Roblox hits 100M monthly active users, bigger than Minecraft • Hacker News Board

Re: Roblox hits 100M monthly active users, bigger than Minecraft

#111

Post by Cthulhu_ » Tue, Aug 06, 2019, 10:04 AM UTC

skwog wrote: post #76

As a Roblox programmer (Builder’s Club) scripting a game, the draw of addressing this huge user base by way of simply coding Lua scripts to release a product that invites In App Purchase is downright tempting! Then you discover the apparently wide spread client side hacking (speed, teleport, aim bots... you name it) and content theft (models, geometry, Localscripts) and pervasive scam attempts so frequently reported.…

> Given the active user base and gross cash flow of Roblox, how do you now frame the new ARKit, RealityKit, Composer, and SwiftUI announcements from WWDC?

I'm not sure what the question is, the two are hardly related. I guess you can use both to create games, but the thing is, you wouldn't have the network to go with it. I mean you could create a video but unless you upload it to youtube it might as well not exist. Or you could create a mobile game but unless it's in the app store (or featured / in the top x) it might as well not exist.

Roblox at least gives your content a chance of being discovered.

Re: Roblox hits 100M monthly active users, bigger than Minecraft

#112

Post by Cthulhu_ » Tue, Aug 06, 2019, 10:10 AM UTC

ptah wrote: post #97

xrd wrote: post #51

I'm reading all the threads here and wonder: is there a similar type of game that is safe for kids to use? I'd love to have the collaborating with other kids to build things, but I'm deeply concerned about the predatory aspects other parents are describing here. Is there an open source version of Roblox or Minecraft that you can run on your own server and only invite known people (neighbors, friends, etc.) to play on…

why not teach your kids how to avoid predators instead?

Because it's too late before they put one and one together. It's not as simple as you (and other commenters) want to make it seem.

Re: Roblox hits 100M monthly active users, bigger than Minecraft

#113

Post by Lendal » Tue, Aug 06, 2019, 10:11 AM UTC

Rotdhizon wrote: post #50

integrii wrote: post #29

Both of my kids played a lot of Roblox until we banned it. They easily became obsessed and were violent when removed, even with a tightly controlled schedule. They would try to connect to offer WiFi networks to get access and would steal our phones to get access. We ended up having to detox them like it was a drug. Beyond that we found that the openly mod-able nature of the game allowed some remarkably disgusting 3D…

As someone in their early 20s who dabbles on Roblox with some frequency, this completely contradicts my own experience. Granted I only play games that show up in the popular games section on the homepage. I don't go out of my way to find the weird stuff. I suppose it is similar to the Elsagate stuff kids were getting into on Youtube, kids have a remarkable talent to go down rabbit holes you didn't know existed and fi…

Reminds me of GTA. I stayed far away from it because it had an awful reputation in the media. Finally when GTA5 came out I tried it for the first time and it was nothing like the stories. I was expecting terrible awful very bad things. But it wasn't anything like that when I tried it.

So I think the bad stories are more a reflection of the players playing it than the game. For whatever reason certain types of people will gravitate toward the cesspool hidden underneath the actual game and find a way to turn the whole experience into a monstrous tragedy.

Re: Roblox hits 100M monthly active users, bigger than Minecraft

#114

Post by imdsm » Tue, Aug 06, 2019, 10:14 AM UTC

mrighele wrote: post #61

orliesaurus wrote: post #53

Roblox, Fortnite, Minecraft are the new social networks right? Well when I was 15 and we used to play Counter Strike and Quake 3 the "social network" was hanging out on servers with maps just chatting and walking around the map aimlessly or just hanging out on IRC. So I can totally relate to how kids nowadays are going back to this sorta hangout. Text only can be boring (kinda like IRC for many people who couldn't to…

I would add also WoW to the list. I had friends that after a while would connect more to socialize than to play. And probably the equivalent in the 90s were MUDs, although they were text only.

I played with people on WoW who are still good friends who are now in high places. It was truly a generation thing. Like I watch Stranger Things and I think, I wish I was on the internet before the WWW with BBS, and with walkie talkies, maybe not so much the smoke demons, but then, during my teenage years it was WoW and that was a very special time for me.

I couldn't do it now, I've changed, the fabric of my mind has changed so that it just wouldn't appeal to me now, but back then it was great.

