I remember being a kid in the 80s. I loved my Atari game system, and later, my Nintendo Entertainment System. I’d spend hours (probably too many!) playing their videos games. But as fun as the games were, I often found myself wishing I could make my own games. Of course being only 10 I was a bit young to start coding–not to mention at that time most computers were prohibitively expensive and you didn’t have the internet where you could learn to code for free. Besides, what I really wanted wasn’t to learn to go, it was for the Atari and NES to have the ability to let me easily make my own games and levels.
Turns out I was born a few decades too early. That’s because since 2005 there’s been a service called ROBLOX that allows kids and teens to build their own video games using easy-to-understand tools. ROBLOX today has millions of users. Still, despite its popularity, many people don’t know about it. If you’re one of those, here’s everything you need to know about ROBLOX.
ROBLOX: What Is It?
“ROBLOX is an online virtual playground and workshop, where kids of all ages can safely interact, create, have fun, and learn. It’s unique in that practically everything on ROBLOX is designed and constructed by members of the community. ROBLOX is designed for 8 to 18-year-olds, but it is open to people of all ages. Each player starts by choosing an avatar and giving it an identity. They can then explore ROBLOX — interacting with others by chatting, playing games, or collaborating on creative projects. Each player is also given their own piece of undeveloped real estate along with a virtual toolbox with which to design and build anything — be it a navigable skyscraper, a working helicopter, a giant pinball machine, a multiplayer ‘Capture the Flag’ game or some other, yet-to-be-dreamed-up creation.”
So basically, ROBLOX = virtual Legos + Minecraft + kid friendly games.
ROBLOX: Who Can Develop For It?
The answer is ANYBODY! That’s one of the big attractions about ROBLOX. Virtually anyone no matter how young or inexperienced can create ROBLOX games using the free ROBLOX developer tools that are available to anyone who creates a ROBLOX account. That being said, the quality and depth of the user-created worlds vary greatly depending on the developer’s imagination and their experience.
ROBLOX: Gameplay
As a user-created MMOG platform, there’s no set gameplay. It’s not like there’s one goal in ROBLOX, such as “save the princess”. Instead ROBLOX players can explore the massive ROBLOX world and duck into and out of the games and lands other users have created. All users are given a virtual avatar they can customize with their own costumes and accessories and these avatars roam the ROBLOX worlds. There is also a heavy social component to ROBLOX, with the system allows players to chat and communicate with one another and also tag others and friends. Players can also build up followers, just like on Facebook.
ROBLOX: Builder Clubs
ROBLOX: In-Game Currency
Speaking of ROBUX, the in-game currency is used to buy clothing or accessories for their avatar, create groups, change their screen names, and purchase a wide arrange of virtual items. ROBUX can also be exchanged for real-world money if you have a PayPal account. Currently 500 ROBUX = $1USD.
ROBLOX: Device Support
by michaelg via Featured Articles
Reviewed by Ossama Hashim
on
December 05, 2016
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