It seems we aren't the only ones counting down the hours until the release of the PS5 exclusive Stellar Blade. Developer Shift Up has posted an impossibly drawn-out clip of the «secrets» contained within the game's PS5 physical box, which, as far as we can tell, amounts to a reversible cover/dust jacket and a download code for some cosmetic goodies.
Roblox Boss Insists Pay-to-Earn Not Child Labour Exploitation, Says It's a 'Gift' | Push Square
05.04.2024 - 09:17 / pushsquare.com
Roblox is genuinely breaking brave new ground, enticing users to «make anything you can imagine» using the in-game development tools provided and finding massive success in the process. It seems Sony really was onto something with Dreams, but it stumbled in the execution. The Roblox platform currently boasts an astonishing 66 million users globally, and part of the appeal is the tantalising prospect of those users creating a game, monetizing it, and publishing it for other players to enjoy, all of it in-app. But with more than 3 million «Roblox developers» already, many of them seemingly younger, accusations of child exploitation have been brewing for some time.
In an interview conducted during GDC, Eurogamer followed up on its earlier line of questioning, asking Roblox Studio head Stefano Corazza about the game's growing reputation. While some have suggested that Roblox's business model (which reportedly pays creators on average 28.9 cents per dollar spent) is taking advantage of developing developers, Corazza says the creators he works with feel like it's a «gift», offering a way out of poverty in extreme cases:
«I don't know; you can say this for a lot of things, right? Like, you can say, 'Okay, we are exploiting, you know, child labour,' right? Or, you can say: we are offering people anywhere in the world the capability to get a job, and even like an income. So, I can be like 15 years old, in Indonesia, living in a slum, and then now, with just a laptop, I can create something, make money and then sustain my life.»
Corazza goes on to explain that «there's always the flip side of that when you go broad and democratised — and in this case, also with a younger audience». He later boasts «our average game developer is in their 20s» and that «we have hired some teenagers that had millions of players on the platform”.
He says that if you were to speak to these lucky few, they'd tell you a different story: „They didn't feel like they were exploited! They felt like, 'Oh my god, this was the biggest gift; all of a sudden, I could create something, I had millions of users, I made so much money I could retire.' So I focus more on the amount of money that we distribute every year to creators, which is now getting close to like a billion dollars, which is phenomenal.“ A Roblox PR representative present during the interview added that „the vast majority of people that are earning money on Roblox are over the age of 18”.
Ping
Does Roblox sound like a situation ripe for exploitation? Do you believe Corazza, that the platform and opportunities offered are a “gift» to burgeoning developers? Let us know in the comments section below.
Khayl is Push Square's Australian correspondent, a reporter who regularly catches
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pushsquare.com
23.04.2024 / 07:06
Fear Not, PS5 Exclusive Stellar Blade Remains Uncensored in All Regions | Push Square
If you were concerned that the PS5-exclusive Stellar Blade, out 26th April on PS5, might run afoul of Sony's censors, fear not. Developer ShiftUp is advertising that the game will remain entirely uncensored in all regions, including Japan.
pushsquare.com
23.04.2024 / 06:21
Naoki Yoshida Says Final Fantasy 14 Update Will Fix Dawntrail's Dead, 'Lifeless Eyes' | Push Square
Last week, Square Enix unveiled the official PC benchmark and accompanying trailer for the upcoming Final Fantasy XIV expansion, Dawntrail. The trailer gave fans glimpses of new in-game areas, enemies, and combat upgrades. While that all went over rather well, the game's decade-old character creation engine is drawing ire this time and the eyes of character models, in particular.
pushsquare.com
23.04.2024 / 06:08
ShiftUp Reveals 'Secrets' of Stellar Blade's Physical PS5 Packaging | Push Square
It seems we aren't the only ones counting down the hours until the release of the PS5-exclusive Stellar Blade. Developer ShiftUp has posted an impossibly drawn-out clip of the «secrets» contained within the game's PS5 physical box, which, as far as we can tell, amounts to a reversible cover/dust jacket and a download code for some cosmetic goodies.
pushsquare.com
19.04.2024 / 05:33
Get a Glimpse of Stellar Blade's Fearsome Naytiba Bosses on PS5 | Push Square
Stellar Blade is just around the corner, with the eagerly-anticipated action game arriving exclusively on PS5 on 26th April. If the wait is proving too much to bear, we've been given a glimpse at some of the game's fearsome Naytiba, which will serve as climactic boss encounters in the game.
pushsquare.com
19.04.2024 / 05:33
Despite Hype, Analyst Says Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth 'Underperforming' | Push Square
Square Enix is a famously hard master to please, and eagle-eyed fans interested in industry analytics will have noted that despite launching over a month ago on 29th February, exclusively on PS5, hard sales figures for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth are yet to be released. Considering it took just three days for the firm to trumpet Remake's success during a similar period and six days for Final Fantasy XVI, it should be no huge surprise that the sequel is underperforming in some sense.
pushsquare.com
19.04.2024 / 05:32
Fallout Series Timeline Adds Up, Says Todd Howard | Push Square
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pushsquare.com
19.04.2024 / 05:31
Transmog System 'Doesn't Make Sense' in Helldivers 2, Says CEO | Push Square
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pushsquare.com
05.04.2024 / 09:18
Cowardly Helldivers Turn on Malevelon Creek Veterans, Targeting Noble Cape Wearers | Push Square
Just yesterday, we brought you word of a commemorative cape being issued to all Helldivers 2 players in honour of the tragic loss and subsequent triumphant liberation of the Automaton-infested meme world, Malevelon Creek. But there's a darker side to this all-too-human story of victory, and what was supposed to be a symbol of remembrance has become a flashpoint for a militant faction in the community; veterans of Malevelon Creek, dubbed «Creekers», are being targeted by cowardly comrades for wearing the Fallen Heroe's Vengeance cape into battle.
pushsquare.com
05.04.2024 / 09:18
Helldivers 2 Players Reeling as Automatons Counter with Heavy Walkers, Armoured Gunships | Push Square
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pushsquare.com
05.04.2024 / 09:18
Sea of Thieves PS5 Offers Progress and Item Transfers, PlayStation-Only Servers | Push Square
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pushsquare.com
05.04.2024 / 09:18
Helldivers Dev Marks 'Malevelon Creek Memorial Day', Issues Commemorative Capes | Push Square
Developer Arrowhead Game Studios has officially honoured the brave sacrifice and noble fallen of Malevelon Creek. The pivotal battle against the Automatons marked the community's first significant loss, which was recently avenged as a part of the ongoing Operation Swift Disassembly. To celebrate, 1st April will henceforth be known as Malevelon Creek Memorial Day, which should be spent in pensive reflection while simultaneously mainlining Helldivers 2.