Would I want my son doing the same? 20,000 hours on a game over five years? Yeah I'm going to say no, but, things are different as a parent.

Re: Roblox hits 100M monthly active users, bigger than Minecraft

#115

Post by gitgud » Tue, Aug 06, 2019, 10:29 AM UTC

koonsolo wrote: post #103

integrii wrote: post #29

Both of my kids played a lot of Roblox until we banned it. They easily became obsessed and were violent when removed, even with a tightly controlled schedule. They would try to connect to offer WiFi networks to get access and would steal our phones to get access. We ended up having to detox them like it was a drug. Beyond that we found that the openly mod-able nature of the game allowed some remarkably disgusting 3D…

My own son had this period where he was obsessed with playing on the XBox. When I tried to limit his time, he became agressive. So I said "Wow, if XBox has this influence on you, maybe you should stop completely. What do you think?". His smart reaction was to show that he could play a limited time, and be good afterwards. Now I don't have any problems with him. The thing with kids is that you will not be there all th…

Very wise words, I'm not a parent, but I like the idea of giving them the choice and allowing them to come to their own conclusions.

"A man convinced against his will. Is of the same opinion still" ― Dale Carnegie

Re: Roblox hits 100M monthly active users, bigger than Minecraft

#116

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Aug 06, 2019, 10:31 AM UTC

Mirioron wrote: post #101

okusername wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Their brain is not developed yet, especially critical thinking and social capabilities. It's not just a question of explaining / learning, they often don't have the mental capabilities to understand whats going on and can be taken advantage of.

I don't believe that there are many kids above the age of 10 that don't understand what scamming is after they are scammed.

[deleted]

Re: Roblox hits 100M monthly active users, bigger than Minecraft

#117

Post by Intermernet » Tue, Aug 06, 2019, 10:43 AM UTC

minikomi wrote: post #84

jay_kyburz wrote: post #11

Roblox has grown big on other peoples IP. My kids are only interested in it so they can play a Minions game or a Spiderman game. I guess that's how YouTube got big too.

Hiphop has only grown big on other peoples IP. My kids are only interested in it so they can dance to a loop of James Brown or Kool and the Gang.

There are many hiphop artists who either don't sample, or sample very rarely. Sample clearance has been pretty expensive for a couple of decades now. It still happens a lot, as hiphop is one of the earliest proponents of modern "remix culture", but it's definitely rarer than the halcyon days of yore. Just letting you know.

Re: Roblox hits 100M monthly active users, bigger than Minecraft

#118

Post by teddyh » Tue, Aug 06, 2019, 10:45 AM UTC

danbmil99 wrote: post #83

I recall my child years ago playing this game (maybe age 8?) and explaining how they communicated with words like 'socks' for 6, 'ate' for 8 etc. because numbers were banned to avoid kids giving out sensitive info like their age, address etc.

Block-Chat™!

http://habitatchronicles.com/2007/03/the-untold-history-of-t...

“By hook, or by crook, [people] will always find a way to connect with each other.”

— Randy Farmer

Re: Roblox hits 100M monthly active users, bigger than Minecraft

#119

Post by ptah » Tue, Aug 06, 2019, 10:46 AM UTC

Cthulhu_ wrote: post #112

ptah wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

why not teach your kids how to avoid predators instead?

Because it's too late before they put one and one together. It's not as simple as you (and other commenters) want to make it seem.

essentially don't interact with anyone that you do not know from real life and got their id from them in real life

Re: Roblox hits 100M monthly active users, bigger than Minecraft

#120

Post by minikomi » Tue, Aug 06, 2019, 10:50 AM UTC

Intermernet wrote: post #117

minikomi wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hiphop has only grown big on other peoples IP. My kids are only interested in it so they can dance to a loop of James Brown or Kool and the Gang.

There are many hiphop artists who either don't sample, or sample very rarely. Sample clearance has been pretty expensive for a couple of decades now. It still happens a lot, as hiphop is one of the earliest proponents of modern "remix culture", but it's definitely rarer than the halcyon days of yore. Just letting you know.

Absolutely.. was hoping the "age" of the sample sources would have been enough to get my point across -- a lot of art forms steal at first but evolve once tropes & styles get a foothold.