Roblox Weekly Recap (14 January 2024)

Table of Contents

• Platform Updates

• Blade Ball: Case Study

• TikTok Beauty Trend on Roblox

• News And Incidents

Platform Updates

There were no new updates in the previous week.

Creator Experience Survey: Roblox is inviting developers to complete a 10-minute Creator Experience Survey about their experience developing on the platform in 2023. Participants must be at least 13 years old and live in the United States. Those who complete the poll before February 1, 2024 are eligible to win a $100 Amazon gift card.
Read more: https://devforum.roblox.com/t/roblox-creator-experience-survey/2788754

Release Notes: Release notes for 607 (client) were published.
Read more: https://devforum.roblox.com/t/release-notes-for-607/2788808

Blade Ball: Case Study

Why did Blade Ball, A game worth atleast $50M do so well? Today we’ll do a breakdown.

Key Takeaways:

First looks and impressions: With a simple name like "Blade Ball" and a cartoon style icon of a character hitting a bright red ball with a sword, players know exactly what the game is about. When the player joins, they can view a map with the previous round in process beneath them while standing in an invisible box which may act as a hook. They also see the block and ability buttons at the bottom of the screen, confirming that the game contains everything they saw on the icon.

Gameplay: Before each round, players vote on a gamemode and are teleported in a circle along the map's perimeter. When the game begins, a red ball appears in the centre and randomly targets someone. Players defend by hitting the ball with a sword to avoid being struck. A round typically takes less than 5 minutes and ends when a single player remains.
In short, the game is really simple, easy to comprehend, fast-paced, and has short rounds, so even though it is repetitive, it does not become dull.

Abilities: Aside from the ball's rising speed with each strike, each player has unique abilities that they can use during a round. Some of these include Dash, Super Jump, Freeze, and ForceField. They provide the player an advantage for a few seconds. This makes gameplay more intriguing because you never know who will employ a powerful ability.

Cosmetics: The game provides users with an opportunity to personalise by purchasing weapon skins and kill effects. To gain access to these cosmetic enhancements, players can purchase a standard crate with in-game cash or a premium crate with Robux. This dual-crate concept gives players different options, giving them control over how they approach customisation. This not only improves the overall user experience, but it also provides a strong motivation to continue playing and progressing in the game.

Retention: Blade Ball uses a variety of intriguing mechanics to keep players interested for an extended period of time. The addition of playtime awards, a spin-the-wheel, and quests makes for an engaging and rewarding experience. Players are encouraged to spend time in the game to be rewarded with coins. These earned coins serve as a valuable in-game currency, allowing players to unlock a variety of collectible items.

Competitive: Through dedicated pro and ranked servers, the game offers additional competitive options. These specialised servers provide a demanding environment in which players can face off against more experienced opponents, allowing them to improve their abilities and advance through the ranks at a faster rate. This two-tiered competitive framework not only gives competent players a sense of accomplishment, but it also drives constant growth.

Monetization: Despite avoiding aggressive monetization methods seen in many simulators, Blade Ball consistently achieves excellent financial success, placing within the top 1 to 5 in the ‘Top Earning’ sort. The game's monetization model entails selling a variety of products for Robux, such as premium crates containing cosmetic items, in-game currency, unique abilities, and a variety of gamepass advantages. This smart monetization technique enables the game to generate significant income while maintaining a balance that does not overwhelm players with too many microtransactions.

What can you as a developer learn from this?

• Keep things simple. Avoid complexities; you don't need to reinvent the wheel. Make players go through a tutorial if necessary.

• Prioritize engaging and fast-paced gameplay. Blade Ball keeps rounds short ensuring players remain interested.

• Incorporate strategic components into the game. The addition of unique abilities adds depth and unpredictability to the game.

• Implement progression systems and incentives. Unlockable cosmetics and numerous retention methods, such as playtime awards and quests, encourage players to keep playing and improving.

• Use monetization tactics that are well-balanced. Blade Ball, despite not relying primarily on commercialization, successfully monetizes through the sale of premium crates, cash, skills, and gamepass bonuses, demonstrating a sustainable and effective model.

TikTok Beauty Trend on Roblox

Ever heard of terms like Mewing, Looks maxing or Mogging? Thanks to a recent TikTok trend, These words can be seen everywhere; Be it Discord, Youtube or Instagram. Many developers are seeing this an opportunity to release a game on Roblox to capitalize off this trend. Games like Edge Mogger or Looksmaxxing Simulator are doing pretty good. These games are simply simulators where you progress by improving how your character looks. In case of Edge Mogger, It peaked at 8k CCU last weekend and is still maintaining thousands of active players. This might be a great trend to jump on early as there’s barely any competition.

News And Incidents

Some exploiters have figured out a way to get accounts banned just by playing a game. They mislead users into unintentionally uploading an inappropriate assets by pressing an invisible button. These assets are then examined by moderation, and your account is terminated within seconds. Streamers are targeted, but anyone can become a victim.

Many Roblox developers were recently terminated for infringing on intellectual property that they legally do not own from years ago, such as clothing with company logos. Strangely, several of the impacted creators have previously contacted Roblox to have these assets removed, but they remained up.