 million developers used Roblox Studio to create more than 20 million games per year. A majority of developers were minors, and roughly 345,000 earned money through Roblox's Developer Exchange program.<ref name="Study">{{Cite web |last1=Douthwaite |first1=Andrew |last2=Warneford |first2=Matthew |last3=Pierce |first3=Matt |year=2020 |title=Dubit Guide to Roblox for Brands |url=https://docsend.com/view/yytafca42a83pbgq |access-date=July 10, 2020 |website=DocSend |publisher=] |page=5}}</ref><ref name=NYTimes/> | |||
=== |
=== Items and currency === | ||
] | |||
Roblox allows players to buy, sell, and create virtual items which can be used to decorate their virtual character that serves as their ] on the platform.<ref name=NYTimes/> Previously, only Roblox administrators had the ability to sell accessories, body parts, gear, and packages under the official Roblox user account,<ref name="bizjournals">{{Cite news |last=Procter |first=Richard |date=May 17, 2017 |title=Roblox lets users build their own virtual world |work=] |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2017/05/17/tech-awards-2017-gaming-esports-roblox-virtual.html |url-status=live |access-date=February 6, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181129201849/https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2017/05/17/tech-awards-2017-gaming-esports-roblox-virtual.html |archive-date=November 29, 2018}}</ref> with virtual hats and accessories also being able to be published by a select few users with past experience working with Roblox Corporation.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=givenothingback |last2=Captain_Rando |date=August 16, 2019 |title=Paving the Road to a User-Generated Catalog |url=https://blog.roblox.com/2019/08/paving-road-user-generated-catalog/ |access-date=June 4, 2020 |website=Roblox Blog |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=coefficients |date=August 15, 2019 |title=UGC Catalog is Now Live! |url=https://devforum.roblox.com/t/ugc-catalog-is-now-live/331405 |access-date=June 4, 2020 |website=Roblox Developer Forum |language=en-US}}</ref> This arrangement was in place until the introduction of the UGC Catalog,<ref>{{cite news |title=Roblox Venture Capital Investors, listed |url=https://www.cantechletter.com/2023/09/roblox-venture-capital-investors-listed/# |access-date=January 29, 2024 |work=Cantech Letter |date=September 19, 2023 |language=en-CA}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Leswing |first1=Kif |title=Roblox CEO says April bookings are starting to turn around after a difficult March |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/11/roblox-ceo-david-baszucki-says-bookings-are-turning-around.html |access-date=January 29, 2024 |work=CNBC |date=May 11, 2022 |language=en}}</ref> which allowed selected individuals within the Roblox community to create and sell customized user-generated content (UGC) avatar items through the UGC Program.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Vanian |first1=Jonathan |title=Roblox is letting game creators sell 3D virtual goods as it looks for ways to boost revenue |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/08/roblox-is-letting-game-creators-sell-3d-goods-looks-to-boost-revenue.html |access-date=January 29, 2024 |work=CNBC |date=September 8, 2023 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Fragen |first1=Jordan |title=Roblox adds avatar bodies and heads to UGC marketplace |url=https://venturebeat.com/games/roblox-ugc-program-avatar-body-head-monetization/ |access-date=January 29, 2024 |work=VentureBeat |date=August 16, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Peters |first1=Jay |title=Roblox is about to let users sell custom-made avatar bodies and heads |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/8/16/23834790/roblox-ugc-sell-avatar-bodies-heads |access-date=January 29, 2024 |work=The Verge |date=August 16, 2023 |language=en}}</ref> Several individuals design items as a full-time job, with the highest-earning creators making over $100,000 a year off item sales.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McDowell |first=Maghan |date=April 14, 2020 |title=Digital fashion surges in a sales downturn |url=https://www.voguebusiness.com/technology/digital-fashion-surges-in-a-sales-downturn-forma-drest |access-date=September 1, 2020 |website=]}}</ref> | |||
Items with a ] status can only be traded between or sold by users with a Roblox Premium membership.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jagneaux |first=David |date=December 15, 2017 |title=Roblox 101: Getting Started With Robux and The Builders Club |url=https://www.geek.com/games/roblox-101-getting-started-with-robux-and-the-builders-club-1725962/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181129202401/https://www.geek.com/games/roblox-101-getting-started-with-robux-and-the-builders-club-1725962/ |archive-date=November 29, 2018 |access-date=February 6, 2018 |website=]}}</ref> These limited items have a Recent Average Price (RAP), and their value fluctuates based on its demand and rarity. Although selling these items for real-world currency violates Roblox's terms of service, this does not stop some individuals from doing so through ] sites and communities, in which limited items, some of which being stolen, are often exchanged for payment methods such as ] or sometimes ].<ref name="vice">{{Cite news |last=Cox |first=Joseph |date=February 14, 2022 |title=How Roblox 'Beamers' Get Rich Stealing from Children |language=en |work=Vice |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/88gd4a/roblox-beaming-hackers}}</ref> Previously, only Roblox released these limited items themselves until the introduction of "UGC Limiteds" in April 2023,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Peters |first=Jay |date=May 25, 2023 |title=Roblox is making some changes to how creators can sell limited-run virtual gear |work=The Verge |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/5/25/23736175/roblox-limited-gear-selling-changes-update}}</ref> which allowed for those in the UGC Program to design and sell user-generated items themselves with limited quantities.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Peters |first1=Jay |title=Roblox creators can now make and sell limited-run avatar gear |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/14/23683459/roblox-limiteds-creators-make-sell-avatar-gear-user-generated-content-ugc |access-date=January 29, 2024 |work=The Verge |date=April 14, 2023 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Roblox introduces Limiteds for creators to make, sell limited-run avatar gear |url=https://www.thestatesman.com/technology/roblox-introduces-limiteds-for-creators-to-make-sell-limited-run-avatar-gear-1503172686.html |access-date=January 29, 2024 |work=The Statesman |date=April 17, 2023 |language=en}}</ref> Unlike Roblox-released limited items, UGC Limiteds cannot be traded. They can, however, be resold after a 30-day holding period after being bought.<ref>{{cite news |title=Roblox UGC limiteds are now available in the marketplace |url=https://www.pockettactics.com/roblox/ugc-limiteds |access-date=July 16, 2023 |work=Pocket Tactics |date=April 6, 2023}}</ref> | |||
In early 2006, Roblox had one currency, known as ''Roblox Points'', first used like the Player Points, then as an upgrade to one's avatar, which was subsequently discontinued and replaced with "Robux". In mid-2007, Roblox added more customization to user characters to allow items such as caps to be worn.<ref name=":4">{{cite news|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2007/05/more-character-visuals|title=More Character Visuals|publisher=Roblox Corporation|accessdate=22 March 2010|date = 8 May 2007|first = John|last = Shedletsky}}</ref> Roblox badges were first introduced on 22 December 2006.<ref> | |||
{{cite news | |||
| url=http://blog.roblox.com/2006/12/roblox-badges/ | |||
| title=ROBLOX Badges | |||
| first=David | |||
| last=Baszucki | |||
| date=22 December 2007 | |||
| publisher=Roblox Corporation | |||
| accessdate=15 March 2013 | |||
}}</ref> Meshes were added, and so were the abilities of sending friend requests to other players, and sending messages. Other things accomplished in 2006 were searching through players, places, and items, multiplayer places, stats, and inventories.<ref> | |||
{{cite news | |||
| url=http://blog.roblox.com/2007/01/2006-in-review/ | |||
| title=2006 in Review | |||
| first=John | |||
| last=Shedletsky | |||
| date=1 January 2007 | |||
| publisher=Roblox Corporation | |||
| accessdate=15 March 2013 | |||
}}</ref> | |||
Robux allows players to buy various items, and are obtained by purchase with real currency, from a recurring stipend given to members with a Premium membership, and from other players by producing and selling virtual content in Roblox.<ref name="heavy">{{Cite web |last=Fennimore |first=Jack |date=July 12, 2017 |title=Roblox: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know |url=https://heavy.com/games/2017/07/roblox-youtube-free-download-corporation-baszucki-cassel-nerfmodder/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181129032712/https://heavy.com/games/2017/07/roblox-youtube-free-download-corporation-baszucki-cassel-nerfmodder/ |archive-date=November 29, 2018 |access-date=November 29, 2018 |website=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Jagneaux |first=David |date=December 8, 2017 |title=Roblox 101: How To Avoid Free Robux Scams |url=https://www.geek.com/games/roblox-101-how-to-avoid-free-robux-scams-1725253/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181129210131/https://www.geek.com/games/roblox-101-how-to-avoid-free-robux-scams-1725253/ |archive-date=November 29, 2018 |access-date=February 6, 2018 |website=]}}</ref> Prior to 2016, Roblox had another currency, Tix (short for "Tickets"), that was discontinued in April of that year.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sidhwani |first=Priyansh |date=March 12, 2021 |title=The History Of Roblox : From 2004 Until Now |work=TechStory |url=https://techstory.in/the-history-of-roblox-from-2004-until-now/ |access-date=March 13, 2021}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=March 2021|reason=TechStory does not appear to have an editorial team.}} Robux acquired through the sale of user-generated content can be exchanged into real-world currency through the website's Developer Exchange system.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Editorial Team |date=January 5, 2018 |title=How to make money with DevEx on Roblox |url=https://en.softonic.com/articles/how-to-make-money-on-roblox |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181129031731/https://en.softonic.com/articles/how-to-make-money-on-roblox |archive-date=November 29, 2018 |access-date=April 24, 2018 |website=]}}</ref> | |||
In 2007, character customization became possible.<ref> | |||
{{cite news | |||
| url=http://blog.roblox.com/2007/01/blox-james-blox/ | |||
| title=Blox. James Blox. | |||
| first=John | |||
| last=Shedletsky | |||
| date=12 January 2007 | |||
| publisher=Roblox Corporation | |||
| accessdate=15 March 2013 | |||
}}</ref> In late January, the abuse report queue was introduced, with the ability for any user to report content as inappropriate through the "Report Abuse" buttons disseminated throughout the site.<ref> | |||
{{cite news | |||
| url=http://blog.roblox.com/2007/01/report-abuse/ | |||
| title={{-"}}Report Abuse!!!{{"-}} | |||
| first=Erik | |||
| last=Cassel | |||
| date=31 January 2007 | |||
| publisher=Roblox Corporation | |||
| accessdate=15 March 2013 | |||
}}</ref> In March 2007, Roblox became compliant with ], with the addition of safe chat, a change which made users who indicated to be under the age of 13 at registration only able to communicate by selecting predefined messages from a menu.<ref> | |||
{{cite web | |||
| url=http://blog.roblox.com/2007/03/a-new-day-dawns/ | |||
| title=A New Day Dawns… | |||
| first=John | |||
| last=Shedletsky | |||
| date=27 March 2007 | |||
| publisher=Roblox Corporation | |||
| accessdate=15 March 2013 | |||
}}</ref> In August 2007, Roblox added ''Builders Club'', a premium membership, and applied server improvements.<ref>{{cite news | |||
| url=http://blog.roblox.com/2007/08/builders-club-is-here/ | |||
| title=Builders Club is Here! | |||
| first=John | |||
| last=Shedletsky | |||
| date=16 August 2007 | |||
| publisher=Roblox Corporation | |||
}}</ref> | |||
==== Scams ==== | |||
=== Exclusive features and game features (2010–2012) === | |||
A sizable amount of ] relate to Roblox, largely revolving around automated messages promoting scam websites, scam games designed to appear to give out free Robux, and invalid Robux codes.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Han |first=Nydia |date=June 15, 2018 |title=Action News Troubleshooters: Spotting video game scams |work=] |url=https://6abc.com/video-games-roblox-robux-fortnight/3603994/ |url-status=live |access-date=September 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127235823/https://6abc.com/video-games-roblox-robux-fortnight/3603994/ |archive-date=January 27, 2021}}</ref><ref name="Book" /> In the Roblox community, there are people known as "beamers" who ] Roblox accounts to steal and sell their items on black markets. They employ various techniques, such as creating ] websites or ploys to acquire a victim's ].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Chalk |first=Andy |date=February 14, 2022 |title=A new report on Roblox reveals how hackers and scammers are continuing to rip off kids |language=en |work=PC Gamer |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/a-new-report-on-roblox-reveals-how-hackers-and-scammers-are-continuing-to-rip-off-kids/}}</ref> Once they gain access to the victim's account, these "beamers" steal and subsequently sell valuable limited items owned by the victims for real-world currency or cryptocurrency through marketplace sites or ] chatrooms. The slang term "beaming" is commonly used to describe this entire process, along with the victim having been "beamed". Roblox does offer hacking victims a "rollback" for their items, although this is only offered once per account.<ref name="vice"/> | |||
=== Events === | |||
In 2010, Roblox began creating body shapes which ''Builders Club'' members could purchase using virtual currency.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2010/05/do-you-need-any-body/|title=Do You Need Any Body?|date = 14 May 2010|last = Shedletsky|first = John|publisher = Roblox Corporation}}</ref> These body shapes were available in the catalog as packages, which included many items that were all obtained when the package was bought. These packages varied in size and price and occasionally went on sale. | |||
Roblox occasionally hosts real-life and virtual events. They have in the past hosted events such as BloxCon, which was a convention for ordinary players on the platform.<ref name="heavy" /> Roblox operates annual ]<ref>{{Cite news |last=Tomlinson |first=Gayle |date=April 8, 2020 |title=Roblox Easter Egg Hunt 2020 will make being in isolation the best thing this Easter |work=] |url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6716010/roblox-has-an-easter-egg-hunt-to-help-you-through-the-weekend/#gsc.tab=0 |access-date=June 24, 2020}}</ref> and also hosts an annual event called the "Bloxy Awards", an ] that also functions as a fundraiser. The 2020 edition of the Bloxy Awards, held virtually on the platform, drew 600,000 viewers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |date=March 23, 2020 |title=Roblox's in-game Bloxy Awards draw 600,000 spectators |url=https://venturebeat.com/2020/03/23/robloxs-in-game-bloxy-awards-drawn-4-million-concurrent-players/ |access-date=July 21, 2020 |website=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Valentine |first=Rebekah |date=June 4, 2020 |title=Roblox's continuing construction of a social, creative space |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-06-04-robloxs-continuing-construction-of-a-social-creative-space |access-date=September 18, 2020 |website=]}}</ref> In 2022, "Bloxy Awards" got rebranded into the "Roblox Innovation Awards".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://progameguides.com/roblox/annual-roblox-bloxy-awards-revamped-into-roblox-innovation-awards/ |title=Annual Roblox Bloxy Awards revamped into Roblox Innovation Awards |website=Pro Game Guides |first=Grace |last=Doyle |date=July 14, 2022 |access-date=December 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322152153/https://progameguides.com/roblox/annual-roblox-bloxy-awards-revamped-into-roblox-innovation-awards/ |archive-date=March 22, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> Roblox Corporation annually hosts the Roblox Developers Conference, a three-day invite-only event in ] where top ] on the site learn of upcoming changes to the platform.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Perez |first=Sarah |date=August 13, 2019 |title=Roblox announces new game-creation tools and marketplace, $100M in 2019 developer revenue |url=https://techcrunch.com/2019/08/12/roblox-announces-new-game-creation-tools-and-marketplace-100m-in-2019-developer-revenue/ |access-date=March 28, 2020 |website=]}}</ref> The company has also hosted similar events in ] and ].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chapple |first=Craig |date=August 11, 2019 |title=$100m dev payouts, 1.2 billion hours of engagement a month: What we learned at the Roblox Developers Conference |url=https://www.pocketgamer.biz/news/71372/what-we-learned-at-the-roblox-developer-conference/ |access-date=April 23, 2020 |website=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=YoSoyTofu |date=August 31, 2018 |title=Thanks for a Wonderful RDC 2018 in Amsterdam! |url=https://blog.roblox.com/2018/08/thanks-wonderful-rdc-2018-amsterdam/ |access-date=August 30, 2019 |website=Roblox Blog |language=en-US}}</ref> | |||
