Roblox will allow games to be released as standalone apps
The Roblox platform has announced that creators will be able to release games they have made as standalone apps for mobile devices, PCs and consoles. Roblox will serve as the game engine. By the end of the year, players will also be able to join games in a browser via a link, TechCrunch reports.
Artificial intelligence tools
At the annual Roblox Developer Conference, the company announced expanded access to the generative Build tool. It enables games to be created using natural-language text prompts. Previously, the feature was available only in New Zealand, but it is now being rolled out in Serbia and Singapore.
Build will also gain desktop access, an asset library and the ability to modify results step by step. Later this year, Roblox plans to add scene generation based on text prompts; this feature will also be available in Roblox Studio.
The company is also expanding the capabilities of non-player characters. In particular, later this year NPCs will be able to test games. Developers will be able to add an offline mode so users can continue playing with a weak network connection.
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New features for players and payouts to creators
Roblox will launch a Friends tab with a chat that will follow players between games and support voice input. The updated recommendation algorithm will offer shorter games to younger users and projects with longer playtime to older users.
The Roblox game engine will also receive tools for creating two-dimensional games: an orthographic camera, animated image containers and direct import of sprite sheets for animation. In the vertical Moments feed, players will be able to tap avatars in videos and buy items.
Separately, the company will introduce Roblox Wallet for U.S. creators aged 18 and older in partnership with Airwallex. The wallets will make it possible to receive payouts in real money by the end of each business day and transfer funds to other bank accounts. Next year, Roblox plans to launch Roblox Card, which will allow earned funds to be spent at places that accept the card.
According to Roblox, game creators have earned more than $5 billion on the platform since 2013, including $1.7 billion over the past 12 months. Company founder and CEO David Baszucki said that in the last quarter, users collectively spent more than 29 billion hours on the platform in 180 countries.
