These studios don’t have to make that 500k back. Roblox is isn’t giving out a loan, it’s more like a grant. This is an investment for Roblox to increase the quality of popular games on their platform and to implement all the features they’ve been trying to push. It’s an opportunity for developers to create the best games they can without having to worry about shoving monetization down peoples throats. This will enable developers to work full time on experiences, without having to worry about whether or not they’ll get their time/money back because it’s already paid for.
5 Likes
Very well said and good point. For some reason, my brain did not think of this idea as a counterargument to my statement, and so you have just done that for me. You have given a few amazing points; including that it’s more of a grant than a loan. This has allowed me to realize this; Thank you. Beforehand, I was not thinking of it specifically as a loan of sorts from Roblox, but as an “Oh hey, maybe developers would like to try to make this money back, even though it would take a very popular game and a while to do so.” However, upon reading this, thinking of it as a grant has allowed me to realize this: They are using the money given not to specifically turn a profit from their games and from monetization but to make a quality, unique game that can be enjoyed by users which may not have been seen before, while having a good budget for a game and making something new. I probably should have emphasized more on the “Not specifically a loan but more of a developers may want to make their invested money back eventually” point there in my statement. However, even then, I have also, upon reading this and thinking to myself for a while, realized that they would likely have more than enough left over to have a great budget upon finishing their game and paying their other co-developers and collaborators if they have any. This means they would not need to turn a profit from their game but would rather just need to focus on having fun, enjoying their time developing a game and making a good game themselves.
Again, great point, and thank you for the input. You have earned a like from me for sure.
1 Like
I have conflicted thoughts about the “Game Fund” in general. This post is drowned in other replies, but I’d like to point out a few things and ask why this exists.
This may get high earning developers locked into the platform under contract.
Funding like this will need oversight and legal agreements. Most of the assets I have hired people to create for my game will work in other engines; As a skilled worker and business owner it’s in my best interest to diversify revenue and income opportunities if Roblox’s future becomes more uncertain. If a bulk of funding is released to developers through a separate program like this instead of DevEx, these developers may be prevented from using earnings to fund other projects. Roblox still needs to stay competitive so this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Many big game publishers and platforms do things like this.
This may give false hope to developers.
Thousands of developers, big and small, are getting excited about funding they will likely never receive. They may feel as though they just need to work harder to prove themselves and be graciously gifted funding. Most applications will be ignored, which is completely fine for something like this. This is hope for success is true of content creation and game development in general, so this criticism is depends a lot on the selection process, how many projects are picked, and what kind of advantage they have. The 18+ age requirement is a safe move though, as profiting off of work done by minors is a dangerous business model.
Roblox can more easily fund specific projects that will improve the Roblox brand.
Perhaps leadership just wants to see better quality content and original IP on the platform. Most young developers just cash out for themselves without putting money back in to nurture and grow a long term business; Those who try run out of funding quickly (I experienced this and had to fire talented people to keep the project alive and have enough income to support my family.) Perhaps simply increasing DevEx rates would just further reward short-lived low quality experiences that are designed to most-efficiently extract money from young kids. Roblox needs meaningful experiences with ethical monetization strategies to compete with other top brands and to adapt to future regulations prompted by consumer dissatisfaction.
This may be achievable by controlling discoverability instead of funding specific projects. It’s hard to say though.
What is the reasoning behind the Game Fund, and why is it needed in addition to DevEx?
It probably makes sense for practical reasons, but the original post doesn’t explain why the Game Fund program exists in the first place. It sounds like an exciting idea, but has other implications. The reasoning just seems a bit mysterious to some of us considering DevEx already exists.
At its core, the game fund itself is funded by Roblox’s cut of content creator revenue, as well as money from investors. Roblox exists to serve consumers (users and casual developers/creators), to serve workers (serious developers/creators and employees), and to serve investors (people with money who want the platform grow and profit.) Like any huge platform, there are casual creators, creators going through hardship, creators experiencing mild success, and a tiny fraction of creators driving most of the revenue. There are creators misleading and taking advantage of consumers through unethical practices (like gambling mechanics and unlicensed IP), and creators trying their hardest to compete with that while providing users with meaningful experiences. Roblox will fall under legal criticism if too many young players/creators experience hardship. It is absolutely critical that popular experiences are ethical for young consumers, and that skilled creators can achieve financial stability.
Is the Game Fund fair?
The game fund has the potential to help with some of these points, but there is undeniably some unfairness to it. With just DevEx it’s a relatively fair market, where some experiences Roblox wants to support are featured in the sort. Game Fund experiences will compete with regular ones and have a serious advantage. Should we blindly grab for funding hoping our project is good enough, or would it be disingenuous to accept funding and get an unfair advantage over others?