Roblox occasionally engages in events to promote films, such as ones held to promote '']'' and '']''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |date=June 26, 2020 |title=Roblox teams with Warner Bros. and DC on Wonder Woman: The Themyscira Experience |url=https://venturebeat.com/2020/06/25/roblox-teams-with-warner-bros-and-dc-on-wonder-woman-the-themyscira-experience/ |access-date=June 26, 2020 |website=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Crecente |first=Brian |date=December 21, 2018 |title=How Warner Bros. Uses a Video Game to Fuel Interest in Its Movies |work=] |url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/roblox-warner-bros-movie-crossover-1203094353/ |access-date=June 26, 2020}}</ref> In 2020, Roblox hosted its first ], which was compared by '']'' to that of American rapper ]'s virtual concert in '']'',<ref name=Stoned/> during which American rapper ] debuted his song "]" to an audience of Roblox players.<ref name="Stoned">{{Cite news |last=Millman |first=Ethan |date=November 10, 2020 |title=Lil Nas X to Play Virtual Concert on Roblox |work=] |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/pro/news/lil-nas-x-roblox-virtual-show-1087921/ |access-date=November 14, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Perez |first=Sarah |date=November 11, 2020 |title=Roblox to host its first virtual concert, featuring Lil Nas X |url=https://techcrunch.com/2020/11/10/roblox-to-host-its-first-virtual-concert-featuring-lil-nas-x/ |access-date=November 14, 2020 |website=] |language=en-US |archive-date=November 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201116222741/https://social.techcrunch.com/2020/11/10/roblox-to-host-its-first-virtual-concert-featuring-lil-nas-x/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Rowley |first=Glenn |date=November 10, 2020 |title=Lil Nas X Will Debut New Single 'Holiday' During Virtual Roblox Concert |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/9481300/lil-nas-x-roblox-concert-details/ |magazine=] |access-date=November 14, 2020}}</ref> In 2021, Swedish singer ] performed songs at a virtual party to celebrate her the reissuing of her album '']''.<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 21, 2021 |title=Roblox: Zara Larsson performing new album – and other virtual concerts |language=en-GB |work=] |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/57186245 |access-date=May 22, 2021}}</ref> On September 17, 2021, a virtual concert by the American band ] took place.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |date=September 8, 2021 |title=Roblox will launch Twenty One Pilots virtual concert |url=https://venturebeat.com/2021/09/08/roblox-will-launch-twenty-one-pilots-virtual-concert/ |access-date=September 9, 2021 |website=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Aswad |first=Jem |date=September 8, 2021 |title=Twenty One Pilots to Stage Elaborate Roblox 'Concert Experience' |url=https://variety.com/2021/digital/news/twenty-one-pilots-21-roblox-concert-experience-1235058749/ |access-date=September 9, 2021 |website=]}}</ref> In October 2021, Roblox partnered with ] to give $1 million of burritos away to the first 30,000 people every day as a part of Chipotle's Halloween Boorito promotion.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lalley |first=Heather |date=October 26, 2021 |title=CHIPOTLE Launches a Truly 'Virtual' Restaurant via Roblox |url=https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/marketing/chipotle-launches-truly-virtual-restaurant-roblox |website=Restaurant Business Online}}</ref> | |||
In the year 2011, more than 5.4 million games were created by users.<ref> | |||
{{cite news | |||
| url=http://blog.roblox.com/2012/02/5-4-million-games-created-in-2011/ | |||
| title=5.4 Million Games Created in 2011 | |||
| first=David | |||
| last=Baszucki | |||
| date=23 February 2012 | |||
| publisher=Roblox Corporation | |||
}}</ref> | |||
== History == | |||
At the ''Roblox Game Conference'', Roblox released a system that allowed members with a premium membership to ''trade'' collectible items with other users who have ''Builders Club''. Over time, other features have been added to the system such as increasing the value of a trade, adding Robux to a trade, and owning and trading multiple copies of the same collectible item.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2013/04/purchase-and-trade-multiple-copies-of-limited-items/ |title=Purchase and Trade Multiple Copies of Limited Items Today |publisher=Roblox Corporation |date=16 August 2013 |accessdate=26 June 2013|last = Venugopal|first = Sairam}}</ref> | |||
{{multiple image | |||
| perrow = 2 | |||
| total_width = 400 | |||
| image1 = First Roblox Logo.svg | |||
| caption1 = 2004 | |||
| image2 = Roblox Logo 2004.svg | |||
| caption2 = 2004–2005 | |||
| image3 = ROBLOX 2004.svg | |||
| caption3 = 2005–2006 | |||
| image4 = Roblox logo (2006).png | |||
| caption4 = 2006–2015 | |||
| image5 = Roblox logo.svg | |||
| caption5 = 2015–2017 | |||
| image6 = Roblox logo 2017.svg | |||
| caption6 = 2017–2018 | |||
| image7 = Roblox Logo Black.svg | |||
| caption7 = 2018–2022 | |||
| image8 = Roblox Logo 2022.svg | |||
| caption8 = 2022–present | |||
| footer = Evolution of the Roblox logo<ref name="Logo">{{Cite news |last=Baszucki |first=David |author-link=David Baszucki |date=January 10, 2017 |title=Introducing Our Next-Generation Logo |url=https://blog.roblox.com/2017/01/introducing-our-next-generation-logo/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170110161305/https://blog.roblox.com/2017/01/introducing-our-next-generation-logo/ |archive-date=January 10, 2017 |access-date=July 16, 2020 |website=Roblox Blog}}</ref><ref name="Logo2022">{{Cite news |last=Meers |first=Whitney |date=August 30, 2022 |title=New Roblox logo and tagline show the company is growing up |work=PCGamesN |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/roblox/new-roblox-logo |access-date=August 31, 2022}}</ref> | |||
}} | |||
=== 2004–2005 === | |||
On 13 January 2012, Roblox announced on the blog that their first ''Hack Week'' had been held. The post announcing it described it as a week where developers worked on projects they chose that they then had to present to the company and that, if considered interesting, could be put further work on.<ref>{{Cite news|title = Hack Week: The Series!|date = 13 January 2012|url = http://blog.roblox.com/2012/01/hack-week-the-series|publisher = Roblox Corporation|accessdate = 19 December 2013|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20130308210449/http://blog.roblox.com/2012/01/hack-week-the-series|archivedate = 8 March 2013}}</ref> Projects worked on by developers were later described by blog posts during the rest of the year. They included the implementation of the possibility for user interface elements to rotate,<ref>{{Cite news|title = Hack Week: Implementing Rotatable GUIs|date = 1 August 2012|url = http://blog.roblox.com/2012/08/hack-week-implementing-rotatable-guis|archivedate = 2 October 2012|last = Chandrasekaran|first = Deepak|publisher = Roblox Corporation|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20121002074233/http://blog.roblox.com/2012/08/hack-week-implementing-rotatable-guis/|accessdate = 19 December 2013}}</ref> which was later added to the game engine, the exploration of a system for crafting items,<ref>{{Cite news|title = Hack Week: Exploring a Crafting System in ROBLOX|date = 30 July 2012|url = http://blog.roblox.com/2012/07/exploring-a-crafting-system-in-roblox|last = Lal|first = Navin|publisher = Roblox Corporation|accessdate = 19 December 2013|archivedate = 8 March 2013|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20130308210306/http://blog.roblox.com/2012/07/exploring-a-crafting-system-in-roblox}}</ref> the suggestion of a system that would allow game developers to connect many games together,<ref>{{Cite news|title = The Big Bang at ROBLOX: Universe Creation|date = 13 January 2012|url = http://blog.roblox.com/2012/01/the-big-bang-at-roblox-universe-creation|last = Lal|first = Navin|publisher = Roblox Corporation|accessdate = 19 December 2013|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20130308210441/http://blog.roblox.com/2012/01/the-big-bang-at-roblox-universe-creation/|archivedate = 8 March 2013}}</ref> which was also later added to the engine<ref>{{Cite news|title = Game Universes and the Quest for Massive Scale|date = 18 December 2013|last = Haak|first = Andrew|url = http://blog.roblox.com/2013/12/game-universes-and-the-quest-for-massive-scale/|publisher = Roblox Corporation|accessdate = 20 December 2013|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20131220050214/http://blog.roblox.com/2013/12/game-universes-and-the-quest-for-massive-scale/|archivedate = 20 December 2013}}</ref> and the creation of a mobile website to replace the normal website for tablets and cell phones.<ref>{{Cite news|title = ROBLOX’s Mobile Site, m.roblox.com, Now Live for Testing|date = 24 August 2012|url = http://blog.roblox.com/2012/08/robloxs-mobile-site-m-roblox-com-now-live-for-testing/|last = Teel|first = Toby|publisher = Roblox Corporation|accessdate = 20 December 2013|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20130308204911/http://blog.roblox.com/2012/08/robloxs-mobile-site-m-roblox-com-now-live-for-testing/|archivedate = 8 March 2013}}</ref> | |||
The ] of Roblox was created by co-founders ] and Erik Cassel in 2004 under the name ''DynaBlocks''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vashishtha |first=Yashica |date=July 24, 2019 |title=David Baszucki : Founder of Roblox, the Biggest Video Game Building Platform |url=https://www.yourtechstory.com/2019/07/24/david-baszucki-founder-roblox-biggest-video-game-building-platform/ |access-date=September 2, 2019 |website=Your Tech Story |language=en-US}}</ref> Baszucki started testing the first demos that year.<ref name="inc">{{Cite news |last=Hughes |first=Neil |date=July 15, 2016 |title=How This User-Generated Video Game Is Leading The Way With Innovation and VR |url=https://www.inc.com/neil-c-hughes/how-this-user-generated-video-game-is-leading-the-way-with-innovation-and-vr.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181129215529/https://www.inc.com/neil-c-hughes/how-this-user-generated-video-game-is-leading-the-way-with-innovation-and-vr.html |archive-date=November 29, 2018 |access-date=January 10, 2017 |website=]}}</ref> In 2005, the company changed its name to Roblox.<ref name="inc" /> | |||
=== 2006–2013 === | |||
On 5 June 2012, Roblox announced that a new water material was released to add to the existing collection of "high scalability" terrain cell materials.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2012/06/the-water-is-running-in-roblox/ |title=The Water Is Running in ROBLOX |publisher=Roblox Corporation |date=5 June 2012 |accessdate=26 June 2013|first = Andrew|last = Haak}}</ref> | |||
Roblox officially launched on September 1, 2006.<ref name="founding" /> In March 2007, Roblox became compliant with ] through the addition of safe chat, a change that limited the communication ability of users under the age of 13 by restricting them to selecting predefined messages from a menu.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dickson |first=Jeremy |date=June 23, 2015 |title=SuperAwesome and Roblox join forces on kid-safe advertising |url=http://kidscreen.com/2015/06/23/superawesome-and-roblox-join-forces-on-kid-safe-advertising/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181129222253/http://kidscreen.com/2015/06/23/superawesome-and-roblox-join-forces-on-kid-safe-advertising/ |archive-date=November 29, 2018 |access-date=November 29, 2018 |website=Kidscreen}}</ref> In August, Roblox applied server improvements and released a premium membership service named "Builders Club",<ref>{{Cite book |last=LaRouche |first=Brandon John |title=Basic ROBLOX Lua Programming |date=March 31, 2012 |publisher=Double Trouble Studio |isbn=978-0-9854513-0-1 |page=237}}</ref> which was rebranded as Roblox Premium in September 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |last=coefficients |date=September 23, 2019 |title=Roblox Premium is here! |url=https://devforum.roblox.com/t/roblox-premium-is-here/355721 |access-date=September 25, 2019 |website=Roblox Developer Forum |language=en-US}}</ref> In December 2011, Roblox held its first Hack Week, an annual event where Roblox developers work on outside-the-box ideas for new developments to present to the company.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Milian |first=Mark |date=December 2, 2012 |title=Hackathons move beyond Silicon Valley |work=] |url=https://www.sfgate.com/technology/article/Hackathons-move-beyond-Silicon-Valley-4085718.php |url-status=live |access-date=February 9, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181129232929/https://www.sfgate.com/technology/article/Hackathons-move-beyond-Silicon-Valley-4085718.php |archive-date=November 29, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Chaykowski |first=Kathleen |date=August 31, 2012 |title=Lua language helps kids create software |work=] |url=https://www.sfgate.com/technology/article/Lua-language-helps-kids-create-software-3828132.php |url-status=live |access-date=February 9, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181129233534/https://www.sfgate.com/technology/article/Lua-language-helps-kids-create-software-3828132.php |archive-date=November 29, 2018}}</ref> On December 11, 2012, an ] version of Roblox was released.<ref name="iOSR">{{Cite web |last=Grubb |first=Jeff |date=December 12, 2012 |title=Block-builder Roblox goes mobile in time for the holidays |url=https://venturebeat.com/2012/12/12/roblox-mobile-ipad-iphone-now/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181129233810/https://venturebeat.com/2012/12/12/roblox-mobile-ipad-iphone-now/ |archive-date=November 29, 2018 |access-date=November 29, 2018 |website=]}}</ref> On October 1, 2013, Roblox released its Developer Exchange program, allowing developers to exchange Robux earned from their games into real-world currencies.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Grubb |first=Jeff |date=June 6, 2014 |title=Roblox is gaming's quiet giant – and it's only getting bigger |url=https://venturebeat.com/2014/06/06/roblox-is-gamings-quiet-giant-and-its-only-getting-bigger/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181129235317/https://venturebeat.com/2014/06/06/roblox-is-gamings-quiet-giant-and-its-only-getting-bigger/ |archive-date=November 29, 2018 |access-date=April 24, 2018 |website=]}}</ref> | |||
=== 2014–2017 === | |||
On 11 December 2012, Roblox released the ability to play games on iOS.<ref>{{cite news|title=ROBLOX Mobile Is Out of Beta: Download and Play Today!|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2012/12/roblox-mobile-is-out-of-beta-download-and-play-today/|publisher=Roblox Corporation|accessdate=14 December 2012|date = 11 December 2012|last = Bromley|first = Dylan}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url = http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/12/26/mmo-family-roblox-ceo-david-baszucki-talks-mobile-app-plans-fo|title = MMO Family: Roblox CEO David Baszucki talks mobile app, plans for the future|last = Bryan|first = Karen|publisher = Massively|date = 26 December 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url = http://venturebeat.com/2012/12/12/roblox-mobile-ipad-iphone-now/|title = Roblox goes mobile in time for the holidays|publisher = VentureBeat|date = 12 December 2012|last = Grubb|first = Jeffrey}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.maclife.com/article/news/roblox_brings_millions_user_created_games_ios |title=ROBLOX Brings Millions of User Created Games to iOS |date=12 December 2012 |website=Mac{{!}}Life |last=Clark |first=Matt}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url = http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkonrad/2012/12/12/the-worlds-most-popular-kids-site-take-its-games-mobile/|title = The World’s Most Popular Kids Site Takes Its Games Mobile|date = 12 December 2012|publisher = Forbes|last = Konrad|first = Alex}}</ref> The current iOS devices compatible with running Roblox games are the iPad 2 and newer devices including mini, iPhone 4 or newer, and the iPod touch 5th generation. The mobile Roblox application gives users the ability to customize their character, shop in the virtual catalog, play games, view their profile, and respond to messages. Previous to the release of the mobile Roblox application, the company created 20 virtual Roblox tablets. Players who purchased one received a brand new ].<ref> | |||
On July 16, 2014, an ] version was released.<ref name=AndroidRelease/> On May 31, 2015, a feature called Smooth Terrain was added, increasing the graphical fidelity of in-game terrain and changing the Roblox physics engine from a block-oriented style to a smoother and more realistic one.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |date=June 1, 2015 |title=Roblox user-generated world moves from blocky terrain to smooth 3D |url=https://venturebeat.com/2015/06/01/roblox-user-generated-world-moves-from-blocky-to-smooth-3d-terrain/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181129235824/https://venturebeat.com/2015/06/01/roblox-user-generated-world-moves-from-blocky-to-smooth-3d-terrain/ |archive-date=November 29, 2018 |access-date=June 3, 2015 |website=]}}</ref> On November 20, Roblox was launched on ], with an initial selection of 15 games chosen by Roblox staff.<ref name="XboxOneRelease">{{Cite web |last=Grubb |first=Jeff |date=September 24, 2015 |title=Roblox comes to Xbox One, joins Minecraft in the growing player-made content space on consoles |url=https://venturebeat.com/2015/09/24/roblox-comes-to-xbox-one/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181130001239/https://venturebeat.com/2015/09/24/roblox-comes-to-xbox-one/ |archive-date=November 30, 2018 |access-date=November 30, 2018 |website=]}}</ref> Support for the publishing of Roblox games for Xbox One was later rolled out to all users, subject to an approval process based on ] standards.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Grubb |first=Jeff |date=January 27, 2016 |title=Roblox launches on Xbox One with 15 player-created games – watch us play them |url=https://venturebeat.com/2016/01/27/roblox-launches-on-xbox-one-with-15-player-created-games-watch-us-play-them/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181130001719/https://venturebeat.com/2016/01/27/roblox-launches-on-xbox-one-with-15-player-created-games-watch-us-play-them/ |archive-date=November 30, 2018 |access-date=November 30, 2018 |website=]}}</ref> | |||
{{cite news | |||
| url=http://blog.roblox.com/2012/12/ipad-activity-we-look-at-what-users-traded-to-get-ipads/ | |||
| title=iPad Activity We Look at What Users Traded to get iPads | |||
| first=Alan | |||
| last=Fackler | |||
| date=8 December 2012 | |||
| publisher=Roblox Corporation | |||
}}</ref> | |||
In April 2016, Roblox launched ''Roblox VR'' for ]. At the time of release, more than ten million games were available in 3D.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gaudiosi |first=John |date=April 15, 2016 |title=This Company Just Introduced 20 Million People to Oculus Rift |url=http://fortune.com/2016/04/15/roblox-vr-oculus-rift/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181130002929/http://fortune.com/2016/04/15/roblox-vr-oculus-rift/ |archive-date=November 30, 2018 |access-date=December 13, 2016 |website=]}}</ref> Around the same time period, the safe chat feature was removed and replaced by a system based on a ] with a set of acceptable words for users under 13 years old and a set of ]ed words for other users.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Roblox |url=https://www.esafety.gov.au/esafety-information/games-apps-and-social-networking/roblox |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181130003250/https://www.esafety.gov.au/esafety-information/games-apps-and-social-networking/roblox |archive-date=November 30, 2018 |access-date=December 13, 2016 |website=Office of the eSafety Commissioner |publisher=]}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=December 2020}} In June, the company launched a version compatible with ]. While the game platform has had a presence on the PC since 2004, when its web version was created, this was the first time it was upgraded with a standalone launcher built for Windows.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Grubb |first=Jeff |date=June 10, 2016 |title=After Xbox One success, Roblox now has a dedicated Windows 10 app |url=https://venturebeat.com/2016/06/10/after-xbox-one-success-roblox-now-has-a-dedicated-windows-10-app/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181130003633/https://venturebeat.com/2016/06/10/after-xbox-one-success-roblox-now-has-a-dedicated-windows-10-app/ |archive-date=November 30, 2018 |access-date=November 30, 2018 |website=]}}</ref> Throughout 2017, Roblox engaged in a number of updates to its server technology, as the technology they were operating on until that point was out of date and led to frequent outages.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Ron |date=October 1, 2020 |title=How Roblox completely transformed its tech stack |url=https://techcrunch.com/2020/10/09/how-roblox-completely-transformed-its-tech-stack/ |access-date=October 14, 2020 |website=]}}</ref> Also in 2017, Roblox closed its official ].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Campbell |first=Kyle |date=December 15, 2021 |title=Roblox is facing accusations of being unsafe for children |url=https://ftw.usatoday.com/2021/12/roblox-facing-accusations-unsafe-children |access-date=December 19, 2021 |website=] |language=en-US}}</ref> | |||
