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Roblox is the biggest game in the world, but is unprofitable

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Re: Roblox is the biggest game in the world, but is unprofitable

#291

Post by treyd »

MaPi_ wrote: post #224
treyd wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've had this half-idea for recreating something like Garry's Mod in Godot for a while now. It seems like something someone would have created by now but it doesn't exist yet for whatever reason. Like, a framework for building first-person FPS-ish game modes and handling all the asset management, sync, etc, like GMod being built around Source does and just letting developers build the game modes without worrying abou…

That seems to be exactly what Garry (the creator of Garry's Mod) is trying to do with s&box https://sbox.game/

They're using Source 2, which isn't foss.

Re: Roblox is the biggest game in the world, but is unprofitable

#292

Post by skeeter2020 »

outside415 wrote: post #277
paulpauper wrote: post #276

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Roblox's salary ranges from $140861 in total compensation ... Levels.fyi collects anonymous and verified salaries from current and former employees of Roblox. does not seem like fu to me

They pay very well for senior roles . Like $700k+ tc

what's " + tc"?

Re: Roblox is the biggest game in the world, but is unprofitable

#293

Post by treyd »

billyjobob wrote: post #137
treyd wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've had this half-idea for recreating something like Garry's Mod in Godot for a while now. It seems like something someone would have created by now but it doesn't exist yet for whatever reason. Like, a framework for building first-person FPS-ish game modes and handling all the asset management, sync, etc, like GMod being built around Source does and just letting developers build the game modes without worrying abou…

Like The Mirror? https://www.themirror.space/

This is interesting, but

> allowing you to own everything - unlike Roblox, Unreal/Fortnite, and Unity.

makes me worried it's not in the same spirit that GMod is in. Specifically the use of the word "own" there.

Re: Roblox is the biggest game in the world, but is unprofitable

#294

Post by auadix »

simpaticoder wrote: post #273
low_tech_love wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I get you perfectly (I play Roblox with my kid almost everyday) but I have another opinion. When I think about what it accomplished, I think Roblox is pretty amazing; actually one of the most amazing software ever made. It accomplished in practice basically what lots of people have been trying to do for decades, since the MUDs from the 70s, and what Zuckerberg wasted billions of dollars with. Sure, most of its conten…

My kids have recently become interested in Roblox. I installed it on the PS5 but honestly I don't get the appeal. The games we tried are of very low quality. It doesn't have the complexity or interest of Minecraft. It doesn't have the polish of Astro's Playroom (or Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, which they are too young to play). It reminds me a little of Fortnite's non-battle-royal games, but much worse. Can you giv…

I play with my kid and my advice is to not look for a game in Roblox, but to play Roblox as it is. It's not going to be about the quality, it's not polished and there are probably 8 game types to it: Clicking, Obby, Tycoon, Survival, Farming, Sports, Shooter and Story.

All the games in one of those categories are a variation of itself, some are better balanced and the grind is fair, some will reach a point which the kid will give up and some have a very interesting trick that will soon be copied by all the others.

Why do we play it? For him, because it's familiar, he knows what to do and how to master it. For me, mindless gaming that I don't have to put any effort to it.

The time that I spend with him is very valuable, and there is a reversal here because its me entering to his world and not him to mine. He feel proud when he is better than me into something, the obbies are challenging even for someone who spent his life playing platform games, I just can't make the jumps and he can, so he comes to recue me taking my iPad and going for it.

I do enjoy some of the games, Islands is very well done but the devs quit it, Wacky Wizards is very quirky and with endless potion combinations, Death Bumper Car is really crazy and frustrating, but fun to play together, The Space Simulator is a space mining that is really hard in some places and interesting challenge... there is a lot to find. Sometimes I just can't play the game and I will tell him that I didn't like it, he feels defeated because he was trying to invite me in to his world and I shut it down, sometimes I just suck it up and play the bad game, I think the important part is to remember that this is a world that they have more control than you, let them lead. :)

