Developer Airland Studios revealed Airland World, a free-to-play sandbox game-creation platform described as “Roblox for adults.” With an ever-growing community of millions of players worldwide, the success of Roblox seems to be inspiring other companies to provide their own game-building platforms.
When it comes to sandbox platforms allowing people to build their own games and gather thousands of players, few titles are as popular as Roblox. With many templates and building blocks, Roblox Studio allows anyone to create their own game and publish it for the 230 million registered Roblox players to discover. Creators get a commission every time someone purchases something in-game, which can turn into a ridiculous amount if this game becomes as popular as Roblox hits Adopt Me! or Murder Mystery 2. Each Roblox game is different, with seemingly endless possibilities for new gameplay innovations, with some Roblox games even competing with popular licenses like Call of Duty.
Airland Studios wants to benefit from Roblox’s popularity and take its share of this ever-growing market by offering its own sandbox game-creation platform, Airland World. The developer describes this new platform as “Roblox for adults,” favoring realistic landscapes, vehicles, and weapons compared to Roblox’s traditional cartoonish aesthetic. Airland World allows anyone to create their own video game with its realistic templates, from a hobby project to “the next Grand Theft Auto 5.” Creators can then monetize their game to try and make some profit, just like in Roblox.
Besides its millions of active players, Roblox is a model for other gaming companies as it rakes millions and millions of dollars. In 2022, Roblox generated $2.2 billion in revenue, up 16% year-over-year. Players spend their money to purchase Robux, the in-game currency allowing them to make various purchases in the game. Recently, a single mom reported that her 7-year-old son emptied her bank account on Roblox, spending almost $900 to spoil himself on his favorite games.
Roblox inspires players from all across the world to create their own games, from the re-enactment of the Titanic’s sinking from the crew’s perspective to the Roblox version of popular anime games. If most games bear a cartoonish aesthetic made of cubes, some more realistic Roblox games are available for those looking for better graphics. Whether Airland World will manage to compete with Roblox remains to be seen, but the sandbox game-creation platform surely appeals to a large market of aspiring game creators looking for a more mature solution.
Airland World is in development.