5 ms·

Roblox Exploits Young Game Developers [video]

79 points by mpnagle 5y ago

vyrotek 5y ago
Great video! I have 3 kids who are obsessed with Roblox. It's a lot of fun but we don't spend any money on it. Coincidentally my 13yo just took an interest in making Roblox games this week. She figured it all out on her own and got something published. I personally dabble with some Unity dev so if course I encouraged it. It's fun to make stuff for others. 2 players tried it. But, this video has given me a lot to think about. I always wondered what the marketplace actually looked like. I tried to set reasonable time expectations for my daughter and make sure she was doing this more for fun and learning than to make money. This has soured my perception of the company.
- tapland 5y ago
  Queued the video for watching tonight, but I heard about a local middle school kid making more than his parents by making roblox mods (being one of few top creators). I hope it gets more kids to try programming, but If you can get compensated it sucks if it isn't reasonable and fair.
- bko 5y ago
  Unfortunately discoverability and a saturated app store market is the norm everywhere. The video states that most developers there don't make any money, but that means Roblox also doesn't make any money, so I can't see how its exploitation. If my kid was into creating games or art, I would encourage him. Kind of like running a lemonade stand, you're not going to get rich. You'll probably even lose money. A cynic would say you're enriching big sugar, but I think it's a good experience and something fun to do. Certainly better than being a consumer.
  - atatatat 5y ago
    > so I can't see how its exploitation. Erlich Bachman?
- majkinetor 5y ago
  Yet, roblux obsession turned into game making. You as father didn't do it with your Unity dev skills but roblux did it and yet you seem to complain now, while still appreciating the outcome ... strange. Working for nothing - that used to be a required thing for any job. FOSS people still do it and nobody thinks Github is exploiting. In todays world they call it exploitation but it was considered learning before.
fxtentacle 5y ago
I feel like this is similar to the criticism that YouTube received in its early days. And I wonder if the problem is with the platforms that offer an opportunity for self-exploitation or with our work culture. Because self-exploitation is a much more widespread issue and transcends platforms and workplaces. In my opinion, it's the "rags to riches" and hustle mindset that's at fault. So I'd rather blame Tony Robbins and Tim Ferry than Roblox.
- FormFollowsFunc 5y ago
  It's one thing to exploit adults as platform tech companies do but it's fairly low to exploit kids.
gaudat 5y ago
And yet nobody complained about this 10 years ago when Minecraft was all the rage?
- junon 5y ago
  Minecraft has never had an (official) marketplace. E: I'm wrong, apparently the spin-off versions of Minecraft have them. Java Minecraft (the original) never did.
  - phil-martin 5y ago
    I haven’t yet watched the video, but Minecraft definitely has an official marketplace and in game currency. It is for the pocket edition/bedrock edition I’ve bought numerous skins and game mods for myself and the kids to enjoy. From what little I understand this is quite different from the Java edition, but I don’t really know.
    - junon 5y ago
      > From what little I understand this is quite different from the Java edition, but I don’t really know. Ah, that would be why. My mistake - I've never played anything but the Java version.
- sdflhasjd 5y ago
  None of the issues raised in the video seem to apply to Minecraft. Minecraft doesn't have an in-game currency, and mod developers don't have any kind of marketplace relationship with Mojang.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
nbzso 5y ago
There is no problem. The only valuable model that is interesting to big VC is exploitation and dark patterns design UX practices. The big money. Basically it is all the same, from Medium to Roblox, who builds the biggest hole for user generated content wins. Recently I read on HN, one blogger was happy that is not self-hosting and shared that there is no way to have discovery without a big platform as Medium. Users like to be exploited, big tech likes to exploit. I see harmonious parasitism in action and UX design from Hell. P.S. Message for the down-voters: I don't give a flying f about your reaction. I will go a step further: I consider this as an actual positive. Critical thinking is not popular but for me it has enormous value.
- LadyCailin 5y ago
  Let me make sure I’m clear on your argument: you think it’s just great for the labor of children to be exploited for the benefit of shareholders? If this is correct, then you’re not actually a “critical thinker”, just a horrible person.
  - mattbee 5y ago
    I took the comment as a resigned "that's why these platforms will continue to grow". Not as support or condemnation. I agree that Roblox profits off the creativity of children without giving them a meaningful share or dealing with the other issues of child labour, and that's pretty gross.
  - drowe859 5y ago
    When disagreeing, please reply to the argument instead of calling names. "That is idiotic; 1 + 1 is 2, not 3" can be shortened to "1 + 1 is 2, not 3." https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
  - majkinetor 5y ago
    Can you really exploit someone that can leave any time ?
    - 5y ago
fimdomeio 5y ago
Previous Discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28247034 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28247034

