Roblox is tightening parental controls and age ratings. Here are some things to know about the online gaming and social media platform.
What is Roblox?
It is a colourful, constantly changing world of online games, mostly free and often made by users and amateur developers. It appeals particularly to children who gather to play the latest releases on smartphones, iPads and computers, chatting in the text chat with friends, but also strangers.
Why do children love it?
Part of the appeal seems to be that it is a world parents do not easily understand, with new games constantly emerging. The best games are highly inventive and include big hits such as Brookhaven, a role-playing game in a virtual city, and Adopt Me!, a pet adoption simulator. This week the most popular games were Blox Fruits, where players become “a master swordsman”, the dressing-up game Dress to Impress and the angling game Fisch.
What have the problems been?
As with many online platforms, it has been abused by malicious actors, some of whom circumvent the automated and human safety monitoring systems. In August it was banned in Turkey “due to content that could lead to the exploitation of children”, the government said. Roblox responded saying it had an “ironclad commitment to safety”.
With millions of user-generated games available, do some tend towards darker themes?
Inevitably, yes, with one sub-genre being depression and another violence. In 2023 in the UK the child internet safety organisation Internet Matters reported: “One game we tried, Hotline, tasked players with knocking each other over with guns or knives before then beating each other’s head until they died with blood splatters.”
How does it make money?
Roblox is fast-growing having reported a doubling of its number of daily users over the three years to 2023. But it remains lossmaking. While most of the games are free, users can buy extras within games using Roblox’s own currency, Robux. There is also a premium subscriber service and adverts. In 2023 about 3,500 developers and creators earned the equivalent of $10,000 (£8,000) or more in Robux and more than 750 developers and creators earned the equivalent of $100,000 or more. They can exchange Robux for cash.