Special report | User-generated content
The rise of user-created video games
Do-it-yourself games are taking off just as DIY video did
“Stop that or someone could get injured!” shouts the teacher, as a pupil stands on her desk, dancing the Macarena. “You are a student, not a baby!” A class of avatars snigger. This is “The Presentation Experience”, a game on Roblox, an app popular with schoolchildren. As one player gives a presentation, others do their best to interrupt and make a nuisance of themselves. By pressing different buttons they can heckle, burp or go to sleep. If they pay they can be even more disruptive: for 99 robux, Roblox’s in-game currency (about $1.25), they can “make everyone mega fart”.
This article appeared in the Special report section of the print edition under the headline “The YouTube of gaming”