On 21 December 2012, ''featherweight parts'' were introduced. This feature enhanced game performance greatly by decreasing the usage of file space for each part in a place.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2012/12/featherweight-parts-one-million-parts-one-roblox-world/ |title=Featherweight Parts: One Million Parts, One ROBLOX World |publisher=Roblox Corporation |date=21 December 2012 |accessdate=26 June 2013|first = Simon|last = Kozlov}}</ref> | |||
=== |
=== 2018–2023 === | ||
In November 2018, the ability for a player to play as a "guest", without an account, which had been progressively restricted over the previous two years, was removed entirely.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vaz |first=Christian |date=November 3, 2020 |title=Roblox guest – what are guests and what happened to them |url=https://www.pockettactics.com/roblox/guest |access-date=February 2, 2021 |website=Pocket Tactics}}</ref> In July 2020, Roblox announced the creation of "Party Place", which functions as an online ]. The feature was created using new technology that had been used during the 2020 Bloxy Awards and was designed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Perez |first=Sarah |date=July 21, 2020 |title=Roblox launches Party Place, a private venue for virtual birthday parties and other meetups |url=https://techcrunch.com/2020/07/20/roblox-launches-party-place-a-private-venue-for-virtual-birthday-parties-and-other-meetups/ |access-date=July 21, 2020 |website=]}}</ref> Roblox was granted permission to release in China on December 3, 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Batchelor |first=James |date=December 3, 2020 |title=Roblox cleared for launch in China |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-12-03-roblox-cleared-for-launch-in-china#:~:text=Roblox%20is%20officially%20heading%20to,date%20has%20been%20given%20yet. |access-date=February 14, 2021 |website=Games Industry |publisher=]}}</ref> | |||
In October 2021, Roblox experienced its longest ] to date, with services being unavailable for three days.<ref name="outage-bundle">{{Cite news |last=Plant |first=Logan |date=October 30, 2021 |title=Roblox's Servers Are Down And Fans Are Blaming Chipotle |language=en |work=] |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/roblox-servers-down-chipotle-free-burritos |access-date=October 30, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Finnis |first=Alex |date=October 29, 2021 |title=Is Roblox down? Why the gaming platform isn't working today with thousands of users reporting login problems |work=] |url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/gaming/robox-down-isnt-working-today-login-problems-latest-news-1274363}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Warren |first=Tom |date=October 30, 2021 |title=Roblox has been down for more than a day and it's not because of Chipotle |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/10/30/22754107/roblox-down-outage-chipotle-server-issues-status |access-date=October 30, 2021 |website=]}}</ref> In December 2021, Roblox shut down its Chinese servers, stating that they were attempting to create "another version" of the app that allowed Chinese players to access the platform.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kirton |first=David |date=January 7, 2022 |title=Roblox takes down China app, says building another version |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/roblox-takes-down-china-app-says-building-another-version-2022-01-07/ |access-date=February 3, 2023 |website=] |editor1=Carmel Crimmins}}</ref> In July 2022, an archive of internal documents related to the platform's activities in China were leaked by an unidentified hacker. This document revealed that the Roblox Corporation had planned to roll out a variety of changes to the platform to comply with ], and that prior to halting their operations in China they had been concerned that ] would hack the platform and attempt to set up a competitor.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cox |first=Joseph |date=July 26, 2022 |title=Revealed: Documents Show How Roblox Planned to Bend to Chinese Censorship |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/wxndpx/revealed-documents-show-how-roblox-planned-to-bend-to-chinese-censorship |access-date=July 18, 2022 |website=] |publisher=Vice Media Group LLC}}</ref> | |||
On April 1, 2012, Roblox suffered site issues that caused players to get incorrect amounts of Robux. Some assets were uploaded without being reviewed by the moderators. There was a mysterious face uploaded to the catalog named c:. The only person who has it is user stickmasterluke. The hackers were able to access a few moderators accounts and make them say very graphic and inappropriate things. Soon after, users Pheedy and are17, both accounts under the control of DracoSwordMaster, became moderators, and used their elevated powers to unban Minish, who is a well known hacker on ROBLOX. The prices of hats in the catalog went down tremendously, and players on the site were stuck in two possible situations; one being undeservedly earning ROBUX spontaneously, and the latter having their ROBUX lost. The warning banner for the top of the site would flutter in chaos, changing colors and bestowing objectionable content, examples being "thank you minish for messing up the economy. nub." and "always share your passwords with strangers, kids!" Items in the catalog had prices changed and renamed. The entire website was soon shut down. After the hack attack was over, people were pointing the finger at users Minish and DracoSwordMaster, who are also well known hackers on the website for the hacks. After all this activity had occurred, ROBLOX staff brought the site offline, reporting they were still attempting to patch up the currency system. Administrators John Shedletsky and Matt Dusek had discovered a way to regress the everything that happened, and once the entire system was restored to its previous form, all the accounts that were tampered with were permanently banned, including DracoSwordMaster, and the "c:" face was pulled from the catalog.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2012/04/april-1st-site-issue-and-update/ |title=Site Issues |publisher=Roblox Corporation |date=April 1, 2012 |accessdate=April 2, 2012|first = David|last = Baszucki}}</ref> | |||
In September 2022, Roblox Corporation announced that it planned to add an age rating system, which would allow for moderate portrayals of violence in games flagged as suitable for players aged 13 and over. The company stated that it wanted to increase the platform's appeal to a ] audience of users 17–24, which it stated was the fastest-growing demographic on Roblox.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Liao |first=Shannon |date=September 9, 2022 |title=Roblox wants to advertise to gamers ages 13 and up in the metaverse |newspaper=] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2022/09/09/roblox-ads-metaverse/ |access-date=September 9, 2022 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> On June 20, 2023, Roblox started allowing games rated as only for players 17 years and over, which are permitted to have more ], romantic themes, and alcohol usage.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Heath |first=Alex |date=June 20, 2023 |title=Roblox will allow exclusive experiences for people 17 and over |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/6/20/23767154/roblox-adult-themes-graphic-content-age-limit-17-experiences |access-date=June 21, 2023 |website=] |publisher=]}}</ref> | |||
=== Contemporary history (2012–present) === | |||
On July 27, 2023, Roblox was released as a public beta for the ] and ].<ref name="QuestBeta" /> The beta was downloaded over one million times within five days.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Castellaw |first=Christopher |date=August 4, 2023 |title=The Meta Quest Roblox Beta Has Over 1 Million Downloads Already |url=https://www.gamerevolution.com/news/943431-roblox-quest-beta-downloaded-over-1-million-times |access-date=August 5, 2023 |website=GameRevolution |language=en-US}}</ref> In September 2023, it was announced that Roblox would be made available on the ] the following month, with the Meta Quest versions being made publicly available later in September.<ref name="PSRelease" /><ref name="QuestRelease" /> Around the same time, Roblox Corporation acquired Speechly, a ]-headquartered ] specializing in ] voice chat moderation technology, for an undisclosed price.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Writer |first=Sophie McEvoy Staff |date=September 25, 2023 |title=Roblox acquires AI voice moderation start-up Speechly |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/roblox-acquires-ai-voice-moderation-start-up-speechly |access-date=September 25, 2023 |website=GamesIndustry.biz |language=en}}</ref> | |||
The co-founder of Roblox, Erik Cassel, died on the morning of 11 February 2013 after a three-year battle with cancer at his home located in Silicon Valley, California.<ref>{{cite news|last=Baszucki|first=David|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2013/02/in-memory-of-erik-cassel/|title=In Memory of Erik Cassel|publisher=Roblox Corporation|date=12 February 2013|accessdate=12 February 2013}}</ref> | |||
=== 2024–present === | |||
The safe chat feature was removed and was replaced by a system based on a ] for users under 13 years old and on a ] for other users. This new system allows users under the age of 13 to create content on the website, which they were not able to do previously. Any words that are not pre-approved will be replaced with a series of pound signs (#). This has been subject to criticism, because words not deemed inappropriate can be censored.{{citation needed|date=August 2016}} | |||
In March 2024, two ] tools were introduced to Roblox Studio in an effort to speed up content creation: automatic avatar customization and a texture generator. The avatar customization feature automatically converts three-dimensional body meshes into live-animated avatars, and the texture generator allows users to create textures of objects using text descriptions through a ].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Rousseau |first=Jeffrey|url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/roblox-unveils-new-ai-powered-creation-tools-news-in-brief|title=Roblox unveils new AI-powered creation tools|website=Games Industry |date=March 20, 2024|access-date=March 25, 2024|archive-date=March 20, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320134636/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/roblox-unveils-new-ai-powered-creation-tools-news-in-brief |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Irwin |first=Kate |url=https://uk.pcmag.com/ai/151470/roblox-launches-new-generative-ai-texture-and-avatar-tools-for-creators|title=Roblox Launches New Generative AI Texture and Avatar Tools for Creators|website=] |date=March 18, 2024|access-date=March 25, 2024|archive-date=March 19, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240319070357/https://uk.pcmag.com/ai/151470/roblox-launches-new-generative-ai-texture-and-avatar-tools-for-creators |url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
In response to ], including ], on November 18, 2024, Roblox revamped ] and released new safety measures for users under the age of 13. Parents can create a separate account to control their child's account and have more options such as to limit ]. Users under 13 are not allowed to exchange ]s outside games and must have parental permission to do so within.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Pineda |first1=Dhanika |title=With new safety update, Roblox aims to boost protection for young gamers |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/11/18/nx-s1-5195476/roblox-update-child-safety |website=] |access-date=November 22, 2024 |date=November 18, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Patrick |title=Roblox gives parents more power to protect the safety of young gamers |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/roblox-parents-safety-controls-direct-messaging-rcna180585 |website=] |date=November 18, 2024 |access-date=November 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Kant |first1=Rishi |title=Roblox tightens messaging rules for under-13 users amid abuse concerns |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/roblox-tightens-messaging-rules-under-13-users-amid-abuse-concerns-2024-11-18/ |website=] |access-date=November 22, 2024 |date=November 22, 2024}}</ref> | |||
The lighting system was improved with the addition of ] implemented in a ]-based fashion.<ref>{{cite news|url = http://www.gamezebo.com/news/2013/05/17/roblox-introduces-new-dynamic-lighting-engine|title = ROBLOX introduces new Dynamic Lighting engine|date = 17 May 2013|last = Jasko|first = Joe|publisher = ]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url = http://blog.roblox.com/2013/05/lights-on-dynamic-lighting-and-shadows-are-here|title = Lights On: Dynamic Lighting and Shadows are Here|last = Kapoulkine|first = Arseny|publisher = Roblox Corporation|date = 9 May 2013}}</ref> Dynamic lights were later added to the mobile version of Roblox.<ref>{{cite news|url = http://inventorspot.com/articles/roblox_launches_dynamic_lighting_ios|title = Roblox Launches Dynamic Lighting On iOS|last = Greene|first = Nicholas|publisher = InventorSpot|date = 5 July 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url = http://blog.roblox.com/2013/05/lights-on-dynamic-lighting-and-shadows-are-here|title = Lights On: Dynamic Lighting and Shadows are Here|date = 9 May 2013|publisher = Roblox Corporation|last = Kapoulkine|first = Arseny}}</ref> On 2 October 2013, animations made a debut in Roblox, with an overhaul of the default Roblox character animations along with user made animations allowed. | |||
==Community and culture== | |||
In December 2013, an animation plugin was made available to be used. Users also became able to insert basic humanoids through the interface of the studio.<ref>{{cite news|url = http://blog.roblox.com/2013/10/new-movements-set-stage-for-keyframe-animation-system/|title = New Movements Set the Stage for Keyframe Animation System|date = 2 October 2013|publisher = Roblox Corporation|last = D'Amelio|first = Vince|accessdate=3 October 2013}}</ref> | |||
===Activism=== | |||
Users of Roblox have been noted for their efforts against ], with numerous regular users and co-founder Baszucki having declared their support for the ] and ].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stevens |first=Barry |date=June 3, 2020 |title=David Baszucki, founder and CEO of Roblox sends a heartfelt message in a recent blog post |url=https://www.entertainment-focus.com/games-section/game-news/david-baszucki-founder-and-ceo-of-roblox-sends-a-heartfelt-message-in-a-recent-blog-post/ |access-date=June 26, 2020 |website=Entertainment Focus}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Parker-Pope |first=Tara |author-link=Tara Parker-Pope |date=June 24, 2020 |title=How to Raise an Anti-Racist Kid |work=] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/24/well/family/how-to-raise-an-anti-racist-kid.html |url-status=live |access-date=June 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127234351/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/24/well/family/how-to-raise-an-anti-racist-kid.html |archive-date=January 27, 2021}}</ref> In August 2019, an investigation by ] revealed over 100 accounts linked to ] and ] groups. After being contacted about the accounts by NBC, Roblox moderators removed them.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Farivar |first=Cyrus |date=August 22, 2019 |title=Extremists creep into Roblox, an online game popular with children |work=] |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/extremists-creep-roblox-online-game-popular-children-n1045056 |url-status=live |access-date=August 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210311180608/https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/extremists-creep-roblox-online-game-popular-children-n1045056 |archive-date=March 11, 2021}}</ref> | |||
===Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic=== | |||
Around August 2013, the minimum price for catalog items increased from 1 ticket or 1 Robux to 300 tickets and 25 Robux for shirts or pants and 120 tickets and 10 robux for T-shirts.<ref>{{cite web|title=Price Floor: T-Shirts, Shirts, and Pants|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2013/09/price-floor-t-shirts-shirts-and-pants/|website=Roblox Blog|publisher=ROBLOX Corporation|accessdate=6 March 2015}}</ref> This was met by criticism from the community and it was reduced to 100 tickets and 10 Robux for shirts and pants and 20 tickets and 2 robux for T-shirts.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Justus|first1=Brad|title=Lower Floor Prices for Clothing|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2013/10/lower-floor-prices-for-clothing/|website=Roblox Blog|publisher=ROBLOX Corporation|accessdate=6 March 2015}}</ref> | |||
