Game Dev Club Meeting: ROBLOX

11/02/15

What is ROBLOX? - Greyson Olson

• Game Creation Platform
• Gaming Platform
• Computer, Tablet, Phone, Xbox One
• Launched in 2006
• San Mateo, CA
• 4.4 [million] monthly active users

Tie It to Your Interests

• Build 3D Models
• Script in Lua
• Program Nifty Gadgets
• Make a Game and Gain an Audience
• Manage a Development Team
• Trade on a Virtual Stock Market
• Play Creative Games Only Seen on ROBLOX
• IT'S FREE!*

*Lots of pay-for content. Pay nothing to get started, though.

ROBLOX as a Game Engine

• Multiplyaer
• Cross-platform
• PHysics Engine and Distributed PHysics
• Free models
• ROBLOX Wiki

Build 3D Models

Illustrations shown.

Building Titantic model with guy in Nevada. Make connections with ROBLOX!

Can you upload your own textures, models? Yes, there is a way (has to go through moderation process to filter out inappropriate content).

Not limited to square shapes in ROBLOX. All kinds of shapes and surfaces you can do.

Script in Lua

Example given in messing with rendered textures.

You can import a greyscale decal and color it with whatever palette you want? Yes. (This is how red and blue colors are setup on Team Fortress 2.)

Should've shown the hierarchy in the editor.

Comments on Lua: scripting language similar to python. Lots of game stuff uses it. Turtles uses Lua.

Program Nifty Gadgets (Videos)

Talking about "Cube Simulator", the speaker's game. The game was really popular in paid access, but failed in F2P (a lesson learned).

Good games can make a lot of money.

Lots of screen shots from various popular games including an FPS and a boat build/battle game.

Lots of illustrations of assets. From a local Tucson artist. Invite him! Greyson has friends in ROBLOX.

More self-promotion of the Titantic sinking game. Welded physics and stuff. It's cool.

Huge Opportunity

$50000 earnings in a month has happened. It was a murder-mystery mafia-inspired game. Games are run one-at-a-time per server.

ROBLOX's Business Model

• ROBLOX is free to play
• Pay for Robux and/or subscription
• Developers sell things in their games
• Players spend Robux in games
• Game developers cash out Robux for $

Trade on a Virtual Stock Market

There's a stock-market that you can mess with. There's only a limited quantity for ROBLOX-made things. Those are the only things you can buy/sell.

The Free to Play Model

• Most prevalent game monetization model in ROBLOX
• Common to sell virtual currency
• Good
  • In-game radios
  • Special room access
  • Pets
  • Character customization
    • Hats
    • Gear
    • Clothing
• Neutral
  • Perks
  • Power-ups
• Bad
  • Pay-to-win
  • Things that ruin muliplayer experience

Up to 100 people can be playing in one game.

Games that Tend to Do Well

• Roleplaying
  • City
  • "Work at a Pizza Place"
• FPS
• Survival
• Round-based mini-games (ball games)
• Tycoons
• Obstacle Courses (Platformers)

Half-Life 2 and Counterstrike mod clone in ROBLOX called Death Run.

Games that Tend to Not Do Well

• Solo-games
• One Person Per Server
• Story-games Without Multiplayer Aspect

ROBLOX is social gaming.

ROBLOX's popular algorithm is based on how many people are on there at a time. Lots of incentives to play multiplayer stuff and such.

Earning ROBUX (R$)

• Develop a game
• Sell game passes
• Sell in-game currency
• Other transactions
• Accumulate Robux
• Acquire currency

Learn ROBLOX!

• Low barrier to entry
• Put your interests and passions into your games
• You can make money relatively easy compared to app/play store, steam

Use ROBLOX at the Game Jam!

Workshop this Saturday for design and development for ROBLOX games.

Questions

Min specs required? No idea.

Linux-support? No.

Why subscribe? Can only have one active game at a time, and 90% of in-game income is taxed. With subscription, only 30% tax (normal platform fee). Subscription is monthly or yearly. Subscribe as soon as income will come in. Highest cost is $20 per month.

From Last Game Jam

Introducing "Close Encounters of the Herd Kind".