As a developer on the Roblox platform it has become impossible to obtain a Roblox-sponsored brand event as all these negotiations now take place behind closed doors between a select few companies.
In the recent years opportunities presented to Roblox teams and small indie companies has reduced drastically. We’re at the point where there are only really 3 companies which have access to major brand event opportunities on the platform. Worst of all, these companies aren’t developer owned and there has been more than one example of these companies treating their employees, who are often young developers on the platform, very poorly.
This trend is extremely concerning and I would like to publicly state my feelings on the matter.
I have heard a lot of stories from young and upcoming developers about how large companies recruited them, offering brand partnerships and connections to “the industry”, yet offering them outstandingly poor compensation for their efforts, either as a revshare agreement (for a product that doesn’t even exist yet!) or as minimum wage contractor positions.
Developers accept these opportunities thinking it’ll be a great way to gain experience, network and make a ton of money like the company promised it would. Instead they are greeted with out of touch managers who don’t know the platform and expect far far too much from developers being paid far far too little. Unrealistic expectations contribute to crunch culture and toxic work experiences on the platform. When the event game finally releases, it runs for a couple weeks and then quickly dies off when the event has ended, and the developers who were promised riches and revshare are left with very little compensation for their effort.
Is this concerning to anyone else? Why are the same select few companies the only ones being offered these brand opportunities? In the past Roblox brand opportunities used to be given freely to all developers, the event ecosystem was far superior to its current state.
Those are my opinions, if you have anything to add please do so!