79 points by mpnagle 5y ago

Great video! I have 3 kids who are obsessed with Roblox. It's a lot of fun but we don't spend any money on it. Coincidentally my 13yo just took an interest in making Roblox games this week. She figured it all out on her own and got something published. I personally dabble with some Unity dev so if course I encouraged it. It's fun to make stuff for others. 2 players tried it. But, this video has given me a lot to think about. I always wondered what the marketplace actually looked like. I tried to set reasonable time expectations for my daughter and make sure she was doing this more for fun and learning than to make money. This has soured my perception of the company.

tapland 5y ago
Queued the video for watching tonight, but I heard about a local middle school kid making more than his parents by making roblox mods (being one of few top creators). I hope it gets more kids to try programming, but If you can get compensated it sucks if it isn't reasonable and fair.
bko 5y ago
Unfortunately discoverability and a saturated app store market is the norm everywhere. The video states that most developers there don't make any money, but that means Roblox also doesn't make any money, so I can't see how its exploitation. If my kid was into creating games or art, I would encourage him. Kind of like running a lemonade stand, you're not going to get rich. You'll probably even lose money. A cynic would say you're enriching big sugar, but I think it's a good experience and something fun to do. Certainly better than being a consumer.
- atatatat 5y ago
  > so I can't see how its exploitation. Erlich Bachman?
majkinetor 5y ago
Yet, roblux obsession turned into game making. You as father didn't do it with your Unity dev skills but roblux did it and yet you seem to complain now, while still appreciating the outcome ... strange. Working for nothing - that used to be a required thing for any job. FOSS people still do it and nobody thinks Github is exploiting. In todays world they call it exploitation but it was considered learning before.

fxtentacle 5y ago

I feel like this is similar to the criticism that YouTube received in its early days. And I wonder if the problem is with the platforms that offer an opportunity for self-exploitation or with our work culture. Because self-exploitation is a much more widespread issue and transcends platforms and workplaces. In my opinion, it's the "rags to riches" and hustle mindset that's at fault. So I'd rather blame Tony Robbins and Tim Ferry than Roblox.

FormFollowsFunc 5y ago
It's one thing to exploit adults as platform tech companies do but it's fairly low to exploit kids.

gaudat 5y ago

And yet nobody complained about this 10 years ago when Minecraft was all the rage?

junon 5y ago
Minecraft has never had an (official) marketplace. E: I'm wrong, apparently the spin-off versions of Minecraft have them. Java Minecraft (the original) never did.
- phil-martin 5y ago
  I haven’t yet watched the video, but Minecraft definitely has an official marketplace and in game currency. It is for the pocket edition/bedrock edition I’ve bought numerous skins and game mods for myself and the kids to enjoy. From what little I understand this is quite different from the Java edition, but I don’t really know.
  - junon 5y ago
    > From what little I understand this is quite different from the Java edition, but I don’t really know. Ah, that would be why. My mistake - I've never played anything but the Java version.
sdflhasjd 5y ago
None of the issues raised in the video seem to apply to Minecraft. Minecraft doesn't have an in-game currency, and mod developers don't have any kind of marketplace relationship with Mojang.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]

nbzso 5y ago

There is no problem. The only valuable model that is interesting to big VC is exploitation and dark patterns design UX practices. The big money. Basically it is all the same, from Medium to Roblox, who builds the biggest hole for user generated content wins. Recently I read on HN, one blogger was happy that is not self-hosting and shared that there is no way to have discovery without a big platform as Medium. Users like to be exploited, big tech likes to exploit. I see harmonious parasitism in action and UX design from Hell. P.S. Message for the down-voters: I don't give a flying f about your reaction. I will go a step further: I consider this as an actual positive. Critical thinking is not popular but for me it has enormous value.

LadyCailin 5y ago
Let me make sure I’m clear on your argument: you think it’s just great for the labor of children to be exploited for the benefit of shareholders? If this is correct, then you’re not actually a “critical thinker”, just a horrible person.
- mattbee 5y ago
  I took the comment as a resigned "that's why these platforms will continue to grow". Not as support or condemnation. I agree that Roblox profits off the creativity of children without giving them a meaningful share or dealing with the other issues of child labour, and that's pretty gross.
- drowe859 5y ago
  When disagreeing, please reply to the argument instead of calling names. "That is idiotic; 1 + 1 is 2, not 3" can be shortened to "1 + 1 is 2, not 3." https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
- majkinetor 5y ago
  Can you really exploit someone that can leave any time ?
  - 5y ago

fimdomeio 5y ago

Previous Discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28247034 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28247034