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| ROBLOX brings voice chatting to its platform |
ROBLOX has announced that it is taking the first step into the future of Metaverse communication with the introduction of voice chat.
It does this by opening a feature called Spatial Voice to invite developers to beta only.
The platform said, “Roblox content creators have begun testing the development of spatio-language experiences in which conversations can realistically unfold and that reflect the way we listen every day and respond to the world around us.”
Based on this limited description, it appears that Spatial Voice is trying to mirror the way you carry your voice in the real world, forcing you to be around another player to talk to.
Adding any type of voice chat to the platform raises concerns about how the company will handle the conversation, especially since the platform is so popular with kids.
However, the platform plans to roll out the feature slowly, initially giving it access to 5,000 developers every 13 years or older. The Company is not permitted to grant children access.
"I think we want to take things slow, we want to learn as we go forward," the platform said. We can start with the developers. Then we can search for viewers over the age of 13 and stay there for a while to see exactly what happens before we decide to open it up to younger viewers.
ROBLOX brings voice chatting to its platform
For moderation, the platform allows users to report issues themselves. "Our community has the ability to self-monitor and report users who violate our Community Standards," she said.
This user can be removed from the trial or lose permission to speak. This can be a useful tool in rooting out bad guys. However, this imposes a reporting requirement on users.
The platform also plans to provide a voice chat experience that will allow you to chat with your friends anywhere in Roblox. This experience is similar to what you might get when using Discord. You can play different games on the same audio channel.
ROBLOX acquired chat platform Guilded in August, which appears to support this much larger voice chat.
Although Roblox's audio work is prior to the acquisition, Guilded has laid the foundation for Roblox's future audio plans.
Adding voice chat could increase the platform's popularity and help it better compete with other Metaverse games like Fortnite.
It looks like the company is trying to overcome all the challenges that voice chat can pose on the platform by taking this slow approach.