The ] has affected Roblox in numerous ways. Due to quarantines imposed by the pandemic limiting social interaction, Roblox was being used as a way for children to communicate with each other.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |date=June 29, 2020 |title=Roblox: How teens are using games to cope with the pandemic |url=https://venturebeat.com/2020/06/29/roblox-how-teens-are-using-games-to-cope-with-the-pandemic/ |access-date=July 4, 2020 |website=]}}</ref> One of the most noted ways that this method of communication is being carried out is the phenomenon of birthday parties being held on the platform.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kharif |first=Olga |date=April 15, 2020 |title=Kids Flock to Roblox for Parties and Playdates During Lockdown |work=] |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-15/kids-flock-to-roblox-for-parties-and-playdates-during-lockdown |url-status=live |access-date=July 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210319084441/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-15/kids-flock-to-roblox-for-parties-and-playdates-during-lockdown |archive-date=March 19, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Perez |first=Sarah |date=April 6, 2020 |title=Creative ways to host a virtual birthday party for kids |url=https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/06/creative-ways-to-host-a-virtual-birthday-party-for-kids/ |access-date=July 4, 2020 |website=]}}</ref> COVID-19 has caused a substantial increase in both the platform's revenue and the number of players on it, in line with similar effects experienced by the majority of the gaming industry, as players forced to remain indoors due to ] spent more time playing video games.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Perez |first=Sarah |date=July 1, 2020 |title=Global app revenue jumps to $50B in the first half of 2020, in part due to COVID-19 impacts |url=https://techcrunch.com/2020/06/30/global-app-revenue-jumps-to-50b-in-the-first-half-of-2020-in-part-due-to-covid-19-impacts/ |access-date=July 14, 2020 |website=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Hetfield |first=Malindy |date=July 22, 2020 |title=Roblox is now the game of choice for over half of all US kids |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/au/roblox-is-now-the-game-of-choice-for-over-half-of-all-us-kids/ |magazine=] |access-date=July 23, 2020}}</ref> | |||
The Roblox platform has also been used to stage virtual ]s in lieu of in-person ceremonies due to quarantine restrictions, such as a server by devotees of the ] in ] where models based on the icon of the Black Nazarene and other icons were made.<ref name="nazareno">{{Cite web |title='Virtual' na paggunita sa Pista ng Nazareno nagsimula na |url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/03/22/virtual-na-paggunita-sa-pista-ng-nazareno-nagsimula-na |access-date=April 13, 2023 |website=]}}</ref> Similar virtual processions and religious ceremonies have also been staged by various ] parishes in the Philippines and other countries by religious youth organizations.<ref name="catholic">{{Cite web |date=January 31, 2023 |title=The surprising trend of virtual Catholic Masses on Roblox |url=https://aleteia.org/2023/01/31/the-surprising-trend-of-virtual-catholic-masses-on-roblox/ |access-date=April 13, 2023 |website=Aleteia |language=en}}</ref> | |||
On 1 October 2013, Roblox released a feature called ''Developer's Exchange''. The feature allows users to exchange their Robux into USD. The requirements to use the program are a minimum threshold of 100,000 Robux, Outrageous Builders Club, and a valid ] account. The current trade ratio is 500 to 1.<ref>{{cite news|last=Justus|first=Brad|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2013/10/introducing-developer-central-and-the-developer-exchange/|title=Introducing Developer Central and the Developer Exchange|publisher=Roblox Corporation|date=1 October 2013}}</ref> | |||
==="Oof" sound effect=== | |||
On 11 October 2013, body packages became available to all members of Roblox, including those who did not have a premium membership.<ref>{{Cite news|url = http://blog.roblox.com/2013/10/body-packages-now-available-to-all-robloxians/|title = Body Packages Now Available to All ROBLOXians|last = Justus|first = Brad|date = 11 October 2013|work = |accessdate = 18 June 2014|publisher = Roblox Corporation|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20131016032941/http://blog.roblox.com/2013/10/body-packages-now-available-to-all-robloxians/|archivedate = 16 October 2013}}</ref> | |||
From its release until November 2020, Roblox{{'}}s sound effect for when a character dies was a sound commonly transcribed and titled as "oof", which became a substantial part of the platform's reputation due to its status as a ].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Beckheling |first=Imogen |date=November 12, 2020 |title=Roblox will soon charge for the memey "oof" death noise |work=] |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/11/12/roblox-will-soon-charge-for-the-memey-oof-death-noise/ |access-date=November 14, 2020}}</ref> The sound was originally produced by Joey Kuras<ref>{{cite news|title=Roblox's iconic 'oof' sound removed due to licensing|url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/roblox/oof-removed|access-date=September 10, 2023|work=PCGamesN|date=July 27, 2022}}</ref> for the studio of video game composer ] for the video game '']'' produced in 2000. This caused the two to enter a copyright dispute, which ended in 2022 when Roblox pulled the sound from their platform and replaced it with a new one.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Marshall |first=Cass |date=July 27, 2022 |title=Say goodbye to Roblox's iconic 'oof' sound effect |url=https://www.polygon.com/23280931/roblox-oof-sound-effect-replaced-copyright-licensing |access-date=July 27, 2022 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Mollie |date=July 27, 2022 |title=Oof, the iconic Roblox death noise has been replaced with a way uglier sound |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/oof-the-iconic-roblox-death-noise-has-been-replaced-with-a-way-uglier-sound/ |access-date=July 27, 2022 |website=PC Gamer}}</ref> | |||
== Reception and revenue == | |||
On 22 October 2013, players became able to change their usernames to an unused one for 1000 Robux. The feature also allows the player's original name to be saved in case a user wishes to change back.<ref>{{cite news|last=Medhora|first=Chirag|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2013/10/tired-of-your-username-change-it/|title=Tired of Your Username? Change It!|publisher=Roblox Corporation|date = 22 October 2013}}</ref> On 14 October 2014, one badge was retired and all other badges were redesigned. | |||
=== Games === | |||
On 31 May 2015, a feature named Smooth Terrain was added, increasing the graphical fidelity and changing the physics engine from a blocky style to a smoother, more photorealistic, style<ref>{{Cite web|title = Roblox user-generated world moves from blocky terrain to smooth 3D|url = http://venturebeat.com/2015/06/01/roblox-user-generated-world-moves-from-blocky-to-smooth-3d-terrain/|website = VentureBeat|accessdate = 3 June 2015}}</ref> | |||
{{See also|List of Roblox games}} | |||
] | |||
Due to its status as a user-created games platform, Roblox has a variety of popular games. As of May 2020, the most popular games on Roblox had over 10 million monthly active players each. As of August 2020, at least 20 games had been played more than one billion times, and at least 5,000 have been played more than one million times.<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 21, 2020 |title=Gamers are logging millions of hours a day on Roblox |newspaper=] |url=https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2020/08/21/gamers-are-logging-millions-of-hours-a-day-on-roblox |url-status=live |access-date=August 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210328183921/https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2020/08/21/gamers-are-logging-millions-of-hours-a-day-on-roblox |archive-date=March 28, 2021}}</ref> '']'' noted in March 2021 that Roblox games are largely distinct from established traditions in ] video games, finding that successful Roblox games were geared towards immediate satisfaction, and finding that the addition of ] significantly decreased player engagement, contrary to established wisdom about free-to-play games.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ferencz |first=Joe |date=March 27, 2021 |title=5 mistakes creators make building new games on Roblox |url=https://techcrunch.com/2021/03/26/5-mistakes-creators-make-building-new-games-on-roblox/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210328104324/https://techcrunch.com/2021/03/26/5-mistakes-creators-make-building-new-games-on-roblox/ |archive-date=March 28, 2021 |access-date=March 28, 2021 |website=]}}</ref> Companies have used Roblox as a platform for ] promoting their products.<ref name="Polygon ad" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=McCracken |first=Harry |date=April 19, 2023 |title=Roblox grows up |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90878692/roblox-grows-up |access-date=May 31, 2023 |website=] |publisher=Fast Company, Inc}}</ref><ref name="TheObserverRoblox">{{cite web |last1=Bains |first1=Collum |title='Advergames': how games platform Roblox became a corporate marketing playground |url=https://www.theguardian.com/games/article/2024/jul/13/advergames-how-games-platform-roblox-became-a-corporate-marketing-playground |website=] |publisher=] |access-date=August 1, 2024 |date=July 13, 2024}}</ref> | |||
===Revenue=== | |||
In Summer 2015, all combat-related badges were discontinued.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Combat badges discontinued |url =http://www.roblox.com/Badges.aspx#Badge3|website = Roblox|accessdate = July 4, 2015}}</ref> | |||
During the 2017 Roblox Developers Conference, officials said that creators on the game platform, of which there were about 1.7 million as of 2017,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Weinberger |first=Matt |date=May 9, 2017 |title=This game turned players into $50,000-a-month entrepreneurs – now it has a plan to help them make $1.68 million a year |work=] |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/roblox-vp-of-developer-relations-grace-francisco-2017-5 |url-status=live |access-date=October 10, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181130004003/https://www.businessinsider.com/roblox-vp-of-developer-relations-grace-francisco-2017-5 |archive-date=November 30, 2018}}</ref> collectively earned at least $30 million in 2017.<ref name="engadget">{{Cite web |last=Conditt |first=Jessica |date=July 22, 2017 |title=Hobbyist developers will make $30 million via 'Roblox' this year |url=https://www.engadget.com/2017/07/22/roblox-30-million-pay-out-developers-2017-how/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181129211723/https://www.engadget.com/2017/07/22/roblox-30-million-pay-out-developers-2017-how/ |archive-date=November 29, 2018 |access-date=October 10, 2017 |website=]}}</ref> The iOS version of Roblox passed $1 billion of lifetime revenue in November 2019,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shanley |first=Patrick |date=November 25, 2019 |title='Roblox Mobile' Crosses $1B in Lifetime Revenue |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/roblox-mobile-crosses-1b-lifetime-revenue-1257935 |access-date=June 15, 2020 |website=]}}</ref> $1.5 billion in June 2020,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Partleton |first=Kayleigh |date=June 26, 2020 |title=Roblox Mobile hits $1.5 billion in lifetime revenue |url=https://www.pocketgamer.biz/news/73751/roblox-mobile-one-and-a-half-billion-usd-lifetime-revenue/ |access-date=June 26, 2020 |website=]}}</ref> and $2 billion in October 2020,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Partleton |first=Kayleigh |date=October 22, 2020 |title=Roblox surpasses $2 billion in player spending on mobile |url=https://www.pocketgamer.biz/news/74828/roblox-surpasses-2-billion-in-player-spending/ |access-date=October 23, 2020 |website=]}}</ref> making it the iOS app with the second-highest revenue.<ref name="Levy">{{Cite news |last=Levy |first=Ari |date=April 8, 2020 |title=While parents Zoom, their kids are flocking to an app called Roblox to hang out and play 3D games |work=] |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/08/roblox-is-seeing-a-surge-during-coronavirus-shelter-in-place.html |access-date=June 27, 2020}}</ref> Several individual games on Roblox have accumulated revenues of over $10 million,<ref name="Ling">{{Cite web |last1=Handrahan |first1=Matthew |last2=Ling |first2=Josh |date=July 21, 2020 |title=Adopt Me: The most popular game you've never played |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-07-21-adopt-me-interview |access-date=July 25, 2020 |website=Games Industry |publisher=]}}</ref> while developers as a whole on the platform were collectively projected to have earned around $250 million over the course of 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lawver |first=Bryan |date=July 28, 2020 |title=Roblox Developers To Make $250 Million In 2020 Thanks To Explosive Growth |url=https://screenrant.com/roblox-creators-250-million-2020-monthly-players/ |access-date=August 6, 2020 |website=]}}</ref> It became the third highest-grossing ], with a revenue of {{US$|2.29 billion|long=no}}, below the ] titles '']'' and '']''.<ref name="SuperData2020">{{Cite web |date=January 6, 2021 |title=Games and interactive media earnings rose 12% to $139.9B in 2020 |url=https://www.superdataresearch.com/blog/2020-year-in-review |url-access=registration |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210106144257/https://www.superdataresearch.com/blog/2020-year-in-review |archive-date=January 6, 2021 |access-date=January 6, 2021 |website=] |publisher=]}}</ref> | |||
===Critical reception=== | |||
On August 4, 2015, Roblox discontinued purchases for lifetime and 6 months Builders Club, Turbo Builders Club, and Outrageous Builders Club.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|title = Discontinuation for lifetime BC, TBC, and OBC.|url = https://en.help.roblox.com/hc/en-us/articles/205324130-Builders-Club-Updates-6-month-and-Lifetime-Memberships|website = Roblox Help|accessdate = August 4, 2015}}</ref> | |||
Roblox has generally received positive reviews.{{Citation needed|date=July 2024}} ] gave it 4 out of 5 stars, praising the website's variety of games and ability to encourage creativity in children while finding that the decentralized nature of the platform meant game quality varied, and recommended disabling chat functions for young players to prevent possibly harmful interactions.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brereton |first=Erin |date=November 14, 2019 |title=Roblox |url=https://www.commonsensemedia.org/website-reviews/roblox |access-date=June 24, 2020 |website=]}}</ref> Patricia E. Vance of the ] advised parents to monitor their child's interactions on the platform but praised the platform for "...allowing kids to play, explore, socialize, create and learn in a self-directed way", and granting special praise to Roblox Studio for its ability to encourage children to experience game development.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vance |first=Patricia E. |date=December 19, 2018 |title=What Parents Need To Know About Roblox |url=https://www.fosi.org/good-digital-parenting/what-parents-need-know-about-roblox/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200708131228/https://www.fosi.org/good-digital-parenting/what-parents-need-know-about-roblox/ |archive-date=July 8, 2020 |access-date=June 27, 2020 |website=]}}</ref> '']'', in its overview of the platform, also praised Roblox Studio, stating that "for anyone seeking to develop their computer science skills, or create projects that will instantly receive feedback from a huge audience, the appeal is obvious".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mahboubian-Jones |first=Justin |date=December 15, 2016 |title=What is Roblox? The world's most popular game you might not have heard of |url=https://www.trustedreviews.com/opinion/what-is-roblox-the-world-s-most-popular-game-you-might-not-have-heard-of-2946534 |access-date=August 1, 2016 |website=] |publisher=] |archive-date=October 9, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171009024509/http://www.trustedreviews.com/opinion/what-is-roblox-the-world-s-most-popular-game-you-might-not-have-heard-of-2946534 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Craig Hurda, writing in ''Android Guys'', gave a more moderate review, praising the number of games available and finding that the game was entertaining for children, while also finding that the platform's audio was "hit-or-miss" and declaring that it had limited appeal for adult players.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hurda |first=Craig |date=February 8, 2017 |title=Roblox is waaayy more than a game (Review) |url=https://www.androidguys.com/news/roblox-is-waaayy-more-than-a-game-review/ |access-date=August 23, 2020 |website=Android Guys}}</ref> | |||
On October 15, 2015, there was a new chat system that replaced the old one. Also fixed many issues with the old chat and party systems.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2015/10/new-chats-and-parties-make-playing-with-friends-easier-than-ever/|title=New Chat and Party System|author=Sorcus|publisher=Roblox|date=October 15, 2015|accessdate=October 15, 2015}}</ref> | |||
===Restrictions by country=== | |||
On November 10, 2015 Roblox announced a new Physics Material Properties that allows blocks to be pushed around easier, another object being pushed more easier, and blocks being pushed depending on the terrain type.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2015/11/announcing-new-physical-material-properties/|title=New Shadows for Humanoids|author=khanovich|publisher=Roblox|date=November 10, 2015|accessdate=November 10, 2015}}</ref> As of February 10, 2016, this was effective and is default for all games, but it can be switched to the older physics standard. | |||
] | |||
Roblox is ] in seven countries: ], ], ], ], ], ],<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Chapple |first=Craig |date=2024-08-07 |title=Turkey blocks access to Roblox |url=https://www.pocketgamer.biz/turkey-blocks-access-to-roblox/ |access-date=2024-08-07 |website=www.pocketgamer.biz |language=en}}</ref> and the ].<ref name="robloxbancountry">{{cite web |last1=Muhammad Ebrahim |first1=Naeem |title=Is Roblox Illegal? 6 Countries Where It Is |url=https://gamevoyagers.com/is-roblox-illegal-6-countries-where-it-is/ |website=] |date=September 30, 2022 |access-date=25 July 2024}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=July 2024}} China has banned Roblox due to its American origin and perceived ] ], aiming to protect Chinese children from anti-communist influences. Instead, ] released a Chinese version of Roblox, called Luobulesi ({{zh|c={{linktext|罗布乐思}}}}), in 2021,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Partis |first=Danielle |date=2022-07-28 |title=Leaked documents show Roblox agreement plans in China |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/leaked-documents-show-roblox-agreement-plans-in-china |work=] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Weber |first=Nic |date=2024-02-20 |title=Is Roblox Banned in China? Let's Explore the Facts |url=https://www.playbite.com/is-roblox-banned-in-china/ |language=en-US}}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=July 2024}} which was later shut down in 2022.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Liao |first=Rita |date=2022-01-06 |title=Roblox pauses service in China as it takes 'important transitory actions' |url=https://techcrunch.com/2022/01/06/roblox-transition-china-luobulesi-tencent/ |access-date=2024-11-07 |work=]}}</ref> Guatemala has banned Roblox because the gaming platform violates laws and regulations regarding the safety and protection of children and adolescents. Jordan has banned Roblox due to concerns about foul language, scamming, and hacking, which it claims can harm children during puberty. North Korea has banned Roblox because the game allows users to chat with others worldwide, violating its laws on isolation. Oman has banned Roblox due to explicit and inappropriate content, along with concerns about hacking and scamming. Turkey has banned Roblox because the platform contains content that may lead to gambling and ].<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{cite web |last1=Stanton |first1=Rich |title=Turkey just straight-up banned Roblox for 'child exploitation' |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/turkey-just-straight-up-banned-roblox-for-child-exploitation/ |website=] |access-date=10 August 2024 |date=8 August 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/turkce/articles/c0l8w6gr7zzo |title=Popüler oyun platformu Roblox 'çocuk istismarı' gerekçesiyle engellendi |trans-title=Popular gaming platform Roblox blocked for 'child abuse' |publisher=BBC |language=tr |date=7 August 2024 |access-date=9 August 2024}}</ref> The United Arab Emirates has banned Roblox out of fear that the game, targeted towards kids, may contain inappropriate content.<ref name="robloxbancountry"/> | |||
