“From the Devs”: The Opportunities of a Roblox Developer, by Aotrou

Breaking into the game development world is no easy feat: there are numerous barriers to overcome in this highly competitve market. Independent developers looking to join the industry often face steep software prices, education requirements and competing for exposure to audiences that are vital to the success of your game.

Enter Roblox: an opportunity to learn game development for free on free software, with an accessible community of over a million players.

These were the opportunities that attracted Aotrou to Roblox. Over the past 11 years, Aotrou has been involved in many popular experiences such as Egg Hunt 2018, Hallow’s Eve 2018 and more. Read on to get the full story.

Why Roblox? Opportunity.

I’ve been on the platform for nearly 11 years and that’s the one thing I’ve seen time and time again. New and young game developers can access Studio and start on the path to a career in game development with no significant barriers, paywalls (think software prices), or professional/post secondary education. Accessibility can be crucial in being introduced to something someone’s unfamiliar with. The large majority of developers on Roblox (myself included) are self-taught, which shows our dedication to improving ourselves over years of practice and training.

As an artist, I’ve stayed on Roblox because it’s a great environment to continue practicing my skills. 3D modelling and game design concepts specifically are fairly universal and certainly applicable to Roblox (albeit simplified for that accessibility mentioned above) and while not entirely transferable to other platforms (texturing and vertex manipulation), most of what I do can follow with me into future careers on and off of Roblox. I know that even after 11 years, I’m excited to say I still have a lot to learn!

While I consider myself an artist, I went to college specifically for Public Relations (a branch of marketing), and I always find it interesting how I can apply both of these passions together with Roblox. After all, I have always loved providing experiences for people, which at their cores is exactly what game development and public relations strives for.

Additionally, the people I’ve met on Roblox are also what brought me in and kept me here. I have made some amazing friends - both staff while being an intern, and other developers (and some who are both!). These people are amazing inspirations for me personally and professionally, and I hope I will be working with them long into the future.

Roblox also excels at providing a huge audience for developers to make content for. Having over a million concurrent players is no easy feat, and as a developer, it only makes the opportunity for success that much bigger. I’m always excited to try new things to see what audiences like most, and I always love to learn a thing or two from their perspectives.

Why Roblox? Well as I said: opportunity. Not only in success, but also in friendship, in education, in passion, and in many other things that make life- well- enjoyable.

Want to follow Aotrou’s latest projects? Check him out on Roblox or Twitter!

New to Roblox Development? Join millions of developers in Roblox Studio and make your first game with help from this page on getting started.