You may have heard of virtual gaming worlds Minecraft or Second Life, but Roblox, a smaller entity that dates back to 2006, is determined to give both a run for their money. And on Tuesday the company announced it’s raised $92 million to back that vision.
“Every month 48 million kids from around the world come to play and create and imagine. They do it in an immersive, 3D environment created by the community. We have a big vision to create the world’s ultimate social platform for play,” says David Baszucki, CEO of the San Mateo, California-based company.
Roblox, named after “robots” and “blocks,” is a cloud-based gaming platform that is visually a cross between Minecraft and the Lego games, with a dose of physics-based realism. Players, most of whom are between the ages of 6 and 24, create games and experiences like they do in sandbox worlds like Minecraft or Terraria—think shooters, fighting games, and role-playing games. But on Roblox, all the content is 100% user-generated, and creators can earn revenue from their creations, selling premium content inside free games.
“Our top developers are making over $50,000 a month. They are starting to form small companies and studios with five or six people, all working to create immersive experiences that people come together and play and imagine in,” says Baszucki.
Read the full article at Fast Company.