Sep 10 2020
2
roblox

Roblox launches Digital Civility Program to Promote Online Safety

Posted by | Mobile, News, PC, Xbox One | No Comments

With the ongoing pandemic, more and more kids are using online gaming, and Roblox remains one of the most popular games for kids.

To promote positive and safe online gaming spaces, Roblox has launched a free educational program called Digital Civility. The program includes a new Roblox game, the Digital Safety Scavenger Hunt, to teach young gamers how to stay safe when playing online.

“We’ve been hearing from our educator community that it’s simply not enough to have occasional conversations about safety and digital civility and that they’d greatly benefit from a structured curriculum and project-based learning as the new school year begins and kids are spending more and more time learning and interacting with one another online,” said Laura Higgins, Director of Community Safety and Digital Civility, Roblox. “The curriculum launching today is designed to provide both educators and students with a self-paced, topic-specific narrative that will help build a generation of resilient digital citizens and ensure kids and teens have positive and safe online experiences.”

The Digital Civility program features six sessions where teachers and educators can develop safety and civility skills in young players. Students can create games and collaborate with each other. They’ll learn how to recognize and report bad behavior, understand the impact of their behavior online, and understand how to keep personal information private.

The program has been designed by the Roblox Education team and lead by Laura Higgins, an expert with over 20 years in online safety. The program also includes a Digital Safety Scavenger Hunt, a teacher-led, invite-only game that incorporate learned lessons in an interactive environment.

Roblox is free-to-play and available on PC, Xbox One, and mobile devices (iOS, Android).

Mar 17 2020
1

Xbox One S Roblox Bundle Includes 2,500 Robux and Exclusive Avatars

Posted by | News, Xbox One | No Comments

Xbox and Roblox released a new Xbox One S Roblox Bundle, for $299 at the Microsoft Store and retailers worldwide. The bundle includes exclusive Roblox content, as well as 2,500 Robux, Roblox’s in-game currency.

The Roblox Bundle includes a 1TB Xbox One S console with controller, as well as a 1-month trial of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Xbox’s Netflix-like gaming subscription service which includes over 100 games, and Xbox Live online multiplayer.

Roblox is a massively popular kid-friendly online game where players can create and play mini-games, hang out with friends, design homes, and socialize in towns. It originally released in 2006 on PC and arrived on Xbox One in 2015.

Last year Roblox surpassed 100 million monthly active users. The PC version is a wild-west of content and gaming, while the mini-games are more heavily curated on Xbox One.

Roblox is already a free-to-play game. The Xbox One S Roblox Bundle includes additional exclusive content and in-game currency:

  • Exclusive Avatar Bundles
    • Brawk Tyson, Featherweight Champ
    • Metal Menace Mech
    • Kijo the Vengeful Samurai
  • Exclusive Accessories
    • Word Championship Belt
    • Mecha Domino Crown
    • Kidomaru the Cursed Blade
  • 2,500 Robux

Avatars and accessories can be mixed and matched. Robux can be spent in the in-game shop to purchase items, emotes, avatars, or upgrades.

Roblox is rated E10+ for Fantasy Violence.

Apr 09 2019
1
roblox

Roblox Achieves 90 Million Active Monthly Users

Posted by | Mobile, News, PC, Xbox One | No Comments

Fortnite, Minecraft, and most recently, Apex Legends are getting a lot of buzz surrounding their popularity. Meanwhile Roblox is quietly becoming one of the most actively played games on the market. This week the Roblox Corporation has announced that Roblox has surpassed 90 million active monthly users.

This is a major increase from the 70 million reported users as of September 2018. The company cites the addition of French and German language support and expansion into European markets.

“Roblox is where anyone can unleash their creativity and have fun with their friends, no matter where they live,” said Chris Misner, President, Roblox International. “By bringing top games and resources to French and German audiences, we’re uniting the next generation through a truly global platform for play.”

“Roblox’s commitment to supporting multiple languages helps us connect with new markets and expand our business,” said BlockfaceSteve, founder of Blockface Evolution Studio and creator of popular Roblox game Heists 2. “Supporting everyone, everywhere continues to get easier and provides us a great opportunity to become truly global providers of world-class gameplay experiences.”

As one of the most popular games for young kids and teens, Roblox is committed to online safety and parental resources. The company recently hired Elisabeth Secker from the Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body in Germany as part of their Trust and Safety Advisory Board.

“We are excited to welcome Roblox as a new member to the USK and I’m honored to join the company’s Trust & Safety Advisory Board,” said Elisabeth Secker, Managing Director of the Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body (USK). “We are happy to support Roblox in their efforts to make their platform not only safe, but also to empower kids, teens, and parents with the skills they need to create positive online experiences.”

Roblox is available on PC, Mac, iOS, Android, Amazon, Xbox One, and VR (Oculus Rift and HTC Vive).

Jan 16 2019
0
roblox

Roblox Hires Online Safety Expert as Director of Digital Civility

Posted by | News, PC, Xbox One | No Comments

Fortnite is getting all the attention, but online free-to-play game Roblox is still one of the most popular gaming destinations for young people around the world, with an active user base in the millions. Much of that crowd is under 18. Roblox Corporation has made numerous steps to ensure online safety, a top concern for parents whose kids enjoy exploring virtual worlds.

The Roblox Corporation has recently hired British online safety expert Laura Higgins as its Director of Digital Civility (the staff page lists her as Online Safety Operations Manager). Higgins has 20 years of experience working with online safety and educational organizations like the South West Grid for Learning. Higgins will work to create a safe, fun, productive environment for players, as well as develop educational resources for parents.

“Because Roblox is rapidly growing into one of the most popular places for kids and teens to hang out and play online, we have a duty to make sure that when they use our platform they can explore their creativity freely and safely,” said Higgins. “We have an opportunity to engage with young people in a unique way, and I hope that by listening to them and giving them a voice, we can help shape their positive behaviors both online and offline. I am beyond delighted to be joining this world-class team of innovators, and I look forward to working with external partners around the world.”

Roblox’s new Digital Civility Initiative will work to improve programs for parents, enhance user experience, and extend Roblox’s educational work with schools.

Roblox originally launched on PC way back in 2006 as a building creation game using Lego-like blocks. It’s also available on mobile devices and Xbox One. The ESRB has rated the Xbox One version E10+ for Fantasy Violence.

Jun 30 2015
5
online games for families

7 Great Massively Multiplayer Online Games for Families

Posted by | Opinion | 8 Comments

Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOs) are a dime a dozen online. There are thousands of different MMOs to choose from. Whether you want to play something that has a fantasy, sci-fi, or superhero theme, there’s an MMO for you. The great thing about online games for families is that they are connected online with thousands of other people around the globe. In many ways, it’s like living in another world through your character. There are a lot of great MMO options out there for families to play together and almost all of them are completely free to play. Read More