In ] and the ], regulations restrict in-game items with randomized or unknown chances to suppress ]. The ] and ] have purportedly investigated in-game gambling, while 18 other European countries have promoted the idea of regulating such practices.<ref>{{cite web |title=The ultimate loot drop: the Netherlands is planning to ban loot boxes in video games |url=https://www.cliffordchance.com/insights/resources/blogs/talking-tech/en/articles/2022/09/the-ultimate-loot-drop-the-netherlands-is-planning-to-ban-loot.html |website=] |access-date=25 July 2024 |date=6 September 2022}}</ref> | |||
On November 24, 2015, Roblox introduced a new shadows for Humanoids that made players' shadow look realistic.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2015/11/new-shadows-bring-more-realistic-effects-to-humanoids/|title=New Shadows for Humanoids|author=arsenyk|publisher=Roblox|date=November 24, 2015|accessdate=November 24, 2015}}</ref> | |||
=== Criticism and controversies === | |||
In February 2016, Roblox allows users to create usernames with underscores again.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.roblox.com/|title=ROBLOX Landing Page, clearly visible under Sign Up when logged out. (I couldn't find any specific blog posts from ROBLOX on this.)}}</ref> | |||
==== Inappropriate content and predatory behavior ==== | |||
On 12 March 2016, Roblox announced on their blog a new R15 avatar was in the works. This would be a new body part package that would have 15 body parts instead of the regular package's 6. After R15 is released, players can still choose to use R6 if they do not like the new package.<ref name="thefutureofroblox">{{Cite web|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2016/03/the-future-of-the-roblox-avatar//|title=The Future Of The Roblox Avatar|last=David|first=Baszucki|date=March 12, 2016|publisher=ROBLOX|access-date=March 12, 2016}}</ref> | |||
Roblox has received widespread criticism for its chat filtration system.<ref name="Roblox criticism">{{Cite news |last1=Vengattil |first1=Munsif |last2=Munn |first2=Joseph |date=November 19, 2020 |title=Kids gaming platform Roblox faces hurdles ahead of public listing: rough words |work=] |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-gaming-roblox-content-focus/kids-gaming-platform-roblox-faces-hurdles-ahead-of-public-listing-rough-words-idUKKBN27Z1GK |url-status=dead |access-date=December 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210228182015/https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-gaming-roblox-content-focus/kids-gaming-platform-roblox-faces-hurdles-ahead-of-public-listing-rough-words-idUKKBN27Z1GK |archive-date=February 28, 2021}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Stonehouse |first=Rachel |date=May 29, 2020 |title=Roblox: 'I thought he was playing an innocent game' |work=] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-48450604 |access-date=December 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210329041522/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-48450604 |archive-date=March 29, 2021}}</ref> Although Roblox{{'}}s filtration system, Community Sift,<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Two Hat Security's User Reputation Patent Lets Community Sift Identify Disruptive Users |date=June 19, 2018 |publisher=Two Hat |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180619005306/en/Hat-Securitys-User-Reputation-Patent-Lets-Community |access-date=March 1, 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310025755/https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180619005306/en/Hat-Securitys-User-Reputation-Patent-Lets-Community |archive-date=March 10, 2021 |website=]}}</ref> censors and removes most inappropriate messages and content, it is possible to avoid the system, for example by using third-party chat apps.<ref name=":1" /> To combat these issues, Roblox has 1,600 people working to remove such content from the platform.<ref name="Roblox criticism" /> Roblox offers privacy settings; parents can limit what people a user can contact, restrict access to ], and turn on ].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Magid |first=Larry |date=November 5, 2020 |title=Larry Magid: Keeping kids safe on Roblox |work=] |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/11/05/keeping-kids-safe-on-roblox/ |access-date=December 17, 2020}}</ref> | |||
Though sexual content is prohibited on Roblox, the platform has received substantial criticism for the presence of sexually explicit games and imagery within it. This content includes items such as virtual ] and ], with creators of said content largely communicating through third-party platforms which cannot be regulated by Roblox moderators.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Conklin |first=Audrey |date=August 25, 2020 |title=Roblox teen gamers engage in sexual behavior in platform's 'red light district': report |work=] |url=https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/roblox-discord-teen-gamers-inappropriate |url-status=dead |access-date=December 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210101115812/https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/roblox-discord-teen-gamers-inappropriate |archive-date=January 1, 2021}}</ref> A 2020 investigation by '']'' found that sexual content was still prevalent within Roblox, with attempts by moderators to remove it being likened to "whack-a-mole",<ref name="SLV">{{Cite news |last=Helm |first=Burt |date=August 19, 2020 |title=Sex, lies, and video games: Inside Roblox's war on porn |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90539906/sex-lies-and-video-games-inside-roblox-war-on-porn |access-date=December 19, 2020 |website=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cole |first=Samantha |date=November 21, 2020 |title=Roblox Goes Public, Says Child Pornography Is a Risk to Its Business |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/epdzxk/roblox-goes-public-says-child-pornography-is-a-risk-to-its-business |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201184039/https://www.vice.com/en/article/epdzxk/roblox-goes-public-says-child-pornography-is-a-risk-to-its-business |archive-date=December 1, 2020 |access-date=December 19, 2020 |website=]}}</ref> though it was also found that the situation had generally improved in the recent years prior to the report.<ref name=SLV/> In an October 2022 interview, Roblox Chief Scientist Morgan McGuire stated that it's "a challenge to moderate 3D," and also compared moderating Roblox to shutting down ].<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Chmielewski |first1=Dawn |last2=Dastin |first2=Jeffrey |date=October 11, 2022 |title=Roblox says policing virtual world is like 'shutting down speakeasies' |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/reuters-momentum-roblox-says-policing-virtual-world-is-like-shutting-down-2022-10-11/ |access-date=October 12, 2022}}</ref> | |||
On March 15, 2016, Roblox announced that the currency called "Tickets" is planned to be removed after 30 days of the announcement because ROBLOX deemed the said currency useless. During the 30 days, Roblox released hats that can only be bought with Tickets as exclusive, commemorative items. Additionally, the Trade Currency system will be removed.<ref name="robloxgoodbyetotickets22">{{Cite web|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2016/03/saying-goodbye-to-tickets/|title=Saying Goodbye to Tickets|last=David|first=Baszucki|date=March 15, 2016|publisher=ROBLOX|access-date=March 15, 2016}}</ref> | |||
These issues have led to numerous reports of ], which a 2024 '']'' report attributed to insufficient moderation, such as reliance on ], and how users are anonymous. The report highlighted the case of Arnold "DoctorRofatnik" Castillo, the developer of a popular '']'' fangame ''Sonic Eclipse Online''. After his personal account was banned for reports of preying on a child, he transferred the game to a friend's account and continued profiting from it. Roblox refused to take the game down, not seeing it as a safety concern; ''Sonic the Hedgehog''{{'}}s owner ] was later notified and sent a takedown request for copyright infringement. Castillo was eventually arrested and sentenced to 15 years in prison for transporting a child across interstate boundaries for sex. Statements of anonymous ] employees tell that the staff struggles with high numbers of child safety reports and claim that additional safety features, such as a pop-up notice, were rejected and safety settings are off by default. The report however noticed that Roblox has improved in moderation and reported more child predators than before.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Carville, Olivia |author2=D’Anastasio, Cecillia |title=Roblox's Pedophile Problem |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2024-roblox-pedophile-problem/ |website=] |publisher=] |access-date=July 27, 2024 |date=July 22, 2024}}</ref> Roblox has claimed that the report's accusations are "glaring mischaracterizations" and " to reflect both the complexities of online child safety".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Blake |first1=Vikki |title=Roblox reported over 13,000 incidents to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in 2023 |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/roblox-reported-over-13000-incidents-to-the-national-center-for-missing-and-exploited-children-in-2023 |website=GamesIndustry.biz |publisher=] |access-date=July 27, 2024 |date=July 23, 2024}}</ref> | |||
Also, on March 15, 2016, Roblox announced they will lower the ROBUX price floors to 5 ROBUX minimum as in means of currency. They will also allow users to upload their hats, gear, and more, similar to how players can do Models.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2016/03/saying-goodbye-to-tickets/|title=Saying Goodbye to Tickets|last=David|first=Bazuki|date=March 15, 2016|publisher=ROBLOX|access-date=March 16, 2016}}</ref> | |||
==== Accusations of encouraging consumerism ==== | |||
On April 14, 2016, the Tickets currency was removed from Roblox's internal payment system, and was removed from all subdomains of the website. | |||
Roblox has been criticized for making it easy for children to spend large sums of money through ], leading to numerous instances where children have spent large sums of money on the platform without parents' knowledge,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thubron |first=Rob |date=July 6, 2020 |title=Dad discovers his 11-year-old daughter spent almost $6,000 on Roblox |url=https://www.techspot.com/news/85882-eleven-year-old-girl-spends-almost-6000-roblox.html |website=TechSpot}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=January 31, 2020 |title=Roblox: Wrexham mum's warning after daughter's iPad bill |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-51328762 |website=]}}</ref> and deleting the accounts of players who file ]s or request refunds for Robux payments through their banks, card issuers or other third-party companies.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tims |first=Anna |date=March 11, 2020 |title=My kids spent £600 on their iPads without my knowledge |url=https://www.theguardian.com/money/2020/mar/11/my-kids-spent-600-on-their-ipads-without-my-knowledge |website=]}}</ref> Professor Jane Juffer at ] accused Roblox of encouraging ] in children.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Juffer |first=Jane |title=Don't use your words! : children's emotions in a networked world |date=2019 |publisher=NYU Press |isbn=9781479833054 |location=New York}}</ref> | |||
In April 2022, ] filed a complaint against Roblox with the ] for ], mainly failing to disclose when advertising is present, such as with ]s and ]s.<ref name="Polygon ad">{{Cite web |last=Diaz |first=Ana |date=April 22, 2022 |title=Roblox is 'exploiting' users with deceptive advertising, watchdog group says |url=https://www.polygon.com/23035640/roblox-ads-deceptive-ftc-complaint |access-date=May 25, 2023 |website=] |publisher=]}}</ref> As a response, in March 2023, Roblox started hiding advertisements from users under the age of 13.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rousseau |first=Jeffrey |date=March 31, 2023 |title=Roblox will hide ads for users 13 and under |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/roblox-will-hide-ads-for-users-13-and-under |access-date=May 25, 2023 |website=] |publisher=]}}</ref> However, this does not apply to advergames for that they are not designated as advertising by the platform, which has led to further criticism by Truth in Advertising and children's digital rights organization 5Rights. A Roblox spokesperson, through a statement in '']'', provided reasoning that engagement in advergames is not different from how consumers interact with brands through other mediums, such as films, and that the platform provides guidance for advergame creators and licensors.<ref name="TheObserverRoblox"/> | |||
== Gameplay == | |||
Players can customize their virtual characters with hundreds of different hats, head shapes, body shapes, clothing, and gear. Players may create their own articles of clothing, which allows for a more personalized in-game experience. However, selling player-created articles of clothing and collectible items require ''Builders Club'', but non-premium players may still create T-shirts, which are decals attached to the front of a player's torso. | |||
] | |||
=== |
==== Extremism ==== | ||
In May 2021, researcher Daniel Kelley of the ] reported that numerous games on Roblox have recreated ]s, and criticized its moderation team for being unable to moderate them. An example of this were three different games that simulated the ]. Later that year in June, Cecilia D'Anastasio of ] reported that numerous groups and games on Roblox that simulated real-world military units and regimes. including the ]. An example that was provided was ''Innsbruck Border Simulator'', a game that had players play as Nazis, was reported to have gained over a million plays before being deleted by the Roblox team.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brandom |first=Russell |date=August 17, 2021 |title=Roblox is struggling to moderate re-creations of mass shootings |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/17/22628624/roblox-moderation-trust-and-safety-terrorist-content-christchurch |access-date=November 27, 2023 |website=The Verge |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=D'Anastasio |first=Cecilia |title=How 'Roblox' Became a Playground for Virtual Fascists |language=en-US |magazine=Wired |url=https://www.wired.com/story/roblox-online-games-irl-fascism-roman-empire/ |access-date=November 27, 2023 |issn=1059-1028}}</ref> In 2023, '']'' reported that congresswoman ] criticized numerous video game companies for failing to address questions on how to combat online extremism, but noted Roblox to be an exception, with them claiming to have a team dedicated to moderating extremist content. ''Gamesindustry.biz'', however, mentioned the company being criticized in the past for being unable to moderate games that recreated real world shootings.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Batchelor |first=James |date=March 3, 2023 |title=US Congress "disappointed" with companies' response to extremism concerns |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/us-congress-disappointed-with-companies-response-to-extremism-concerns |access-date=November 27, 2023 |website=GamesIndustry.biz |language=en}}</ref> | |||
Roblox can be played on many Android devices, as well as the iPad 2, the iPhone 4, the iPod touch 5th generation or any successor to one of those Apple devices.<ref name="ROBLOX Corporation2">{{cite web|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2012/10/video-testing-popular-roblox-games-on-the-ipad/|title=Video: Testing Popular ROBLOX Games on the iPad|website=Roblox Blog|publisher=ROBLOX Corporation|last1=Haak|first1=Andrew|accessdate=6 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2014/07/roblox-arrives-on-android/|title=ROBLOX Arrives on Android|website=Roblox Blog|publisher=ROBLOX Corporation|last1=Haak|first1=Andrew|accessdate=6 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2014/10/roblox-arrives-in-the-amazon-app-store/|title=ROBLOX Arrives in the Amazon App Store|website=Roblox Blog|publisher=ROBLOX Corporation|last1=Hendrik|first1=Jack|accessdate=6 March 2015}}</ref> This is done with the Roblox application which can be obtained from the application store. The application allows purchasing items from the catalog that are not available for users not using the mobile application using the currency system of ]. The application can be used to view the user's inventory, friends, groups, and messages. It can also be used to purchase upgrades (premium memberships or Robux) with the currency system provided by iTunes and ]. | |||
==== Alleged exploitative practices towards children ==== | |||
During the alpha period, only selected places such as Crossroads, Paintball!, ROBLOX Snowmobiling, Dodgeball!, etc. could be played from the application.<ref name="ROBLOX Corporation2" /> The application is now stable and allows any place to be played. However, many places are not adapted to be played on the mobiles, which can result in games being too slow or some games being impossible to play because of the controls that are not available on mobile. Additionally, some games are simply unable to load due to size and complexity, for example the popular and leading tactical shooter | |||
