When you first look at the Roblox universe, you might immediately get the impression that the game is “for kids alone” because the game has a LEGO-style vibe to it, and everything feels “cute” and “cheerful.” However, when you dive into the game, you’ll find that there is just as much stuff for adults as there is stuff for kids and teens. There are numerous brands that are for adults, like tax services, makeup brands, etc., that have content within the game. Yet, going even further, there are some people who make content that is for “certain kinds of adults,” and that stuff is known as “unrated content.”
This particular style of content was revealed late last year by the dev team, and the intent of it was clear. You can make anything you want, but if you don’t have it rated, it can’t be found by everyone in the game. Specifically, they’re talking about how Roblox’s player base is 40% kids under 13, which means they SHOULDN’T be allowed to access some of the more “adult-oriented content” that is within the game’s universe.
They went further by noting that things like the game titles, the thumbnails showcasing them, and more must be of a “certain standard” if they are to be displayed.
Officially, the reason for all of this was that the dev team was going to enforce the new rules to help protect younger players, which is to be appreciated. However, whether they were successful in that regard is incredibly debatable. First off, we know that AFTER these events happened, access to the content could still be done, even if you were underage, as certain “tests” of the safety protocols proved.
Furthermore, we know that certain “predators” have been arrested in very recent times due to their actions in the game. Just as important, parents from all over have called out the dev team for some of its “lack of protection” with its safety protocols, including how easily kids and teens can spend money without realizing it.
To say “it’s complicated” is a bit of an understatement. True, not all of this is on the dev team, but their responses to some of these matters haven’t exactly been “uplifting” or reassuring. Plus, with recent announcements about IP licensing, you have to wonder if people will try to abuse it for their own nefarious ends. Either way you look at it, whether it’s rated or unrated, the content in this universe is one that you have to be careful about or pay the price.
