Save UGC - Increase regulation on UGC items and creators

Lets get straight to it,
The UGC catalog is absolutely horrid, and I cannot be the only one who thinks so.

The UGC program was created with the intent to facilitate creativity and ingenuity. It has instead become the exact opposite, a wasteland of hundreds of versions of the same items, a wasteland of blatant classic item rip-offs and a wasteland of money hungry creators who believe they can do whatever they wish.

This obviously is nothing new, in fact this has been a problem for years however, with the permanent opening of UGC applications and the presentation of Roblox’s new plans for UGC, it is now clear that if strict restrictions and guidelines are not imposed immediately, the UGC catalog will fail.

Some things to note: I am 100% for UGC being open for all, I am not for creators blatantly copying items and being able to easily upload them while the program is still restricted to applications. I understand Roblox is soon introducing new features which will entail larger profits for creators and more accessibility, which will of course be abused.

Today, the catalog is absolutely packed with hundreds, if not thousands of the same items. We have hundreds of face masks, most looking almost identical to each-other, we have hundreds of lollipops, only difference between hem being the shade of color, and that is not even a big problem compared to others. Creators are creating rip-offs of popular Roblox UGC items knowing very well it will be taken off sale after public outcry, in order to make a quick bag of cash, because of course, players rather purchase rip-offs of expensive items than the actual ones. This not only devalues already existing items, it completely throws the idea of a “Roblox economy” out the window. This specific situation also appears to be very similar… perhaps to the 2D catalog which is absolutely trashed with stolen clothing and does not allow the original creators of items to make even a dime. That is the direction which the UGC catalog is headed in.

Items which I consider creative

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and many more

Items which I do not find creative

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and many many more

At the end of the day, the creator that pours hours into designing and creating a unique item is often outshone by one who simply scrolls through the catalog, picks an already existing item - either one made by another creator or a popular Roblox limited- and makes a five-minute bootleg of it.

It is clear that the criteria to get into UGC was lowered, and that is completely understandable and I am all for it, the problem is that as you lower criteria you must also raise regulation (basic economics), which has clearly not been done as less than two-weeks since their acceptance into the program, we have creators making blatant Roblox limited rip-offs.

Possible Solutions

  • Prevent UGC creators from selling their item slots to others. Only allow them to upload items they are affiliated with or have created. (Creators are selling their item upload slots for ridiculous amounts in order to upload items on the behalf of others)
  • Cut the amount of items UGC creators are allowed to publish by at least 50% in order to account for new creators
  • Create a system which pushes unique items created by smaller creators to the community
  • Impose strict punishment on creators who violate set rules and create items that are blatant rip-offs of existing items or consist of stolen intellectual property

If the UGC program will not be regulated further, the UGC program is as good as done, and the creativity which the program was originally intended to facilitate will soon facilitate greed.

  • I believe UGC items and creators should be more regulated.

0 voters

29 Likes

There should definitely be tighter moderation in these areas. Every few days there’s a fake limited that slips through, like the faces and items you show.

8 Likes

I 100% agree to this. Although I own very few UGC items, the catalog itself is slowly getting out of hand with knock-offs popping up everywhere. If people find a way to make quick money by abusing a system, you can bet someone will.
No doubt having a bit more management will prevent UGC from getting completely out of hand similar to the clothes catalog.

10 Likes

Gotta disagree here. People shouldn’t be completely priced out of a look they want to achive by 100$+ roblox items. Budget options should exist, and if theres a possiblity a creator can make an item similar in idea but better in look and design to a existing popular item, they should be given to ability to compete.

The limitations on how much UGC creators are allowed to publish are already harsh enough as is and creators can’t make as many variants of their items they would like.

7 Likes

“Roblox economy”? The same one created by the community, not Roblox, by selling accessories for large amounts of cash and creating unofficial websites to hub that value? The same one where Roblox intends to allow creators to create hats instead of Roblox themselves? Where creators will be able to sell limited stock of those items?

This sounds like a bad faith argument created from a traders’ perspective. I don’t disagree with the need to regulate the Avatar Shop for inappropriate or copied accessories but I don’t believe in restricting creators because a subset of market elites on Roblox say it should be so. Like the above post mentions, I would like to be able to have budget options or customise my avatar in the way I like with affordable options. I don’t want the only options out there being something more expensive than rent; and to restrict creators’ scope simply because a Roblox Limited version exists.

I’m not so keen on only enjoying designer sunglasses priced over a hundred thousand (Clockwork’s Shades, Stylin’ Intern Shades) when I can enjoy a selection of well designed sunglasses.

7 Likes

The only people who agree here are the ones that know nothing about the UGC program.

The guidelines and moderation is already so strict when it comes to items that even the smallest thing can get the item banned from the catalog. Heck, even the revenue for UGC creators got sliced even more because people like the OP who don’t understand the program would complain about how this is easy money.

I’m not part of the program itself but I talk to people who are part of it and there is so much that they want to have that would benefit the community greatly but gets ignored by Roblox. Rather than muzzle people who are trying their best to release stuff to the public, go vouch for suggestions that already solve all the non-limiteds related issues brought up here.

21 Likes