Roblox boss Stefano Corazza has opened up about accusations of younger developer exploitation on its platform, saying that the chance Roblox provides its teenage creators is “a reward."
Roblox has had in-game development tools via its Studio feature for a while, offering users the chance to create entire games that can then be published for other players and monetized. It all takes place within Roblox itself, streamlining the experience for creators and giving Roblox a cut of the profits.
The Roblox creator website encourages users to “make anything you can imagine,” enticing would-be developers with the promise that experiences can be published instantly to more than 66.1 million other users across the globe. It adds that there are currently more than 3.1 million Roblox developers.
The Roblox name has long been associated with a younger player base, and many have accused Corazza and his team of taking advantage of children who use the platform to create games. The studio head attempted to shut down these claims during an interview with Eurogamer by explaining why their creation tools aren’t exploiting child labor.
"I don't know, you may say this for a lot of issues, proper?" Corazza explained. "Like, you may say, 'Okay, we’re exploiting, you already know, little one labour,' proper? Or, you may say: we’re offering people anyplace on this planet the aptitude to get a job, and even like an income. So, I might be like 15 years outdated, in Indonesia, dwelling in a slum, after which now, with simply a laptop, I can create one thing, make money after which maintain my life.”
He continued: "There's always the flip side of that, when you go broad and democratised – and in this case, also with a younger audience. I mean, our average game developer is in their 20s. But of course, there's people that are teenagers – and we have hired some teenagers that had millions of players on the platform.”
Corazza elaborated, declaring the benefits Roblox Studio offers its more creative teenage users. He even says that the money the studio gives its creators every year is nearing $1 billion.
"For them, you already know, listening to from their expertise, they didn't really feel like they have been exploited! They felt like, 'Oh my god, this was the largest reward, all of a sudden I may create one thing, I had hundreds of thousands of customers, I made a lot money I may retire.' So, I focus more on the quantity of money that we distribute yearly to creators, which is now getting close to love a billion {dollars}, which is phenomenal."
A Roblox PR consultant clarified with Eurogamer that “the vast majority of people that are earning money on Roblox are over the age of 18.” It’s unclear how many creators are under 18 or precisely how a lot money they’re bringing in for themselves and the Roblox firm.
Roblox initially launched for PC in 2006 and ultimately got here to iOS and Android gadgets in 2012 and 2014, respectively. It got here to Xbox shortly after however wouldn’t arrive on PlayStation platforms until 2023. With some VR platforms additionally underneath its belt, Roblox is accessible on practically each fashionable gaming platform.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He began writing within the industry in 2017 and is greatest recognized for his work at retailers similar to The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
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