Roblox has been accused by the ] ] channel '']'' of "]" child game developers by promising them huge amounts of money when they monetize their games, while only giving them little to no money in return by having high revenue cuts, an exchange rate in selling Robux lower than the rate for buying Robux, and lack of methods to make their games easily ]. This was likened to ].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Yin-Poole |first=Wesley |date=August 20, 2021 |title=Roblox "exploiting" young game developers, new investigation reports |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-08-20-roblox-exploiting-young-game-developers-new-investigation-reports |access-date=December 4, 2021 |website=] |publisher=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Wen |first=Alan |date=August 20, 2021 |title='Roblox' is allegedly exploiting young game developers |url=https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news/roblox-is-allegedly-exploiting-young-game-developers-3024548 |access-date=December 4, 2021 |website=] |publisher=]}}</ref> In a discussion with '']'', ''Roblox's'' ] (CPO) Manuel Bronstein responded by saying that Roblox intends to give more money to its community developers.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Totilo |first=Stephen |date=October 15, 2021 |title=Roblox outlines future for the virtual platform |language=en |work=Axios |url=https://www.axios.com/roblox-outlines-future-for-the-virtual-platform-c45d9941-2412-485c-8cad-863cbd88b360.html |access-date=December 18, 2021}}</ref> | |||
After Roblox requested the channel to take down the video, ''People Make Games'' instead released further accusations of practices endangering ], such as a lack of oversight of developers and a method for people to address developer abuse, leading to child developers being exploited for labor on third-party platforms, allowing a developer (later identified as Arnold Castillo) to seemingly continue monetizing and having control of game development despite having his personal account banned for reportedly ], running the collectibles market to function like ] and thus encouraging children to seek unofficial and unsafe trading sites to easily obtain highly valuable items, and refusing to help a developer whose account was hacked and had its collectibles and assets stolen.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nightangale |first=Ed |date=December 14, 2021 |title=Roblox accused of being an unsafe environment for children |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-12-14-roblox-accused-of-being-unsafe-environment-for-children |access-date=December 17, 2021 |website=] |publisher=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Chalk |first=Andy |date=December 14, 2021 |title=Roblox faces new allegations of being unsafe for children |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/roblox-faces-new-allegations-of-being-unsafe-for-children/ |access-date=December 17, 2021 |website=] |publisher=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sinclair |first=Brendan |date=December 13, 2021 |title=Roblox criticized for lack of safeguards for kids, stock-market-like collectibles |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-12-13-roblox-criticized-for-lack-of-safeguards-for-children-stock-market-like-collectibles |access-date=December 17, 2021 |website=] |publisher=]}}</ref> | |||
=== Social interaction === | |||
Players can add other people they meet in the game to their friends list. Since 2011, this can be done while playing.<ref> | |||
{{cite news | |||
| url=http://wiki.roblox.com/index.php?title=Friends | |||
| title=Friends | |||
| publisher=Roblox Corporation | |||
}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2009/07/status-updates-best-friends-and-feeds-oh-my/|title=Status Updates, Best Friends, and Feeds, oh my|publisher=Roblox Corporation|accessdate=23 February 2012|date = 30 July 2009}}</ref> On 4 February 2015, a new update to replace the Friends and Best Friends system, named Friends and Followers,<ref>{{cite web|first1=Sorcus|title=Friends and Followers Makes ROBLOX More Social, and Even More Fun|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2015/02/friends-and-followers-makes-roblox-more-social-and-even-more-fun/|website=Roblox Blog|publisher=ROBLOX Corporation|accessdate=10 February 2015}}</ref> was introduced. This allows more personal game play if wanted. This update also allows 200 Friends and infinite Followers. Players also have the option join community groups.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2009/07/social-feature-bonanza/|title=Social Feature Bonanza!|publisher=Roblox Corporation|accessdate=23 February 2012|date = 30 July 2013|last = Brown|first = Tim}}</ref> After joining, players can then advertise their group,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2011/02/advertise-this-group/|title=Advertise This Group|publisher=Roblox Corporation|accessdate=23 February 2012|date = 3 February 2011|last = Shedletsky|first = John}}</ref> participate in group relations,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2011/04/group-relationships-feature/|title=Group Relationships Feature!|publisher=Roblox Corporation|accessdate=23 February 2012|last = Herndon|first = Becky Lee|date = 8 April 2011}}</ref> and set their primary group.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2011/04/group-theory-2/|title=Group Theory|publisher=Roblox Corporation|accessdate=23 February 2012|last = Shedletsky|first = John|date = 28 April 2011}}</ref> On the website and in game, users who are under 13 years old can only use specific words that are part of a whitelist maintained by the Roblox moderators. In contrast, users who are over 13 years old can use any word except words that are part of a blacklist. | |||
{{clear}} | |||
====Kardashian-Roblox scandal==== | |||
==Game development== | |||
The series premiere of '']'', which debuted on April 14, 2022, titled "]", led to a public feud between ] and Roblox.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Diaz |first=Ana |date=April 18, 2022 |title=Roblox banned developer behind game claiming to have Kim Kardashian's sex tape |url=https://www.polygon.com/23027350/kim-kardashian-sex-tape-roblox-saint |access-date=July 18, 2024 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Chalk |first=Andy |date=April 22, 2022 |title=The Kardashian-Roblox scandal continues to be messy and dumb |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/the-kardashian-roblox-scandal-continues-to-be-messy-and-dumb/ |publisher=]}}</ref> In the episode, Kim's son Saint West shows his mother an experience on the platform from a tablet that depicts an image of Kim crying.<ref name=":3" /> She claimed, however, that the person who uploaded the experience had also obtained footage of her and ]'s sex tape,<ref name=":2" /> and that she reacted by crying and claiming to later sue the company.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Taylor |first=Mollie |date=April 19, 2022 |title=Roblox game claiming to have Kim Kardashian's sex tape ad was discovered by her son |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/roblox-game-claiming-to-have-kim-kardashians-sex-tape-was-discovered-by-her-son/ |access-date=July 18, 2024 |work=PC Gamer |language=en}}</ref> The veracity of this incident has been questioned, as Roblox's filters do not allow the words "sex tape" or variant spellings, and because given that Roblox had about 11.1 million experiences at the time, the chances that Saint West would randomly stumble upon an experience promoting her sex tape are very small.<ref name=":3" /> | |||
] | |||
The game development and building is done via an application calledROBLOX Studio. It is a free program that comes with ROBLOX.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wiki.roblox.com/index.php?title=Manual/Studio_Overview|title=ROBLOX Studio page}}</ref> | |||
A spokesperson for Roblox responded by saying "The referenced video was never available on our platform. We have strict moderation and policies to protect our community, including zero tolerance for sexual content of any kind which violates our community rules." and "The text reference to the tape that got around our filters was quickly taken down and fortunately visible only to an extremely small number of people on the platform. We also swiftly took down the associated experience and banned the community developer involved with the incident."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dinsdale |first=Ryan |date=April 20, 2022 |title=Kim Kardashian Threatened to Sue Roblox Over a Fake Sex Tape Game |url=https://sea.ign.com/roblox/184426/news/kim-kardashian-threatened-to-sue-roblox-over-a-fake-sex-tape-game |publisher=]}}</ref> An individual close to the Kardashian family denied accusations of faking the event.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tidy |first=Joe |date=April 22, 2022 |title=Kardashians deny faking Roblox sex tape scene |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-61178189 |publisher=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=White |first=Jessica |date=April 22, 2022 |title=Home Reality TV Kardashians Reportedly Deny Roblox Incident Was Fake Amid Accusations |url=https://screenrant.com/kardashians-deny-accusations-sex-tape-roblox-incident-fake/ |publisher=]}}</ref> | |||
==== Building ==== | |||
Players use ROBLOX Studio's built-in building system to construct places with bricks from varying colors and shapes. Players also are able to use user made plugins and tools to build. Players also have the ability to scroll through the ROBLOX Library and find free models and scripts. ROBLOX also created a "Official Model Maker" system where talented model makers are able to create and make their creations visible on the front page of the ROBLOX Library model section.<ref name="robloxlibrary2">{{cite web|url=http://www.roblox.com/develop/library?CatalogContext=DevelopOnly&Category=Models|title=ROBLOX Library page}}</ref> | |||
== Toy lines == | |||
In January 2017, toy fabricator Jazwares partnered with Roblox Corporation to produce toy minifigures based on ] created by developers on the platform.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |date=January 10, 2017 |title=Roblox launches toys based on its user-generated games |url=https://venturebeat.com/2017/01/10/roblox-launches-toys-based-on-its-user-generated-games/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181130011005/https://venturebeat.com/2017/01/10/roblox-launches-toys-based-on-its-user-generated-games/ |archive-date=November 30, 2018 |access-date=November 7, 2017 |website=]}}</ref> The minifigures have limbs and joints similar to that of ]s, though they are about twice the size.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Foster |first=Allan |date=April 23, 2020 |title=The best Roblox toy |work=] |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/consumer-reviews/sns-bestreviews-toys-the-best-roblox-toy-20200423-esndl5pf7rf7rh6o27h2o3zyui-story.html |access-date=July 21, 2020}}</ref> The minifigures have limbs and accessories that are interchangeable. The sets included a code that was used to redeem virtual items, as well as blind boxes that contained random minifigures.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fahey |first=Mike |date=January 12, 2017 |title=Roblox Gets Into The Toy Business |url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2017/01/roblox-gets-into-the-toy-business/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170112174831/http://www.kotaku.com.au/2017/01/roblox-gets-into-the-toy-business/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 12, 2017 |access-date=September 3, 2020 |website=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Fennimore |first=Jack |date=August 2, 2017 |title=Roblox Toys Wave 2 Hits Store Shelves This August |url=https://heavy.com/games/2017/08/roblox-toys-wave-2-series-codes-figures-playsets/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181130011521/https://heavy.com/games/2017/08/roblox-toys-wave-2-series-codes-figures-playsets/ |archive-date=November 30, 2018 |access-date=November 7, 2017 |website=]}}</ref> In 2019, Jazwares released a new line of toys, branded as the "Roblox Desktop" series.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Robertson |first=Andy |date=February 19, 2019 |title=Roblox Toys Come Of Age With Collectable Desktop Series |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/andyrobertson/2019/02/19/roblox-toys-come-of-age-with-collectable-desktop-series/#712589037a6f |access-date=September 3, 2020 |website=]}}</ref> On April 13, 2021, Roblox partnered with ] to release Roblox-themed ] and a Roblox-themed '']'' edition.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Tsai |first=Katie |date=April 13, 2021 |title=Roblox shares up after gaming platform partners with Hasbro for Monopoly and Nerf products |work=] |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/13/hasbro-partners-with-roblox-to-develop-monopoly-and-nerf-products.html |access-date=April 13, 2021}}</ref> | |||
Players can use the programming language ] to dynamically change the environment of the game.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://kidslike.info/roblox_using_roblox_as_an_educational_programming_language |title=Roblox as an educational program language|publisher=Kids Like|accessdate=24 January 2009|date = 9 December 2008}}</ref> Also, plugins can be developed with Lua to be used in Roblox Studio.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/roblox-lego-meets-webkinz-equals-fun-games/|title=Roblox - A Cool Lego-Based Free Virtual World for Kids|publisher=makeuseof.com|accessdate=11 October 2009|date = 29 June 2009|last = McDowell|first = Guy}}</ref> The exact version of Lua that is used in ROBLOX Studio is ]. It is sometimes however, referred to as ROBLOX Lua. | |||
== |
== Notes == | ||
{{Notelist}} | |||
{{Infobox website | |||
|url = http://www.roblox.com/ | |||
|commercial = Yes | |||
|registration = Optional but required for most features | |||
|type = Online ] platform | |||
|language = English | |||
|owner = ROBLOX Corporation | |||
|launch_date = January 30, 2004 | |||
|slogan = Think. Build. Create. It's Free; Powering Imagination | |||
|screenshot = Roblox Home Screenshot.png | |||
|caption = The Login page for Roblox.com as of November 2016. | |||
|logo = Roblox logo.svg | |||
|alexa={{IncreaseNegative}} 321 ({{as of|2016|11|12|alt=November 2016}})<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/roblox.com|title=roblox.com|work=]|publisher=]|accessdate=12 November 2016}}</ref> | |||
}} | |||
The ''Roblox'' website contains all of the Roblox features, with the exception of the ability to play the games. The Roblox client must be downloaded to play the games.{{cn|date=December 2016}} | |||
== References == | |||
==== Economy and currency ==== | |||
{{Reflist}} | |||
Roblox currently has just one ]: Robux. Robux was originally released alongside with another currency called Tickets until on March 15, 2016, when ROBLOX announced that the currency called "Tickets" was planned to be removed after 30 days of the announcement and the Trade Currency system would also be removed.<ref name="robloxgoodbyetotickets22"/> They can be converted from one to the other with the currency exchange.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2008/11/its-the-economy/|title=It’s the Economy…|last=Shedletsky|first=John|date=21 November 2008|publisher=Roblox Corporation|accessdate=19 July 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2012/01/30/roblox-lets-kids-build-their-own-worlds-online/|title=Roblox Lets Kids Build Their Own Worlds Online|last=Knapp|first=Alex|date=30 January 2012|publisher=]|accessdate=23 February 2012}}</ref> Tickets were earned for a variety of activities, such as when places are visited, as a daily login bonus, or for item sales including clothing. The announcement of their removal sparked a major campaign against it, both on Roblox forums and social media. In-game items can be sold for either a set price in currently just Robux, it formerly used Tickets as another currency option before its removal. Robux is earned daily by premium members in varying amounts depending on the user's type of membership. Robux can also be earned through sale of virtual goods, such as clothing or developer products, or can be purchased directly with money. | |||
== External links == | |||
;{{anchor|DevEx}} Developer Exchange | |||
* {{Official website|1=https://corp.roblox.com}} | |||
The developer exchange, widely known in the game as ''DevEx'', is a feature that exchanges the game currency, ''Robux,'' to real cash. This option is only available to users that hold ''Outrageous Builders Club'' and at least 100,000 Robux. Users of the developer exchange can make from (100,000 Robux) to (20,000,000 Robux) in a month.{{cn|date=December 2016}} | |||
{{Roblox Corporation}} | |||
==== Forums ==== | |||
{{Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Video Game}} | |||
The popular '''ROBLOX Forums''' are a big part of the site where ROBLOX users can discuss many different things, related to ROBLOX or not.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://forum.roblox.com/Forum|title=Forum - ROBLOX|last=Corporation|first=ROBLOX|website=forum.roblox.com|access-date=2016-11-09}}</ref> They have been around since 2004, in fact, and one of the eggs for a yearly ''Egg Hunt'' event of ROBLOX could be obtained by going to the forums and clicking on a banner that would randomly appear, telling the user they could obtain the egg by clicking on said banner. Many other notable events and such have taken place on the forums as well. | |||
{{Authority control}} | |||
Despite the popularity of social media, players continue to frequent these forums and serve as a place for players to post rules and information about their games, learn about Roblox and have general conversations. Players under thirteen can view and create posts, allowing them to communicate with other users, whereas their communication is limited to whitelist words in game. | |||
] | |||
== Builders Club == | |||
Roblox is ], although members may purchase monthly memberships to enhance their game experience. One membership option, ''Builders Club'', grants players multiple amenities, including a daily virtual currency stipend of 15 Robux per day. Other membership options include ''Turbo Builders Club'' and ''Outrageous Builders Club'', with each option getting more expensive than the last. Depending on the tier of ''Builders Club'' a player buys, the player can unlock more places to build in, more money to spend, more groups to join, and the ability to create and sell clothing. Recently, ROBLOX has given non-upgraded users a severe disadvantage which has been subject to criticism. In August 2015, ROBLOX discontinued the 6 month and lifetime versions of Builders Club, Turbo Builders Club, and Outrageous Builders Club.<ref name="auto"/> | |||
== Relief funds == | |||
In 2010, Roblox published two hats in the virtual catalog that players could purchase to fund for ] relief for the ]. They were named the "Blue Hat for Haiti", and the "Red Hat for Haiti". For every player who bought the blue hat, Roblox had donated 10 cents to the Red Cross Relief Fund to help Haiti recover.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.roblox.com/Blue-Hat-for-Haiti-item?id=20721202 |title=Description of Blue Hat for Haiti On Roblox.|publisher=Roblox Corporation |date=15 January 2010|accessdate=6 March 2014|first=David|last= Baszucki}}</ref> | |||
