Roblox Studio: Difference between revisions

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{{Afd-merge#REDIRECT to|[[Roblox|#Roblox Studio|26 Augustand 2024}}game design]]

{{Short description|Game creation system for Roblox}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}}

{{Notability|1=Products|date=August 2024}}

{{Infobox software

| name = Roblox Studio

| logo = Roblox Studio logo - 2022.svg

| logo_size = 200px

| logo_caption = Logo since 2022

| logo_alt = Two blue polygons with a gap in between them.

| screenshot = File:Roblox Studio New UI.png

| caption = The Roblox Studio interface as of August 2024

| developer = [[Roblox Corporation]]

| released = {{Start date and age|2006|09|01}}<ref name="is">{{Cite web |last=Yaden |first=Joseph |date=May 4, 2020 |title=What is Roblox? |url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/what-is-roblox/ |access-date=June 1, 2020 |website=[[Digital Trends]]}}</ref>

| latest_release_version = 639

| latest_release_date = {{Start date and age|2024|08|22}}<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://devforum.roblox.com/c/updates/release-notes/62 |title=Latest Updates/Release Notes topics |website=Roblox Developer Forum |access-date=August 23, 2024 |archive-date=August 23, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240823191259/https://devforum.roblox.com/c/updates/release-notes/62 |url-status=live }}</ref>

| programming language = {{Unbulleted list|[[C++]]|[[#Scripting|Lua''u'']]}}

| platform = [[Windows]], [[macOS]]

| genre = [[Game creation system]]

| license = [[Proprietary software]]

| website = {{Official URL}}

}}

'''Roblox Studio''' is a [[game creation system]] developed by [[Roblox Corporation]]. It allows users to create and publish [[Roblox]] games, which can then be played by other users.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dredge |first=Stuart |date=September 29, 2019 |title=All you need to know about Roblox |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/games/2019/sep/28/roblox-guide-children-gaming-platform-developer-minecraft-fortnite |access-date=April 21, 2020}}</ref> Games, officially referred to as "experiences" on the platform,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Robertson |first=Adi |date=May 14, 2021 |title=Apple said Roblox developers don't make games, and now Roblox agrees |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/14/22436014/apple-roblox-epic-fortnite-trial-what-is-game-name-change |url-status=live |access-date=December 21, 2021 |website=[[The Verge]] |archive-date=September 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210903170009/https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/14/22436014/apple-roblox-epic-fortnite-trial-what-is-game-name-change }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Peterson |first=Mike |date=May 14, 2021 |title=Roblox rebrands as 'experience' creation platform amid Epic Games v. Apple trial |url=https://appleinsider.com/articles/21/05/14/roblox-rebrands-as-experience-creation-platform-amid-epic-games-v-apple-trial |url-status=live |access-date=December 21, 2021 |website=[[AppleInsider]] |archive-date=August 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210823200633/https://appleinsider.com/articles/21/05/14/roblox-rebrands-as-experience-creation-platform-amid-epic-games-v-apple-trial }}</ref> are made with [[#Scripting|Lua''u'']], a derivative of the [[programming language]] [[Lua (programming language)|Lua]].<ref name="How">{{Cite web |last=Vanbrocklin |first=Tyler |date=December 26, 2012 |title=How to Learn Roblox and Roblox Studio |url=https://gamedevelopment.tutsplus.com/articles/how-to-learn-roblox-and-roblox-studio--gamedev-2304 |access-date=June 7, 2020 |website=Game Development Envato Tuts+}}</ref><ref name=":101">{{Cite web |last=Haskins |first=Heath |date=September 16, 2021 |title=Roblox 101: How to Make Your First Game |url=https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/roblox-101-how-to-make-your-first-game |access-date=August 4, 2024 |website=PCMag}}</ref> Users are able to create purchasable content through one-time purchases, known as "game passes", as well as [[microtransaction]]s which can be purchased more than once, known as "developer products" or "products".<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Carter |first1=Marcus |last2=Mavoa |first2=Jane |date=March 17, 2021 |title=Why is kids' video game Roblox worth $38 billion and what do parents need to know? |url=https://theconversation.com/why-is-kids-video-game-roblox-worth-38-billion-and-what-do-parents-need-to-know-157133 |access-date=March 28, 2021 |website=[[The Conversation (website)|The Conversation]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Cao |first=Jing |date=March 14, 2017 |title=Roblox Unearths $92 Million to Challenge Microsoft's Minecraft |work=[[Bloomberg News]] |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-14/roblox-unearths-92-million-to-challenge-microsoft-s-minecraft |url-status=live |access-date=February 6, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180821093935/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-14/roblox-unearths-92-million-to-challenge-microsoft-s-minecraft |archive-date=August 21, 2018}}</ref> The majority of games produced using Roblox Studio are developed by minors, and a total of 20 million games per year are produced using it.<ref name="Study">{{Cite web |last1=Douthwaite |first1=Andrew |last2=Warneford |first2=Matthew |last3=Pierce |first3=Matt |year=2020 |title=Dubit Guide to Roblox for Brands |url=https://docsend.com/view/yytafca42a83pbgq |access-date=July 10, 2020 |website=DocSend |publisher=[[Dubit Limited]] |page=5}}</ref><ref name="NYTimes">{{Cite news |last=Browning |first=Kellen |date=August 16, 2020 |title=You May Not Know This Pandemic Winner, but Your Tween Probably Does |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/16/technology/roblox-tweens-videogame-coronavirus.html |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=August 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200816195005/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/16/technology/roblox-tweens-videogame-coronavirus.html |archive-date=August 16, 2020}}</ref>

