Roblox has announced two new developer programs aimed at “supporting ambitious and curious creators eager to build and scale” – Roblox Incubator and Roblox Jumpstart.
The former is a six-month program to support experienced teams “refine promising concepts of novel games into polished, scalable, commercially successful games,” with all programme participants gaining access to “Roblox subject matter experts who will provide mentorship and support, as well as help participants build an audience for their games.”
Roblox Jumpstart, on the other hand, is a continuous program designed to help newer creators learn how the platform works, while supporting experienced creators “explore novel games.” Again, Roblox subject matter experts will be on hand to support.
Applications for both Incubator and Jumpstart are now open. Jumpstart will stay open on a rolling basis.
“The creativity of Roblox developers has always amazed us,” said Vlad Loktev, chief creator ecosystem officer at Roblox.
“Our vision for Roblox is to be the platform for all ages, and we are calling on ambitious creators with bold ideas to build the next generation of experiences. These new programs provide the mentorship, resources, and discovery support needed to turn those visions into commercial hits.”
Roblox accompanied the news with an update on its new age-checked data, which it said “reveals a substantial opportunity within the older user cohort.”
“As of January 31, 45% of daily active users (DAUs) have completed the age check, with 27% of this group identified as over 18. This demographic represents a significant growth driver; for example, in the US, the 18-34 cohort is growing at over 50% – more than double the rate of the under-18 user base –and monetizes 40% higher,” Roblox said.
“These programs help target the rapidly growing demographic of users over 18. Leveraging new age-checked data, the company is prioritizing the creation of high-fidelity novel games across popular genres to serve an increasingly diverse, older, and high-value audience.”
Last month, gamesindustry.biz reported that Roblox “strongly disputed” claims it was failing children after officials in Los Angeles filed a lawsuit against the online platform Roblox for allegedly “failing to protect children from predatory behavior.”
It follows similar action from the Australian government, which similarly demanded Roblox respond to concerns “regarding the exploitation of children on the Roblox service.”
