The game, the children are more interested than Youtube

The game "Roblox" allows children to program their own games for themselves and other gamers. In the US, Roblox is a great success, and now it comes to Germany. The company promises to the concerns of parents seriously and to protect children from harassment by adults. the Martin Hogger

customers wait in several queues. A customer ordered a "YumYumEpicYum"Pizza extra. Hectic a character from coarse pixels, it is called "MatteoMagDich jumps around", in a roughly pixelated Pizzeria without walls. If the orders go out on time, shows a white number above his head, how much Matteo has earned.

While reading this Text, and bake for about 20 000 people a digital Pizza. "Working in a Pizzeria" is the name of the game and is one of the most successful titles on Roblox, a mixture of social network and game platform. Roblox is in the US, a phenomenon. Already in December 2017 overtook Roblox in the USA Youtube as the website that children under 13 spend most of the time. The Figures from the market research company ComScore show. The phenomenon now wants to conquer the world. A few days ago the German Version of the platform.

the educational potential is out of the question. This potential need to encourage parents, however, and draw. If you do not, this could sink the kids into the enormous selection. And not all worlds are as innocent as a Pizzeria's opening.

most of the players are still so young, you realize. To the optic, which looks like a mix of Lego and Minecraft, of the names of the players and the Games themselves, which are typically short and uncomplicated. Many of the elements you have already seen somewhere else, and better. The title selection in the games library, reminiscent of Netflix, or Steam, the monetary system of Free games from the App Store. In the game, players can earn virtual currency called Robux, for example, by baking pizza.

The player can create in a simple programming language of its own games

Why is Roblox so successful? This has to do in part to the fact that Roblox is basically free, although players can buy virtual currency - called Robux - to unlock additional content. Most of the games on mobile, PC, consoles, and even 3D glasses to play. So you get, as well as many other games and platforms, as many players as possible. The games Portal differs in one point from all the others. The player can create in a literally easy programming your own games. According to the company, more than four of the monthly 90 million players, around one Million games per month.

cut is Exactly why Roblox is also a Test point for youth media culture NRW. The easy-to-understand programming environment of Roblox Studio encourages the creativity of children. Advanced children can change the script language Lua, the environments are increasingly and ever more complex games.

children learn secretly programming

In the net there are lots of stories in which children with Roblox without the Knowledge of their parents learned to program. Also, in some media Roblox is celebrated. Last year, Forbes magazine ran the headline, for example: "So, Roblox trains the next Generation of games entrepreneurs." Title of hero of the story, Alex Binello, who had never attended a programming hour. Nevertheless, he developed on the Portal of the game "Meep City", a kind of virtual town full of mini-games that made him, ultimately, to a millionaire.

Because Roblox lives of the vast game selection, pays the company a portion of the revenue to the developers. It works like this: A player creates a game. If other players spend Robux for Items in his game, she gets the player's account. He can buy your own Items or pay off. $ 98 million was paid out in this way, says the company. "It is almost as if we would 'operate' American Idol 'for aspiring game developers", describes the founder, David Baszucki in the Forbes magazine in the concept.

More than 57 million games on Roblox. Many of them are simulations in which player stations, farms or pizzerias manage. Also popular are Fan-made versions of famous games or movies. The creators of these games simply copy characters, Logos, and sometimes whole plot lines, the process then to a private game.

Not all games are as innocent as the opening of a Pizzeria. There are many Shooter, in which funny-looking figures steal cars and players must kill. In front of larger scandals, Roblox was not spared. Last year, the Video of a mother went viral. They filmed the virtual Sex room, someone on Roblox had built in their six-year-old daughter had been invited. The Video shows naked game characters during Sex. On YouTube, there are bizarre "Let's Play"Videos deleted due to such, in the meantime, rooms full of Golden sex parts.

The USK sits at the table

Because of such cases advertises the game platform strongly to the confidence of parents. You announced to launch in Germany, to moderate a chat between players and to check the games, whether the characters are dressed in them. For parents, there will be customer support in English and the ability to block access to certain games. In addition, the managing Director of the German entertainment software self-regulation body (USK), Elizabeth Secker to sit on the Advisory Board for trust and security of the company.

The Department for youth, media, culture, and recommends parents to control nevertheless, regular new content on the platform, because so many games land on it. Children should also send, no phone numbers and pictures, because you could move around the platform is completely anonymous. Therefore, no one can know for sure who is behind an Account.

to work on children's concept of Roblox seems to be. The fact how the colorful blocks world affects other platforms or not children friendly comments known. On Youtube the Video about the pizza baking MatteoMagDich 185 000 clicks and 500 comments. No hate comments, almost exclusively with praise. The most common comment: "My favorite pizza is Margarita. If you like Pizza, please like it."