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== History ==

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| image1 = Roblox Studio logo - 2017-2021.svg

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| image2 = Roblox Studio logo 2021 present.svg

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| footer = The logo used from 2017 to 2021 (left), and the logo used from 2021 to 2022 (right).

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Roblox Studio was officially launched alongside [[Roblox]] on September 1, 2006.<ref name="is" />

On October 1, 2013, Roblox released its Developer Exchange program, allowing developers to exchange [[Virtual economy|virtual currencies]] earned from their games into real-world currencies.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Grubb |first=Jeff |date=June 6, 2014 |title=Roblox is gaming's quiet giant – and it's only getting bigger |url=https://venturebeat.com/2014/06/06/roblox-is-gamings-quiet-giant-and-its-only-getting-bigger/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181129235317/https://venturebeat.com/2014/06/06/roblox-is-gamings-quiet-giant-and-its-only-getting-bigger/ |archive-date=November 29, 2018 |access-date=April 24, 2018 |website=[[VentureBeat]]}}</ref> On May 31, 2015, a feature called Smooth Terrain was added, increasing the graphical fidelity of in-game terrain and changing the Roblox physics engine from a block-oriented style to a smoother and more realistic one.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |date=June 1, 2015 |title=Roblox user-generated world moves from blocky terrain to smooth 3D |url=https://venturebeat.com/2015/06/01/roblox-user-generated-world-moves-from-blocky-to-smooth-3d-terrain/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181129235824/https://venturebeat.com/2015/06/01/roblox-user-generated-world-moves-from-blocky-to-smooth-3d-terrain/ |archive-date=November 29, 2018 |access-date=June 3, 2015 |website=[[VentureBeat]]}}</ref> On November 20, Roblox Studio began rolling out support for the publishing of [[Xbox One]] games, subject to an approval process based on [[Entertainment Software Rating Board]] standards.<ref name="XboxOneRelease">{{Cite web |last=Grubb |first=Jeff |date=September 24, 2015 |title=Roblox comes to Xbox One, joins Minecraft in the growing player-made content space on consoles |url=https://venturebeat.com/2015/09/24/roblox-comes-to-xbox-one/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181130001239/https://venturebeat.com/2015/09/24/roblox-comes-to-xbox-one/ |archive-date=November 30, 2018 |access-date=November 30, 2018 |website=[[VentureBeat]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Grubb |first=Jeff |date=January 27, 2016 |title=Roblox launches on Xbox One with 15 player-created games – watch us play them |url=https://venturebeat.com/2016/01/27/roblox-launches-on-xbox-one-with-15-player-created-games-watch-us-play-them/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181130001719/https://venturebeat.com/2016/01/27/roblox-launches-on-xbox-one-with-15-player-created-games-watch-us-play-them/ |archive-date=November 30, 2018 |access-date=November 30, 2018 |website=[[VentureBeat]]}}</ref>