My perspective
My project “Shard Seekers” has custom characters and playable animals, so I am unable to “reflect elements of the user’s platform avatar identity” or “leverage ‘Metaverse’ items”. Many users want to have a unique identity within an experience, because it adds aesthetic consistency and safety to the worlds we create. Players have spent millions (in USD) on my experience over the past 5 years; I have worked insane hours for years trying to grow this business so it can support my family and talented workers long term. I struggle to deliver content at a reasonable price because I only seen a fraction of the revenue. I’ve been okay with this knowing there’s a great team working to create the platform that helps me succeed, however, if some ideas won’t be “prioritized”, with Roblox’s cut of my revenue going to specific games, should I pivot my business to a different platform or tech field?
I’m just a passionate engineer/leader trying use my skillset to create something positive for people and generate a stable long-term income for my family. I interned at Roblox in 2015 and loved it; The environment and people were great. Roblox’s future feels more uncertain after having gone public, and as a developer it’s not easy to compete with unethical games that profit off of unlicensed IP, incentivize likes, and utilize gambling mechanics like lootboxes. I’m both hopeful and skeptical about this program.
17 Likes
If Roblox’s playerbase motivates you to choose to build on Roblox, then you should want a stronger playerbase on Roblox (ie want Roblox to win against its competition—including other up-and-coming metaverse networks, not just pure engines). The priorities of this game fund are things that strengthen the Roblox metaverse. And I think the requirements will also strengthen the metaverse because they are heuristics for high quality content.
It is your choice whether you want to make a game satisfying the priorities and requirements (unless you are under 18[1]). And surely another devexing developer would prefer your game to also satisfy the priorities and requirements of this program. So if you wish, you can take a chance on applying to this game fund, just like how you already take a chance to make a “successful” game. Maybe because resources are limited, and there is a certain quality floor necessary to compete, Roblox has determined that this game fund is a good idea. So if you only plan on leaving this platform in under, say, 5 years, then probably this game fund is not beneficial to you, but otherwise I think it is.
[1] This limitation is unfortunate and probably outside Roblox’s control as you said, and messes with the purity of the argument but I think this argument still holds.
4 Likes
It says everyone on the development team has to be 18+
3 Likes
No, it doesn’t actually. It says if the person applying is, you can have underage members in your team if they follow certain rules. Since my post, I re-read the post a few times.
3 Likes
Yes @EternalEthel is correct. From the FAQ above: If the studio is owned by someone over 18, is it still possible for any of the studio team members to be under 18?
- Everyone applying to the program needs to be at least 18 years old. If accepted into the program, the developer can have individuals under 18 be part of the development team so long as the developer complies with all applicable laws in engaging minors to work on the project (this will be covered in more detail in the agreement that participants will sign if accepted into the program).
5 Likes
If the team is consisted by 3 who are 18+, does each one need to apply for this or just one person per team has to apply for everyone?
2 Likes
Hey, so according to all of this information, applications will be reviewed “on a rolling basis”.
What exactly does this mean? More specifically, how long should an applicant expect to wait before receiving an acceptance email? Thanks.
I have a few questions that more people may want to know.
If I were to complete this application, would I be bound by any contract immediately after submitting without me knowing? And do I have to pay back those 500k USD, a part of it or none of it? Will the developer’s exchange rate change for people who participate in this program?
Well its on a rolling basis throughout the second half of 2021 which means that they will be picking people for a while till the end of this year, so I would wait till the end of December or until they announce its over.
1 Like
Just one person over 18 could apply for everyone. Thanks.
4 Likes
To address your question, there is no obligation on your part if you were to submit an application. We’ll review your application and contact you if we think your project is a good fit for the program.
If you’re able to answer, how detailed of a roadmap/design are you looking for? One that has a plan for every step of the way to release, or one with most steps planned with room for changes as development progresses?
1 Like
Well, thanks for your reply. I’ll be applying during the end of the year.
Its a great idea to let developers get funds to further continue their project! But the fact its real life dollars is kind of making me bumped out about. I wished it was robux since if you have robux you can hire more developers for help or even use the robux for advertising using Roblox’s advertising system. We already have DevEx which gives us real life cash and if its robux developers can turn it into real life cash which would be better. Robux is the in-game currency and most players who want to support the game would use robux to be honest.
1 Like
The overarching development community is not what this is intended for.
2 Likes
Considering that they don’t do that in the Accelator Programs, I would doubt it. What you are asking would take a lot of time and resources especially for this many people applying for it.
Thanks for your interest. We look forward to receiving your application.
3 Likes
I don’t know when this application will have a result. How long should I wait? If I start on a project then get accepted, do I need to shut it down or will Game Fund wait?
1 Like