For every player who bought the Red Hat, Roblox had donated 65 cents to the ]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.roblox.com/Red-Hat-for-Haiti-item?id=20721217 |title=Description of Red Hat for Haiti On Roblox.|publisher=Roblox Corporation |date=15 January 2010|accessdate=6 March 2014|first=David|last= Baszucki}}</ref> Roblox donated at least $5479 to the Red Cross Relief Fund because of this, after a week of the hats being on sale.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://blog.roblox.com/2010/01/roblox-players-raise-547900-for-haiti-disaster-relief/|title = ROBLOX Players Raise $5479.00 For Haiti Disaster Relief|date = 21 January 2010|accessdate = 25 June 2014|website = Roblox Blog|publisher = Roblox Corporation|last = Shedletsky|first = John}}</ref> In 2011, Roblox also published two hats that players could purchase to raise money for Japan after the ]. The Rising Sun Cap and the Japanese Baseball Cap were put into the catalog for players to buy. For every Rising Sun Cap that players bought, Roblox had donated $1.00 to the Red Cross. For every Japanese Baseball Cap that players bought, Roblox had donated 10 cents to the Red Cross.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url = http://www.roblox.com/Rising-Sun-Cap-item?id=47697235|title = Rising Sun Cap Page|date = 11 March 2011|accessdate = 25 June 2014|website = Roblox|publisher = Roblox Corporation|last = |first = }}</ref><ref name=":5">{{cite web|url = http://www.roblox.com/Japanese-Baseball-Cap-item?id=47697264|title = Japanese Baseball Cap Page|date = 11 March 2011|accessdate = 25 June 2014|website = Roblox|publisher = Roblox Corporation|last = |first = }}</ref><ref name=":6">{{cite web|url = http://blog.roblox.com/2011/03/generosity-by-the-thousands-for-japan/|title = Generosity by the Thousands for Japan!|date = 17 March 2011|accessdate = 25 June 2014|website = Roblox Blog|publisher = Roblox Corporation|last = Baszucki|first = David}}</ref> After only two days of the hats being on sale, $10,445.80 was raised, from 23935 hats being sold.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" /> | |||
In 2013, Roblox published a hat after the death of their co-founder, Erik Cassel. Every time the hat was bought, Roblox had donated money toward ], which was the cause of Cassel's death.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2013/02/gear-items-in-remembrance-of-erik-cassel/ |title=Erik Cassel Apparel: Proceeds go to Cancer Research |publisher=Roblox Corporation |date=15 February 2013 |accessdate=26 June 2013|first = David|last = Baszucki}}</ref> | |||
Again in 2013, Roblox published two hats after ]. For every hat that a player bought, Roblox had either donated 10 cents or 65 cents depending on the hat.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Justus|first1=Brad|title=$3,330.30 Raised for Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda Relief|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2013/11/3330-30-raised-for-typhoon-haiyanyolanda-relief|publisher=ROBLOX Corporation|date=18 November 2013|accessdate=6 March 2015}}</ref> A total of $3,330.30 was raised from players buying the hats. | |||
In Summer of 2014, Roblox released a gear of which it represented a bucket of ice cold water during the ] trend to spread awareness of ].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2014/08/we-took-the-als-ice-bucket-challenge-now-its-your-turn|title=We Took the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge — Now It’s Your Turn|publisher=Roblox Corporation |date=22 August 2014|accessdate=21 May 2016|first=Andrew|last=Haak}}</ref> For each time a player bought the gear, Roblox donated to ALS research garnering up to about $6,200 at the end.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2014/09/roblox-community-raises-over-6000-for-als-research/|title=ROBLOX Community Raises Over $6,000 for ALS Research|publisher=Roblox Corporation |date=4 August 2014|accessdate=21 May 2016|first=Jack|last=Hendrik}}</ref> | |||
==Conventions== | |||
=== Roblox Rally 2011 === | |||
The 2011 convention was held at the ] in San Francisco, California on 1 August 2011.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Baszucki|first1=David|title=ROBLOX Rally 2011 Report|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2011/08/roblox-rally-2011-report-2/|website=Roblox Blog|publisher=ROBLOX Corporation|accessdate=6 March 2015}}</ref> At the time, the convention was named the ''Roblox Rally''. Attendants received a free poster, a T-shirt, water bottle, and their own lanyard. Each player who attended also received a free lunch of their choice. | |||
=== Roblox Game Conference 2012 === | |||
In 2012, the convention was held at the ] in Santa Clara, California, on 14 July 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://venturebeat.com/2012/07/15/teen-gamer-developers-swarm-robloxs-hackathon-conference/|title=Teen game developers swarm Roblox's hackathon conference|first=Dean|last=Takahashi|publisher=]|date=15 July 2012|accessdate=29 August 2016}}</ref> The convention was again renamed, this time as the ''Roblox Game Conference''. Attendees each received a poster.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Herndon|first1=Becky|title=Confirmed: ROBLOX Game Conference 2012 Event Schedule|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2012/06/confirmed-roblox-game-conference-2012-event-schedule/|website=Roblox Blog|publisher=ROBLOX Corporation|accessdate=6 March 2015}}</ref> | |||
=== Bloxcon 2013 === | |||
For the first time in its history, the Roblox convention was held outside of its home state. There were three different conventions, each hosted on a separate date. | |||
* The first one was held on 13 July 2013, at the ], in Chicago, Illinois.<ref> | |||
{{cite news | |||
| url=http://blog.roblox.com/2013/06/bloxcon-is-coming-which-staff-will-be-where/ | |||
| title=BLOXcon Is Coming Which Staff Will be Where | |||
| first=Alan | |||
| last=Fackler | |||
| date=29 June 2013 | |||
| publisher=Roblox Corporation | |||
}}</ref> | |||
* The second ''Bloxcon'' was held on 27 July 2013, at the ] in London, England, just a mere two weeks after the first one.<ref>{{cite web|title=ROBLOX is bringing BLOXcon to London on 27 July, 2013!|url=http://bloxcon.roblox.com/bloxcon/london|website=Roblox Blog|publisher=ROBLOX Corporation|accessdate=6 March 2015}}</ref> | |||
* The third ''Bloxcon ''was held at the ] in New York City, New York on 10 August 2013.<ref>{{cite web|title=ROBLOX is bringing BLOXcon to New York City on August 10th, 2013!|url=http://bloxcon.roblox.com/bloxcon/new-york-city|website=Roblox Blog|publisher=ROBLOX Corportation|accessdate=6 March 2015}}</ref> | |||
* The final ''Bloxcon ''was announced in June. The final convention was the Virtual ''Bloxcon'' and was held on 21 September 2013.<ref>{{cite web|title=ROBLOX is hosting a Virtual BLOXcon for all on September 21st, 2013!|url=http://bloxcon.roblox.com/bloxcon/virtualbloxcon|website=Roblox Blog|publisher=ROBLOX Corporation|accessdate=6 March 2015}}</ref> | |||
=== 2013 Roblox Film Festival === | |||
There was a ''Roblox Film Festival'' in 2013 which had been previously announced on the blog and which started in late April and ended at midnight on 3 June 2013. Players were allowed to choose from a variety of categories, some applying to the ''Bloxcon'' events and create a short video of varying time lengths. For example, a user might enter a video showing what London is like. The winning video picked from each category relating to a ''Bloxcon'' was shown at the actual event. The prize is an award under the moniker "BLOXY", mocking the ].<ref>{{cite news|title=Win a Prestigious Bloxy at the ROBLOX Film Festival!|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2013/04/win-a-prestigious-bloxy-at-the-roblox-film-festival/|publisher=Roblox Corporation|date = 13 April 2013|last = Haak|first = Andrew}}</ref> | |||
=== 2014 Tour === | |||
On 8 March 2014, Roblox announced that they had partnered with the ] organization to hold their conventions in the form of a tour. Beginning in April, Roblox booths would be staffed by the players in their specified city's Maker Faire. A minimum of eight people are needed to run a booth, and if twenty five people commit to staffing the booth, a Roblox staff member will attend the event. The tour runs through the end of 2014.<ref>{{cite news|title=Maker Faire: A New Home for All 2014 ROBLOX Events|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2014/03/maker-faire-a-new-home-for-all-2014-roblox-events/|date = 8 March 2014|last = Herndon|first = Becky|publisher = Roblox Corporation}}</ref> | |||
=== Virtual Bloxcon 2014 === | |||
Bloxcon 2014 started on 21 June. Unlike Bloxcon 2013, the entire convention was held online. It was being livestreamed through twitch.tv and was full of challenges, question and answer sessions, hall of fame inductions, giveaways and new content in the catalog and game.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Haak|first1=Andrew|title=Your Guide to Virtual BLOXcon|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2014/06/your-guide-to-virtual-bloxcon/|website=Roblox Blog|publisher=ROBLOX Corporation|accessdate=6 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Fackler|first1=Alan|title=Highlights and Award Winners from Virtual BLOXcon 2014|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2014/06/highlights-and-award-winners-from-virtual-bloxcon-2014/|website=Roblox Blog|publisher=ROBLOX Corporation|accessdate=6 March 2015}}</ref> In the end, over 125,000 people tuned in to watch Bloxcon 2014. Throughout the day, three "Mysterious ROBLOX Virtual BLOXcon Gifts" were being sold. They could only be gained for a limited time and when they were opened, the users who obtained those gifts got: Classy ROBLOX Bowtie (from the first gift), ROBLOX R Bowler (from the second gift), and 2104 Space Vision Glasses (named because at the beginning of the stream, the stream had it say 2104 instead of 2014; from gift three). Users could also get the Virtual BLOXcon Top Hat 2014, earned by buying Robux or Builders Club that day. | |||
That 22 June, at midnight (PST), new items were released on the catalog late at night. It was called the "Midnight Sale" and items such as limited faces, hats, and a new variant of a well known collectible item within the game, the dominus. | |||
===Roblox Developers Conference=== | |||
Roblox Developer Conference is a conference where ROBLOX developers and administrators for a showcase and to share ideas. In 2016, the conference was held in the Bay Area of California, close to Roblox headquarters. Attendees are also able to test new features before they are released. The event was streamed on the ROBLOX Twitch channel.<ref>https://www.twitch.tv/roblox/v/82282466</ref> | |||
==Twitch.tv== | |||
ROBLOX staff and developers host a ] broadcast every week. They usually play user-created ROBLOX games. Additionally, they sometimes reveal giveaway codes for virtual items (hats, gears, etc.) on special occasions. | |||
=== Monthly ''Bloxcasts'' === | |||
On 23 November 2013, it was announced on the blog that beginning 7 December 2013, a livestream titled ''Bloxcast'' would take place every month lasting about one hour and a half. The ''Bloxcasts'' will feature live gameplay from the staff, Q&A sessions, and announcements involving the game and updates.<ref>{{cite news|title=The First "BLOXcast" Livestream Is December 7th|url=http://blog.roblox.com/2013/11/the-first-bloxcast-livestream-is-december-7th/|date = 23 November 2013|last = Haak|first = Andrew|publisher = Roblox Corporation}}</ref> | |||
===October 2014 incident=== | |||
On 24 October 2014, three Roblox employees were fired after an incident that occurred at the end of the 24-hour ] live stream. They thought the live stream had finished, however it was still recording the audio which thousands of children were listening to. For over two minutes, the three administrators started chatting about the website in a very negative way. They were heard swearing numerous times throughout the two minutes and disrespecting the site and other players. After 20 minutes, the administrators quickly pulled down the live stream.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db7_q12g4wM|title=Roblox Admins Fired|format=video|author=Quetrix|publisher=]|date=April 1, 2015|accessdate=October 24, 2014}}</ref> | |||
== References == | |||
{{reflist|30em}} | |||
== External links == | |||
* {{URL|www.roblox.com|Official website}} | |||
* {{URL|corp.roblox.com|Corporate website}} | |||
* {{URL|wiki.roblox.com|Official wiki}} | |||
* {{URL|blog.roblox.com|Official blog}} | |||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roblox}} | |||
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Latest revision as of 08:47, 21 December 2024
Multiplayer game creation platform For the parent company that develops Roblox, see Roblox Corporation. Not to be confused with Robox.
Logo used since 2022 | |
The platform's "Charts" page (see list of games) | |
Original author(s) | David Baszucki Erik Cassel |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Roblox Corporation |
Initial release |
|
Stable release | 652 / November 21, 2024; 35 days ago (2024-11-21) |
Written in | |
Platform | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Xbox One, Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest Pro, PlayStation 4 |
Type | Game creation system, massively multiplayer online game |
License | Proprietary software |
Roblox (/ˈroʊblɒks/ , ROH-bloks) is an online game platform and game creation system developed by Roblox Corporation that allows users to program and play games created by themselves or other users. Created by David Baszucki and Erik Cassel in 2004 and released in 2006, the platform hosts user-created games of multiple genres coded in the programming language Lua. Early in Roblox's history, it was relatively small, both as a platform and as a company. Roblox began to grow rapidly in the second half of the 2010s, and this growth was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Roblox is free to play, with in-game purchases available through a virtual currency called Robux. As of August 2020, Roblox had over 164 million monthly active users, including more than half of all American children under 16. Although Roblox has received generally positive reviews from critics, it has faced criticism for its content moderation, microtransactions, and allegations of exploitative practices toward children.
Overview
Roblox Studio
Roblox allows users to create and publish their own games, which can then be played by other users, by using its game engine, Roblox Studio. Roblox Studio includes multiple premade game templates as well as the Toolbox, which allows access to user-created models, plugins, audio, images, meshes, video, and fonts. Games, officially referred to as "experiences" on the platform, are scripted with Luau (stylized: Luau), a dialect of the Lua 5.1 programming language, while C++ is used for background processes such as memory management. Luau supports gradual typing and is designed to maximize performance. Luau has been released under the MIT License since November 2021.
Users are able to create purchasable content through one-time purchases, known as "game passes", as well as microtransactions that can be purchased more than once, known as "developer products". As of 2020, Roblox reported that more than 2 million developers used Roblox Studio to create more than 20 million games per year. A majority of developers were minors, and roughly 345,000 earned money through Roblox's Developer Exchange program.
Items and currency
Roblox allows players to buy, sell, and create virtual items which can be used to decorate their virtual character that serves as their avatar on the platform. Previously, only Roblox administrators had the ability to sell accessories, body parts, gear, and packages under the official Roblox user account, with virtual hats and accessories also being able to be published by a select few users with past experience working with Roblox Corporation. This arrangement was in place until the introduction of the UGC Catalog, which allowed selected individuals within the Roblox community to create and sell customized user-generated content (UGC) avatar items through the UGC Program. Several individuals design items as a full-time job, with the highest-earning creators making over $100,000 a year off item sales.
Items with a limited edition status can only be traded between or sold by users with a Roblox Premium membership. These limited items have a Recent Average Price (RAP), and their value fluctuates based on its demand and rarity. Although selling these items for real-world currency violates Roblox's terms of service, this does not stop some individuals from doing so through black market sites and communities, in which limited items, some of which being stolen, are often exchanged for payment methods such as cryptocurrency or sometimes PayPal. Previously, only Roblox released these limited items themselves until the introduction of "UGC Limiteds" in April 2023, which allowed for those in the UGC Program to design and sell user-generated items themselves with limited quantities. Unlike Roblox-released limited items, UGC Limiteds cannot be traded. They can, however, be resold after a 30-day holding period after being bought.
Robux allows players to buy various items, and are obtained by purchase with real currency, from a recurring stipend given to members with a Premium membership, and from other players by producing and selling virtual content in Roblox. Prior to 2016, Roblox had another currency, Tix (short for "Tickets"), that was discontinued in April of that year. Robux acquired through the sale of user-generated content can be exchanged into real-world currency through the website's Developer Exchange system.
Scams
A sizable amount of scams relate to Roblox, largely revolving around automated messages promoting scam websites, scam games designed to appear to give out free Robux, and invalid Robux codes. In the Roblox community, there are people known as "beamers" who compromise Roblox accounts to steal and sell their items on black markets. They employ various techniques, such as creating phishing websites or ploys to acquire a victim's login token. Once they gain access to the victim's account, these "beamers" steal and subsequently sell valuable limited items owned by the victims for real-world currency or cryptocurrency through marketplace sites or Discord chatrooms. The slang term "beaming" is commonly used to describe this entire process, along with the victim having been "beamed". Roblox does offer hacking victims a "rollback" for their items, although this is only offered once per account.
Events
Roblox occasionally hosts real-life and virtual events. They have in the past hosted events such as BloxCon, which was a convention for ordinary players on the platform. Roblox operates annual Easter egg hunts and also hosts an annual event called the "Bloxy Awards", an awards ceremony that also functions as a fundraiser. The 2020 edition of the Bloxy Awards, held virtually on the platform, drew 600,000 viewers. In 2022, "Bloxy Awards" got rebranded into the "Roblox Innovation Awards". Roblox Corporation annually hosts the Roblox Developers Conference, a three-day invite-only event in San Francisco where top content creators on the site learn of upcoming changes to the platform. The company has also hosted similar events in London and Amsterdam.