In March 2024, two [[generative artificial intelligence]] tools were introduced to Roblox Studio in an effort to speed up content creation: automatic avatar customization and a texture generator. The avatar customization feature automatically converts three-dimensional body meshes into live-animated avatars, and the texture generator allows users to create textures of objects using text descriptions through a [[text-to-image model]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Rousseau |first=Jeffrey|url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/roblox-unveils-new-ai-powered-creation-tools-news-in-brief|title=Roblox unveils new AI-powered creation tools|website=Games Industry |date=March 20, 2024|access-date=March 25, 2024|archive-date=March 20, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320134636/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/roblox-unveils-new-ai-powered-creation-tools-news-in-brief |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Irwin |first=Kate |url=https://uk.pcmag.com/ai/151470/roblox-launches-new-generative-ai-texture-and-avatar-tools-for-creators|title=Roblox Launches New Generative AI Texture and Avatar Tools for Creators|website=[[PCMag]] |date=March 18, 2024|access-date=March 25, 2024|archive-date=March 19, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240319070357/https://uk.pcmag.com/ai/151470/roblox-launches-new-generative-ai-texture-and-avatar-tools-for-creators |url-status=live}}</ref>

== Features ==

=== Scripting ===

[[File:Luau Logo.png|thumb|upright=0.5|The Lua''u'' logo|alt=A rotated blue square with a similarly rotated square hole near its top-right as well as similarly rotated text, "Luau", near its bottom.]]

[[File:Luau Syntax.jpg|thumb|Screenshot of Lua''u'' source code]]

Roblox Studio utilizes Lua''u'', a dialect of the programming language Lua, for scripting. This variant is derived from Lua 5.1 and is designed to maximize performance with support for gradual typing. Lua''u'' incorporates features that facilitate writing robust code, combining linting tools and type checking to enhance stability.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Why Luau? |url=https://luau-lang.org/why |access-date=2024-08-03 |website=Luau |language=en |quote=All of these motivated us to start reshaping Lua 5.1 that we started from into a new, derivative language that we call Luau. Our focus is on making the language more performant and feature-rich, and make it easier to write robust code through a combination of linting and type checking using a gradual type system.}}</ref> In November 2021, Roblox Corporation released Lua''u under the MIT License.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 3, 2021 |title=Luau Goes Open-Source |url=https://luau-lang.org/2021/11/03/luau-goes-open-source.html |access-date=2024-08-03 |website=Luau |language=en}}</ref>

Roblox Studio also uses [[C++]] for background processes such as memory management.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wirtz |first=Bryan |date=September 29, 2023 |title=Getting Started With Roblox Scripting |url=https://www.gamedesigning.org/learn/roblox-coding/ |access-date=August 4, 2024 |website=GameDesigning}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=What Code Does Roblox Use? (Lua, C++, Java, or Python) |url=https://funtech.co.uk/latest/what-code-does-roblox-use-lua-c-java-or-python |access-date=August 4, 2024 |website=FunTechBlog|date=June 27, 2022 }}</ref>

=== Templates ===

Roblox Studio offers multiple pre-made game templates that provide developers with a solid starting point. These templates are ideal for both beginners and experienced developers, facilitating rapid prototyping and game customization.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jagneaux |first=David |title=The Ultimate Roblox Book: An Unofficial Guide: Learn How to Build Your Own Worlds, Customize Your Games, and So Much More! |date=January 1, 2018 |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] |isbn=978-1507205334 |page=240 |lccn=2017040387}}</ref>