Re: Roblox is the biggest game in the world, but is unprofitable

#295

Post by loa_in_ »

simpaticoder wrote: post #273
low_tech_love wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I get you perfectly (I play Roblox with my kid almost everyday) but I have another opinion. When I think about what it accomplished, I think Roblox is pretty amazing; actually one of the most amazing software ever made. It accomplished in practice basically what lots of people have been trying to do for decades, since the MUDs from the 70s, and what Zuckerberg wasted billions of dollars with. Sure, most of its conten…

My kids have recently become interested in Roblox. I installed it on the PS5 but honestly I don't get the appeal. The games we tried are of very low quality. It doesn't have the complexity or interest of Minecraft. It doesn't have the polish of Astro's Playroom (or Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, which they are too young to play). It reminds me a little of Fortnite's non-battle-royal games, but much worse. Can you giv…

Your take sounds about right. It's minigames. You can play an exact equivalent minigame in minecraft 98% of the time, but it's easier just to pick one ready from the browser and get started immediately with people doing the same and nothing else. If I was a parent I 'd try to skim ideas from Roblox yourself, make it happen for your kids and their friends in Minecraft, join yourself, talk about it, record yourself playing it, share it with strangers; for full non-Robux-driven wholesome non-mindless experience.

Essentially Roblox store is built upon outsourcing game making to kids and so the games themselves are appealing to kids, but also they carry as much merit as a 4th grader can put into them.

Re: Roblox is the biggest game in the world, but is unprofitable

#296

Post by dagmx »

sitkack wrote: post #196
dagmx wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You think Steam puts in more effort than providing graphics APIs, system frameworks for everything from networking to controller handling, UI libraries, educational sessions and security critical updates? Like, one may argue that the 30% isn’t valid (and it’s 15% for the majority of devs) but to say Steam does more is absurd. I’m curious if people who hold this opinion have actually been involved in the process of re…

Those APIs are paid for by the owner of the phone. Charging developers (and the consumer) 30% to allow someone to distribute an app is utterly ridiculous. Framing it like Apple built these things and you are only paying 30% is in deep sycophant territory.

1. You assume they’re paid for by the owner of the phone. That’s not necessarily reflective of a companies income stream. Microsoft also charge for commercial access to their SDKs for example, and every company has different business models.

2. Then what does steam offer for 30% that isn’t just distribution? The majority of steam games do not use Valves tooling for matchmaking or their engine.

3. Can you go without name calling? Or are you that childish that it’s the only way you can feel like you have the upper hand in a conversation?

4. I’m not defending a 30% cut and already mentioned that. I’m saying that saying steam offers more for the 30% is absurd.

Re: Roblox is the biggest game in the world, but is unprofitable

#297

Post by jameshart »

modeless wrote: post #51
eru wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why the SEC specifically? Are you suggesting investors are hurt by this? If you want any part of any government to investigate, shouldn't you suggest some agency that's supposed to be working for consumer welfare or so?

If there is any kind of undisclosed arrangement between Apple and Roblox then there's a clear case for securities fraud IMO. There's a huge risk to Roblox were any such deal to unravel, both from the threat of competition being allowed and from the possibility of Apple starting to enforce their published policies on Roblox. For public companies, risks like that must be disclosed.

Apple can and does change even the written terms of AppStore service on a whim without warning. The risk that Apple suddenly changes its unwritten enforcement policy to your detriment is not that much different than the risk that they just change their Ts and Cs entirely. Apple’s walled garden, Apple’s rules.

ANY publicly traded company that relies on the Apple AppStore for a significant portion of its revenue has an implied ‘so long as Apple continue to allow us to do this’ caveat hanging over their revenue forecasts.

Re: Roblox is the biggest game in the world, but is unprofitable

#299

Post by stavros »

CuriouslyC wrote: post #290
stavros wrote: post #202

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Why can't they just issue their own device That "just" is doing a lot of heavy lifting. Don't worry, though, your iPhone will soon be your own to do whatever you want with, thanks to the DMA. It already is, if you live in the EU.

What are you talking about? Last I saw apple mostly won their lawsuits in the US and our government is so captured by late stage capitalists I doubt we're going to see any serious revision of their monopolistic behavior. Lucky you that the EU actually does stuff to big tech.

I think (hope) that what the EU does will spread to the US eventually as well.
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