Roblox is a gaming platform created in 2004 by David Baszucki and Erik Cassel, it was officially released in 2006. The game is one of the top online gaming platforms for audiences below 18 years. Since 2018, the game has acquired a cumulative engagement of 95 billion hours and has over 200 million users.
The concept of Roblox is player-constructed content in which each developer is allowed to create their avatars and Roblox games that they can sell. The platform currently has over 29 million developers who have developed over 11 million experiences. Since its inception, developers have made over $1 billion on Roblox.
Roblox has been described as the foremost example of a Metaverse. It allows users to move from one experience to another within minutes. In 2020, Lil Nas X held a concert in Roblox, and each song was performed in a different experience. Roblox has also served as the platform for some virtual events such as the VIP party for the Brit Awards in 2022 as reported by VentureBeat.
The first version of Roblox was released for Windows devices in 2006; the iOS version was released in 2012. The mobile version for Android and Xbox was released in 2014 and 2015 respectively. It took Roblox 13 years after release to hit 100 million monthly users in August 2019, and it hit 200 million monthly users in 2021.
How to Use Roblox
The first step, download Roblox on your mobile device or visit the Roblox website. Roblox is a free app, and it is available on Google Play Store, App Store, Xbox Store, and Amazon App Store.
The first step, download Roblox on your mobile device or visit the Roblox website. Roblox is a free app, and it is available on Google Play Store, App Store, Xbox Store, and Amazon App Store.
Source: https://www.roblox.com/discover#/
Requirements
On a Windows PC, Roblox can only work on the latest update of Windows 10. Roblox can work on iPhone 4s or higher, it can work on devices with iOS 9 or greater.
For Amazon devices, Roblox can work on Kindle Fire HDX 7 (3rd Gen), Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 (3rd Gen), Fire HDX 8.9 (4th Gen), Fire HD 6 & 7 (4th Gen), Fire HD 8 & 10 (5th Gen), and Fire (5th Gen).
To play Roblox, you need an internet speed between 4-8Mb.
Create an account on Roblox, and after creating an account, click on My Roblox which brings you to your Roblox homepage. On your Roblox homepage, you input your account name, email address and confirm your registration. You can also play Roblox as a guest without registering on the platform.
You can customize your avatar by clicking on My Profile where you access a catalog of clothes that you can purchase for your avatar. The in-game currency is called Robux which exchanges for the USD, you can buy 400 Robux for $4.99 and 10,000 Robux for $99.99.
Roblox is an intersection between a game and social media. You can have friends on the platform, and you can also chat with other players in a chat group. Every Roblox player has a profile like on every other social media platform with their username, their favorite games, and their Roblox badges on display.
After customizing your avatar, you can choose from any Roblox games on the top menu by clicking on "Games." There are millions of experiences you can access on Roblox such as the Gucci garden and even music concerts. There are different genres of games on Roblox, strategy games, role-playing games, combat games, and even party games.
Apart from playing the different Roblox games, you can also create experiences and games with Roblox Studio. To use Roblox studio, you have to download and install the software. With Roblox Studio, you can also create a connection with other developers.
Is Roblox Safe for Kids?
In a Bloomberg report, it was reported that 2/3 of the players on Roblox are under age 16. Another report (https://backlinko.com/roblox-users) has it that only 30% of Roblox users are above 17.
The ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) rating for Roblox is 10+ which positions it as a children-friendly game. In a report by Parents, some of the steps taken by Roblox to ensure kids' safety were highlighted. The steps taken include restrictions on third-party chat apps and other identifying information such as phone numbers. Roblox also does not allow sharing images or videos via chat, they also do not allow one-on-one interactions. These measures are helpful to protect children from older people with predatory motives.
Americans and Canadians also make up the bulk of Roblox users with 28%. In a YouTube video, Quintin Smith reported that 2/3 of every American between the ages of 9 and 12 are Roblox users. The majority of the developers on Roblox are kids, and Roblox reported in its S-1 filing that about 250 Roblox developers earned over $100,000 between January to September 2020. This figure is a pointer to how much young people make off the Roblox platform by developing games.
According to PCGamer, game publishers pay developers 60% of their revenue while they take 40%. However, Roblox admits that they pay only 25% to their developers, which was disputed by Quintin Smith. In his video, Quintin Smith reported that Roblox pays only 17% of revenue to developers. This system is considered unfair to the kids who are building different experiences.
Closing Thoughts
With the rise of Roblox from 2020, other similar platforms like Sandbox and Fortnite have started coming up. Even though Roblox does not embody some innovations like decentralized finance, it essentially paved the way for other metaverses. It has proven its ability to provide a virtual reality experience. The use of the in-game currency Robux has been useful in crafting a model for blockchain games.
To begin experiencing virtual reality, visit Roblox and sign up.
Author: Gate.io Observer: M. Olatunji
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