Robloxis finally dropping on PlayStation hardware after close to 20 years of avoiding such a move. The news has dropped amid the case involvingthe FTC, Microsoft, and Activision Blizzard.
First launched in 2006 and developed by the corporation of the same name,Robloxwas originally a sleeper hit exclusive to Windows, but saw a colossal surge in popularity in the 2010s, prompting releases across most popular platforms and another surge amid the pandemic-induced lockdowns in 2020. Known for its simplistic art style, memeable sound effects, and intuitive interface, the program allows players to design and share their own video games as well as play each other’s creations. Unsurprisingly, it has garnered a mostly positive reception and an install base of 164 million users as of 2020, including more than half of America’s population of under-sixteen-year-olds.
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Amid the now-concluded hearings, Sony quickly become wrapped up in the drama. Among the revelations, archived comments from CEO Jim Ryan have been brought to public attention, shedding some light on whyRobloxhas yet to land on any PlayStation console. The main reason is due to the game’s audience mostly consisting of young children. This, combined with its reliance on microtransactions to access in-game currency and new content, as well asthe notably poor jobRobloxhas done at protecting its players' data, has led to numerous accusations of child exploitation.
Jim Ryan’s words are as follows: “Historically, because of the large number of children that play on the PlayStation, we have been very careful with regards to opening them up to anything that could potentially exploit them. Over the last couple of years, however, we have reviewed those policies and relaxed a little on this. We have been conservative for too long, and now we are currently engaging with people at Roblox. We hope that the situation will change.” Clearly, the controversy surroundingRobloxis the leading factor in this hesitation, not helped by the fact that it’s already faced accusationsand even lawsuits over other matters before. Of course, the idea of portingRobloxto PlayStation consoles is only in early talks, with no official confirmation to speak of. Why, it’s not even known whether it’ll just come to the PlayStation 5 or have a PS4 port thrown in.
There’s no doubt many fans of the PlayStation brand will be pleased with this development, especially if they initially missed out onRobloxor simply lack the platforms it’s already playable on. There is plenty of room for speculation on what differences a potential port would include, as well as what its release window could be. Maybe Roblox Corporation could address some of the discussed security and monetary issues with this new version. Plus, with Nintendo’s more open-minded nature in recent years combined withthe developers' openness to aRobloxSwitch port, perhaps another surprise release could be in the cards.
Robloxis available on Android, iOS, PC, and Xbox One.
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