The question of “legality” is something that has plagued Roblox almost since its inception. Unlike a certain other building game, it wasn’t just a case of players “using materials to recreate things from other IPs they love,” creators were straight-up ripping off IP franchises to try and get people to play their games, and make money from them as a result. The dev team, alongside the IP owners, has done their best to curb such behavior, but it’s a long and hard process to get everything done. However, as we reported earlier this week, things are changing, as the dev team has secured several IP licenses that limited players can use to make something for the IP owners.
We won’t bore you with all the specifics, but long story short, things from Netflix, Lionsgate, SEGA, and even Kondasha will be up for grabs for teams that can prove to the IP owners that they’re good enough to make something in the universe for their brand. In the official post that announced it, they also talked about the future of the IP game with them:
“We’ll be working closely with our other launch partners to bring more of their IP to Roblox, and onboarding more IP holders throughout the year. We’re aiming to open the License Manager to all IP holders in the coming months. While full-experience adaptations are the first form of agreement that we’re offering, we’re exploring additional license types and offering more ways to bring IP to Roblox for all types of creators.
This journey with our creators and IP partners is just beginning, and we’re excited to see the collaborations and experiences that will emerge on Roblox.”
The potential is there for something big, should they get even more licenses on board. The plus side for those with the IPs is that this game has over 90 million people playing each day. If they’re able to hire creators within the space to make something significant and fun, it could lead to dividends on both sides of the equation. Whether that happens or not is up for debate. After all, there have been other IPs that have graced the game’s universe, and they aren’t always the biggest of hits. Some are, but some aren’t. That’s the thing. Even with tens of millions of people playing each day, nothing is a guaranteed success until it happens.
Even still, this “first step” is a big one, and you have to wonder what IP will join the game next.