Roblox occasionally engages in events to promote films, such as ones held to promote Wonder Woman 1984 and Aquaman. In 2020, Roblox hosted its first virtual concert, which was compared by Rolling Stone to that of American rapper Travis Scott's virtual concert in Fortnite, during which American rapper Lil Nas X debuted his song "Holiday" to an audience of Roblox players. In 2021, Swedish singer Zara Larsson performed songs at a virtual party to celebrate her the reissuing of her album Poster Girl. On September 17, 2021, a virtual concert by the American band Twenty One Pilots took place. In October 2021, Roblox partnered with Chipotle Mexican Grill to give $1 million of burritos away to the first 30,000 people every day as a part of Chipotle's Halloween Boorito promotion.
History
20042004–20052005–20062006–20152015–20172017–20182018–20222022–presentEvolution of the Roblox logo2004–2005
The beta version of Roblox was created by co-founders David Baszucki and Erik Cassel in 2004 under the name DynaBlocks. Baszucki started testing the first demos that year. In 2005, the company changed its name to Roblox.
2006–2013
Roblox officially launched on September 1, 2006. In March 2007, Roblox became compliant with COPPA through the addition of safe chat, a change that limited the communication ability of users under the age of 13 by restricting them to selecting predefined messages from a menu. In August, Roblox applied server improvements and released a premium membership service named "Builders Club", which was rebranded as Roblox Premium in September 2019. In December 2011, Roblox held its first Hack Week, an annual event where Roblox developers work on outside-the-box ideas for new developments to present to the company. On December 11, 2012, an iOS version of Roblox was released. On October 1, 2013, Roblox released its Developer Exchange program, allowing developers to exchange Robux earned from their games into real-world currencies.
2014–2017
On July 16, 2014, an Android version was released. On May 31, 2015, a feature called Smooth Terrain was added, increasing the graphical fidelity of in-game terrain and changing the Roblox physics engine from a block-oriented style to a smoother and more realistic one. On November 20, Roblox was launched on Xbox One, with an initial selection of 15 games chosen by Roblox staff. Support for the publishing of Roblox games for Xbox One was later rolled out to all users, subject to an approval process based on Entertainment Software Ratings Board standards.
In April 2016, Roblox launched Roblox VR for Oculus Rift. At the time of release, more than ten million games were available in 3D. Around the same time period, the safe chat feature was removed and replaced by a system based on a whitelist with a set of acceptable words for users under 13 years old and a set of blacklisted words for other users. In June, the company launched a version compatible with Windows 10. While the game platform has had a presence on the PC since 2004, when its web version was created, this was the first time it was upgraded with a standalone launcher built for Windows. Throughout 2017, Roblox engaged in a number of updates to its server technology, as the technology they were operating on until that point was out of date and led to frequent outages. Also in 2017, Roblox closed its official forums.
2018–2023
In November 2018, the ability for a player to play as a "guest", without an account, which had been progressively restricted over the previous two years, was removed entirely. In July 2020, Roblox announced the creation of "Party Place", which functions as an online hangout. The feature was created using new technology that had been used during the 2020 Bloxy Awards and was designed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Roblox was granted permission to release in China on December 3, 2020.
In October 2021, Roblox experienced its longest downtime to date, with services being unavailable for three days. In December 2021, Roblox shut down its Chinese servers, stating that they were attempting to create "another version" of the app that allowed Chinese players to access the platform. In July 2022, an archive of internal documents related to the platform's activities in China were leaked by an unidentified hacker. This document revealed that the Roblox Corporation had planned to roll out a variety of changes to the platform to comply with Chinese internet censorship laws, and that prior to halting their operations in China they had been concerned that Tencent would hack the platform and attempt to set up a competitor.
In September 2022, Roblox Corporation announced that it planned to add an age rating system, which would allow for moderate portrayals of violence in games flagged as suitable for players aged 13 and over. The company stated that it wanted to increase the platform's appeal to a young adult audience of users 17–24, which it stated was the fastest-growing demographic on Roblox. On June 20, 2023, Roblox started allowing games rated as only for players 17 years and over, which are permitted to have more graphic violence, romantic themes, and alcohol usage.
On July 27, 2023, Roblox was released as a public beta for the Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest Pro. The beta was downloaded over one million times within five days. In September 2023, it was announced that Roblox would be made available on the PlayStation the following month, with the Meta Quest versions being made publicly available later in September. Around the same time, Roblox Corporation acquired Speechly, a Helsinki-headquartered startup specializing in artificial intelligence voice chat moderation technology, for an undisclosed price.
2024–present
In March 2024, two generative artificial intelligence tools were introduced to Roblox Studio in an effort to speed up content creation: automatic avatar customization and a texture generator. The avatar customization feature automatically converts three-dimensional body meshes into live-animated avatars, and the texture generator allows users to create textures of objects using text descriptions through a text-to-image model.
In response to numerous concerns about and reports of sexual predation on child players, including a ban in Turkey, on November 18, 2024, Roblox revamped parental controls and released new safety measures for users under the age of 13. Parents can create a separate account to control their child's account and have more options such as to limit screen time. Users under 13 are not allowed to exchange private messages outside games and must have parental permission to do so within.
Community and culture
Activism
Users of Roblox have been noted for their efforts against racism, with numerous regular users and co-founder Baszucki having declared their support for the George Floyd protests and Black Lives Matter. In August 2019, an investigation by NBC News revealed over 100 accounts linked to far-right and neo-Nazi groups. After being contacted about the accounts by NBC, Roblox moderators removed them.
Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected Roblox in numerous ways. Due to quarantines imposed by the pandemic limiting social interaction, Roblox was being used as a way for children to communicate with each other. One of the most noted ways that this method of communication is being carried out is the phenomenon of birthday parties being held on the platform. COVID-19 has caused a substantial increase in both the platform's revenue and the number of players on it, in line with similar effects experienced by the majority of the gaming industry, as players forced to remain indoors due to COVID-19 lockdowns spent more time playing video games.
The Roblox platform has also been used to stage virtual religious processions in lieu of in-person ceremonies due to quarantine restrictions, such as a server by devotees of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, Manila where models based on the icon of the Black Nazarene and other icons were made. Similar virtual processions and religious ceremonies have also been staged by various Roman Catholic parishes in the Philippines and other countries by religious youth organizations.
"Oof" sound effect
From its release until November 2020, Roblox's sound effect for when a character dies was a sound commonly transcribed and titled as "oof", which became a substantial part of the platform's reputation due to its status as a meme. The sound was originally produced by Joey Kuras for the studio of video game composer Tommy Tallarico for the video game Messiah produced in 2000. This caused the two to enter a copyright dispute, which ended in 2022 when Roblox pulled the sound from their platform and replaced it with a new one.
Reception and revenue
Games
See also: List of Roblox gamesDue to its status as a user-created games platform, Roblox has a variety of popular games. As of May 2020, the most popular games on Roblox had over 10 million monthly active players each. As of August 2020, at least 20 games had been played more than one billion times, and at least 5,000 have been played more than one million times. TechCrunch noted in March 2021 that Roblox games are largely distinct from established traditions in free-to-play video games, finding that successful Roblox games were geared towards immediate satisfaction, and finding that the addition of tutorials significantly decreased player engagement, contrary to established wisdom about free-to-play games. Companies have used Roblox as a platform for advergames promoting their products.
Revenue
During the 2017 Roblox Developers Conference, officials said that creators on the game platform, of which there were about 1.7 million as of 2017, collectively earned at least $30 million in 2017. The iOS version of Roblox passed $1 billion of lifetime revenue in November 2019, $1.5 billion in June 2020, and $2 billion in October 2020, making it the iOS app with the second-highest revenue. Several individual games on Roblox have accumulated revenues of over $10 million, while developers as a whole on the platform were collectively projected to have earned around $250 million over the course of 2020. It became the third highest-grossing game of 2020, with a revenue of $2.29 billion, below the Tencent titles PUBG and Honor of Kings.
Critical reception
Roblox has generally received positive reviews. Common Sense Media gave it 4 out of 5 stars, praising the website's variety of games and ability to encourage creativity in children while finding that the decentralized nature of the platform meant game quality varied, and recommended disabling chat functions for young players to prevent possibly harmful interactions. Patricia E. Vance of the Family Online Safety Institute advised parents to monitor their child's interactions on the platform but praised the platform for "...allowing kids to play, explore, socialize, create and learn in a self-directed way", and granting special praise to Roblox Studio for its ability to encourage children to experience game development. Trusted Reviews, in its overview of the platform, also praised Roblox Studio, stating that "for anyone seeking to develop their computer science skills, or create projects that will instantly receive feedback from a huge audience, the appeal is obvious". Craig Hurda, writing in Android Guys, gave a more moderate review, praising the number of games available and finding that the game was entertaining for children, while also finding that the platform's audio was "hit-or-miss" and declaring that it had limited appeal for adult players.
Restrictions by country
Roblox is banned in seven countries: China, Guatemala, Jordan, North Korea, Oman, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. China has banned Roblox due to its American origin and perceived anti-communist propaganda, aiming to protect Chinese children from anti-communist influences. Instead, Roblox Corporation released a Chinese version of Roblox, called Luobulesi (Chinese: 罗布乐思), in 2021, which was later shut down in 2022. Guatemala has banned Roblox because the gaming platform violates laws and regulations regarding the safety and protection of children and adolescents. Jordan has banned Roblox due to concerns about foul language, scamming, and hacking, which it claims can harm children during puberty. North Korea has banned Roblox because the game allows users to chat with others worldwide, violating its laws on isolation. Oman has banned Roblox due to explicit and inappropriate content, along with concerns about hacking and scamming. Turkey has banned Roblox because the platform contains content that may lead to gambling and child sexual abuse. The United Arab Emirates has banned Roblox out of fear that the game, targeted towards kids, may contain inappropriate content.
In Belgium and the Netherlands, regulations restrict in-game items with randomized or unknown chances to suppress children's exposure to gambling. The United Kingdom and Norway have purportedly investigated in-game gambling, while 18 other European countries have promoted the idea of regulating such practices.
Criticism and controversies
Inappropriate content and predatory behavior
Roblox has received widespread criticism for its chat filtration system. Although Roblox's filtration system, Community Sift, censors and removes most inappropriate messages and content, it is possible to avoid the system, for example by using third-party chat apps. To combat these issues, Roblox has 1,600 people working to remove such content from the platform. Roblox offers privacy settings; parents can limit what people a user can contact, restrict access to private servers, and turn on parental controls.
Though sexual content is prohibited on Roblox, the platform has received substantial criticism for the presence of sexually explicit games and imagery within it. This content includes items such as virtual sex clubs and nightclubs, with creators of said content largely communicating through third-party platforms which cannot be regulated by Roblox moderators. A 2020 investigation by Fast Company found that sexual content was still prevalent within Roblox, with attempts by moderators to remove it being likened to "whack-a-mole", though it was also found that the situation had generally improved in the recent years prior to the report. In an October 2022 interview, Roblox Chief Scientist Morgan McGuire stated that it's "a challenge to moderate 3D," and also compared moderating Roblox to shutting down speakeasies.
These issues have led to numerous reports of sexual predation on child players, which a 2024 Bloomberg Businessweek report attributed to insufficient moderation, such as reliance on artificial intelligence, and how users are anonymous. The report highlighted the case of Arnold "DoctorRofatnik" Castillo, the developer of a popular Sonic the Hedgehog fangame Sonic Eclipse Online. After his personal account was banned for reports of preying on a child, he transferred the game to a friend's account and continued profiting from it. Roblox refused to take the game down, not seeing it as a safety concern; Sonic the Hedgehog's owner Sega was later notified and sent a takedown request for copyright infringement. Castillo was eventually arrested and sentenced to 15 years in prison for transporting a child across interstate boundaries for sex. Statements of anonymous Roblox Corporation employees tell that the staff struggles with high numbers of child safety reports and claim that additional safety features, such as a pop-up notice, were rejected and safety settings are off by default. The report however noticed that Roblox has improved in moderation and reported more child predators than before. Roblox has claimed that the report's accusations are "glaring mischaracterizations" and " to reflect both the complexities of online child safety".
Accusations of encouraging consumerism
Roblox has been criticized for making it easy for children to spend large sums of money through microtransactions, leading to numerous instances where children have spent large sums of money on the platform without parents' knowledge, and deleting the accounts of players who file chargebacks or request refunds for Robux payments through their banks, card issuers or other third-party companies. Professor Jane Juffer at Cornell University accused Roblox of encouraging consumerism in children.
In April 2022, Truth in Advertising filed a complaint against Roblox with the Federal Trade Commission for deceptive marketing, mainly failing to disclose when advertising is present, such as with advergames and brand ambassadors. As a response, in March 2023, Roblox started hiding advertisements from users under the age of 13. However, this does not apply to advergames for that they are not designated as advertising by the platform, which has led to further criticism by Truth in Advertising and children's digital rights organization 5Rights. A Roblox spokesperson, through a statement in The Observer, provided reasoning that engagement in advergames is not different from how consumers interact with brands through other mediums, such as films, and that the platform provides guidance for advergame creators and licensors.
Extremism
In May 2021, researcher Daniel Kelley of the Anti-Defamation League reported that numerous games on Roblox have recreated mass shootings, and criticized its moderation team for being unable to moderate them. An example of this were three different games that simulated the Christchurch mosque shootings. Later that year in June, Cecilia D'Anastasio of Wired reported that numerous groups and games on Roblox that simulated real-world military units and regimes. including the Wehrmacht. An example that was provided was Innsbruck Border Simulator, a game that had players play as Nazis, was reported to have gained over a million plays before being deleted by the Roblox team. In 2023, Gamesindustry.biz reported that congresswoman Lori Trahan criticized numerous video game companies for failing to address questions on how to combat online extremism, but noted Roblox to be an exception, with them claiming to have a team dedicated to moderating extremist content. Gamesindustry.biz, however, mentioned the company being criticized in the past for being unable to moderate games that recreated real world shootings.
Alleged exploitative practices towards children
Roblox has been accused by the investigative journalism YouTube channel People Make Games of "exploiting" child game developers by promising them huge amounts of money when they monetize their games, while only giving them little to no money in return by having high revenue cuts, an exchange rate in selling Robux lower than the rate for buying Robux, and lack of methods to make their games easily discoverable. This was likened to company scrip. In a discussion with Axios, Roblox's chief product officer (CPO) Manuel Bronstein responded by saying that Roblox intends to give more money to its community developers.
After Roblox requested the channel to take down the video, People Make Games instead released further accusations of practices endangering child safety, such as a lack of oversight of developers and a method for people to address developer abuse, leading to child developers being exploited for labor on third-party platforms, allowing a developer (later identified as Arnold Castillo) to seemingly continue monetizing and having control of game development despite having his personal account banned for reportedly sexually preying on a child, running the collectibles market to function like gambling and thus encouraging children to seek unofficial and unsafe trading sites to easily obtain highly valuable items, and refusing to help a developer whose account was hacked and had its collectibles and assets stolen.
Kardashian-Roblox scandal
The series premiere of The Kardashians, which debuted on April 14, 2022, titled "Burn Them All to the F*cking Ground", led to a public feud between Kim Kardashian and Roblox. In the episode, Kim's son Saint West shows his mother an experience on the platform from a tablet that depicts an image of Kim crying. She claimed, however, that the person who uploaded the experience had also obtained footage of her and Ray J's sex tape, and that she reacted by crying and claiming to later sue the company. The veracity of this incident has been questioned, as Roblox's filters do not allow the words "sex tape" or variant spellings, and because given that Roblox had about 11.1 million experiences at the time, the chances that Saint West would randomly stumble upon an experience promoting her sex tape are very small.
A spokesperson for Roblox responded by saying "The referenced video was never available on our platform. We have strict moderation and policies to protect our community, including zero tolerance for sexual content of any kind which violates our community rules." and "The text reference to the tape that got around our filters was quickly taken down and fortunately visible only to an extremely small number of people on the platform. We also swiftly took down the associated experience and banned the community developer involved with the incident." An individual close to the Kardashian family denied accusations of faking the event.
Toy lines
In January 2017, toy fabricator Jazwares partnered with Roblox Corporation to produce toy minifigures based on user-generated content created by developers on the platform. The minifigures have limbs and joints similar to that of Lego minifigures, though they are about twice the size. The minifigures have limbs and accessories that are interchangeable. The sets included a code that was used to redeem virtual items, as well as blind boxes that contained random minifigures. In 2019, Jazwares released a new line of toys, branded as the "Roblox Desktop" series. On April 13, 2021, Roblox partnered with Hasbro to release Roblox-themed Nerf blasters and a Roblox-themed Monopoly edition.
Notes
- A public beta was released on July 27, 2023.
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