Roblox CEO Dave Baszucki showed off new ways to play Roblox games today.
That includes Support for 2.5D games via orthographic cameras, offline play capabilities (Game on Roblox), browser-based play, and the launch of standalone apps for specific games.
In a press briefing, Roblox leader Nick Tornow noted that Roblox is taking steps to make its games available everywhere. The company is creating support for 2.5D games with native camera modes. It’s expanding its user interface framework with new capabilities like blur, shadows, and 2D particle effects.
“So it’s easy to make games like the one you’re seeing on the screen here that really pop on on on your device. We’re also working on, and this is a big one: support for playing Roblox games offline,” Tornow said. “This could mean you’re playing a game and you lose your network connection, or it could mean you’re on the airplane or you’re in some remote place where there is no internet, you can still launch a game directly and play. It opens up new possibilities for single-player games, campaigns, more flexible play sessions.”
This will be called Game On Roblox. You can have a game that both works online and offline. And historically, to play Roblox games, you’ve had to launch the Roblox app.
“At RDC, we’re announcing the ability to play Roblox games on the web in your browser. This dramatically expands the types of devices and platforms we support. No app, no install, no friction. Friends can share a text or a social post anywhere on the web, and someone can click it and drop right into the game,” Tornow said.
“As I was suggesting, we’re expanding the way games can be distributed and launched. Historically, games have been inside of the Roblox app. You launch the Roblox app, and then you find the game inside of it,” he said.
Now, the company is announcing native standalone apps, which allow creators to go directly to their customers, to their players, with standalone versions of their games.
“These games will include all of the Roblox technology under the hood. It’s still one platform. Essentially, there’s multiple doors to get into this platform between the Roblox app and the games themselves,” he said.
And he added, “All of this is one platform supported by one engine, multiplayer worlds, a system for identity, accounts, social connection, communication, safety, and economy. Under the hood, they’re not separate pieces that creators have to assemble, and because they’re integrated, we can extend the reach of games without asking creators to rebuild anything from scratch.”
Creators can build the game once it runs in the Roblox app and in standalone apps, co-play will be there by default, and because it’s one platform, there is also one community.
“Users will be able to play across devices and platforms together on the Roblox app and the standalone game apps. And to be clear, the game will be exactly the same, either in standalone or as part of the Roblox style,” Tornow said.
Baszucki said the team has retargeted the app to Webassembly.