=== Toolbox ===

The Toolbox feature allows access to the Roblox Marketplace directly from Roblox Studio. In this marketplace, users can find user-created models, plugins, audio, images, meshes, videos, and fonts. This functionality not only streamlines the development process but also fosters collaboration among creators.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jagneaux |first=David |title=The Ultimate Roblox Book: An Unofficial Guide: Learn How to Build Your Own Worlds, Customize Your Games, and So Much More! |date=January 1, 2018 |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] |isbn=978-1507205334 |page=240 |lccn=2017040387}}</ref><ref name="Toolbox">{{Cite web |date=July 31, 2023 |title=Roblox Toolbox Full Guide |url=https://learnbuildplay.com/blog/roblox-toolbox-full-guide/ |access-date=August 7, 2024 |website=Learn. Build. Play.}}</ref>

=== Plugins ===

The Plugins mechanic of Roblox Studio [[Plug-in (computing)|allows users to install additional features]] into their workspaces. Plugins are user-created and listed on the Roblox Creator Store for free or for money (via [[Stripe, Inc.|Stripe]]). Formerly, plugins could be bought with [[Roblox#Items and currency|Robux]], Roblox's [[Virtual economy|virtual currency]]. However, on April 10, 2024, Roblox announced that plugins would be purchased exclusively with real money, and that purchasing with Robux would be deprecated, effective immediately.<ref name="Toolbox" />

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== Usage ==

All Roblox games are developed using Roblox Studio, which serves as the primary tool for creators.<ref name=":101" /><ref name="androidpolice" /> As of 2020, Roblox reported that over 2 million developers actively utilized Roblox Studio to produce more than 20 million games annually. This impressive output highlights the platform's accessibility and popularity among creators of all ages, with a significant portion of the developer base comprising minors.

The Developer Exchange program has become a vital aspect of the Roblox ecosystem, allowing approximately 345,000 developers to convert their in-game earnings (in Robux) into real-world currency. This initiative not only incentivizes creativity but also fosters entrepreneurial skills among young developers, giving them the opportunity to monetize their creations.

Roblox Studio’s user-friendly interface and comprehensive resources empower creators to design diverse experiences, from simple obstacle courses to complex multiplayer games. The platform’s focus on community engagement and collaboration further enhances the development process, as users share scripts, assets, and ideas to elevate their projects.

As Roblox continues to grow, the impact of Roblox Studio on game development, particularly among younger audiences, cannot be overstated. It serves as a gateway for many into the world of programming and game design, inspiring the next generation of developers.<ref name="Study">{{Cite web |last1=Douthwaite |first1=Andrew |last2=Warneford |first2=Matthew |last3=Pierce |first3=Matt |year=2020 |title=Dubit Guide to Roblox for Brands |url=https://docsend.com/view/yytafca42a83pbgq |access-date=July 10, 2020 |website=DocSend |publisher=[[Dubit Limited]] |page=5}}</ref><ref name="NYTimes">{{Cite news |last=Browning |first=Kellen |date=August 16, 2020 |title=You May Not Know This Pandemic Winner, but Your Tween Probably Does |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/16/technology/roblox-tweens-videogame-coronavirus.html |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=August 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200816195005/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/16/technology/roblox-tweens-videogame-coronavirus.html |archive-date=August 16, 2020}}</ref>

== See also ==

* [[List of Roblox games]], which lists games created with Roblox Studio.

== References ==

{{Reflist}}

{{Roblox Corporation}}

[[Category:Roblox]]

[[Category:2006 software]]

[[Category:MacOS programming tools]]

[[Category:Lua (programming language)-scriptable game engines]]

[[Category:Video game engines]]

[[Category:Video game IDE]]

[[Category:Video game development software]]