source: techcrunch ai: roblox launches an ai-powered game creation feature in its mobile app
level: business
roblox announced a new mobile feature called build that uses ai to create games from text descriptions. users type a prompt like 'let's make a cozy adventure game set in a dense forest' and the system generates a basic game with mechanics, environments, characters, and sound. the tool combines open-source and roblox's own ai models, requiring no coding skills. a public alpha test starts july 28 in new zealand for users aged nine and up, with publishing available to those 16 and older. free and paid versions will be offered.
the feature has sparked debate among developers. critics warn that easy ai generation could flood the platform with repetitive, low-quality games, increasing competition for human creators. a game developer conference survey found 52% of industry professionals view generative ai negatively. roblox says its discovery system will rank games by player retention, so unpopular ai-made games won't appear prominently. the company stated that games with no players won't be easily found, aiming to maintain homepage quality.
roblox is also developing ai agents to help creators with playtesting and analytics, expected in coming months. the company continues investing in ai, including a 3d asset generation model and a chatbot for developers. a new scene-generation model can create editable 3d scenes from text. this move follows the discontinuation of roblox connect, its avatar video calling feature. the build tool highlights roblox's push to simplify game creation across all experience levels.
why it matters: ai-driven game creation could reshape how user-generated content platforms operate, affecting both the volume and quality of experiences available to players.
source: techcrunch ai: roblox launches an ai-powered game creation feature in its mobile app