Written by Associated Press’s Barbara Ortulay
A viral Roblox game about gardening has become the unexpected summer blockbuster, whether it’s as a method to escape the stress of the real world or just to get over the gloom of vacation.
Video games that take years and millions of dollars to build have been surpassed by Grow a Garden, which was made by a 16-year-old in a matter of days and has broken records for the most concurrent players of any game in history.
Additionally, nobody is around to shoot, fight, or race. Your tomatoes will thrive even if you never water them, so don’t worry if your last vegetable gardening endeavor was at FarmVille in 2010.
Grow a Garden is exactly what the name implies: players can cultivate and raise animals on a plot of land, harvest and sell their produce, trade, or steal from one another. Mozart’s Rondo Alla Turca and other calming classical music play in the backdrop of the low-stress game, which has a look reminiscent of Minecraft. For better or worse, Roblox is where the youngsters hang out, and its popularity has further solidified its place in popular culture as well as the game industry.
I keep hearing the term “chill” used to characterize this specific game, which is a really pleasant substitute. It reminds me a lot of Animal Crossing, somehow. According to Becky Bozdech, editorial director of the charity Common Sense Media, “you know, like you can check in, you can check your gardens, you can get some new seeds, you can plant them.” The main difference, according to my 11-year-old son, who plays it, is that Grow a Garden lets you just hang out and do anything you want, whereas many other games have a huge, impossible goal that you have to complete.
Perhaps it was a coincidence, but Grow a Garden gained enormous popularity at the same time Take-Two Interactive revealed it would postpone the release of the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6 until the following year. Roblox claims that the gardening game surpassed Fortnite’s previous record of 15.2 million concurrent players in late June, with 21.6 million players. Grow a Garden is helping to increase Roblox’s sales and will propel the company’s quarterly earnings numbers past Wall Street’s projections, according to analysts who track the company’s stock.
The timing rekindled the long-running argument about who gamers are and what games are treated seriously by the video game industry, even if it’s unclear if the GTA crowd gravitated toward this straightforward gardening game to kill time until then. It occurred with Animal Crossing, Candy Crush, and puzzle games. Are cozy game players actually gamers? Or is the title only for those who drive about causing chaos in Grand Theft Auto or shoot adversaries in Call of Duty?
“A significant portion of gamers play Roblox, and the real industry just sees it as this esoterically immature platform of weird gameplay habits,” stated Janzen Madsen, the CEO and founder of Splitting Point Studios, a company based in New Zealand that purchased the game from its adolescent developer. In fact, I believe that this is what players will expect in five years. Additionally, since you haven’t embraced it, you won’t be able to create games.
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You must have a Roblox account in order to begin cultivating your garden. You will start the game with a beginning seed, some money sheckles, and an empty plot. You can then purchase additional seeds, animals, or gardening equipment after planting seeds, harvesting, and selling your crops. Although it will take longer, it is possible to play the game without using real money. You can purchase more costly seeds than only carrots and blueberries if you sell enough harvests.
I simply want to acquire all of the rarest items for myself. I’m a perfectionist, so I want everything, and that’s what I enjoy,” said Leah Ashe, a YouTuber who plays famous games like Grow a Garden in front of 5.3 million viewers. Since the seed shop is worldwide and each person’s shop is same, it’s incredibly amazing because you can all come together. Thus, you can collaborate with others and exclaim, “Oh my god, the sugar apple is here.” Go online! Every five minutes, the seed shop is updated, so there’s always something to entice you to return to the game.
Grow a Garden, combined with additional safety features like chat limits and privacy settings, has been somewhat of a relief for Roblox, which has come under fire for not doing enough to protect children on its gaming service.
More seasoned peers assist new players by sending them gifts and informing them when uncommon seeds are added to the seed shop.
According to Bozdech, Roblox can be a good experience for children if the proper supervision and assistance are provided. For example, it might let them practice coding or make their own designs.
Grow a Garden, in particular, is a great way for parents and children to play together, she said.
Perhaps parents might also gain from the gradual cultivation of a magical garden.
You know it’s hitting a nerve? Bozdech uttered such words. I believe that everyone needs a way to escape the world.
