Roblox might soon offer games and experiences for older users, which could include virtual dating and indie movie screenings. Roblox Founder and CEO David Baszucki recently expressed the intention to push the plan, stressing the need to cater to the aging members of the platform.
Roblox started in 2004, but it seems it still has its grip on the first users that joined its platform 19 years ago. Baszucki shared this in a recent blog post. “More than 55% of our users are now over 13 years old and our fastest-growing demographic segment is 17-24-year-old users, with 35% DAU YOY growth in Q1 2023. 17-24 users now represent 22% of our community.”
With the said figures, it is no surprise that the platform has to make some significant decisions to keep up with the age and preferences of its users. Nonetheless, Baszucki said that the developers are sensing the same need. As such, Roblox might soon offer older users content appropriate for their age.
“With developers over 17 creating the majority of our top 1000 experiences, many seek to create experiences for older audiences so they can interact exclusively with those their age,” wrote Baszucki. “As we look to the future, we’re focused on working with our community to bring our vision of Roblox as a platform for all ages to life. We’ll be working to allow older age-verified creators safely publish more engaging and age-specific content, while remaining committed to providing the best experience in civility, content, and connection for everyone on Roblox.”
In case the plan is pushed, this might lead to new categories in the age recommendation content on the platform. Note that Roblox currently offers three age categories for its recommendations: All Ages, 9+, and 13+. Yet, by taking Baszucki’s words as a basis, this could mean categories dedicated to up to a 24-year-old user. However, this might soon add to the challenges still being faced by the platform that aims to serve “all ages to life” — including those very young users and (soon) young adults.
In a 2021 story from Reuters, inappropriate accounts indicating ownership from adult users were found, with two profile descriptions reading “MOLESTINGKIDSISFUNTOME” and “shut up and rape me daddy.” Other stories highlighted the same and related issues, including foul language and sexually explicit games called Condos. Nonetheless, Roblox has always been firm in defending its platform, saying it has a “no tolerance” policy and safeguards to address them quickly. Yet, as noted by Reuters, traces of unacceptable content within Roblox could be traced back as early as 2009 —- but they are still happening even after a decade. And now that the online game company intends to expand its reach to more ages officially, it might mean more future controversies for Roblox.
