A new video investigation from People Make Games has accused Roblox Corporation of “exploiting” young game developers.
The video, below, from People Make Games’ Quintin Smith, reveals Roblox’s shady exchange system, which, it claims, makes it incredibly hard for developers to make money from the platform.
The video also runs through how Roblox, which has 200 million monthly users, encourages young game developers to work incredibly hard with unreasonable expectations of success.
Investigation: How Roblox Is Exploiting Young Game Developers Watch on YouTube
Roblox revolves around kids making games for other kids to play. Its developers can monetise their games, and are paid in a virtual currency called Robux.
As PMG points out, getting your game noticed among the millions available on the platform is extremely difficult – but you can use Robux to bid for an ad slot in an auction.
If any Robux user wants to turn their Robux into real money, the minimum withdrawal amount is 100,000 Robux, which is worth around $1000. This increases the chances a Roblox developer will not hit the cap and plough the money back into Roblox.
Meanwhile, creators cannot withdraw any Robux unless they first pay for a Roblox monthly premium subscription. And, as PMG points out, Roblox buys Robux from users at a different rate than it sells them (100,000 Robux gets you $350).
PMK compares this system to historical mining and logging camps paying workers in company scrip.
The video also includes a remarkable interview with an 11-year-old boy who tried and failed to make it as a Roblox developer. “Even though Roblox encourages you to make games, the likelihood of you making a successful game is basically zero,” the boy says. “You always compete with the people that have lots of money.”