Advertisements and Age Segmentation

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We have started to track the click-through rate of user advertisements on ROBLOX.  These are the ads on ROBLOX that are created by our ROBLOX entrepreneurs (not the commercial ads from companies like Cartoon Network or Nintendo).  As you can see from the chart below, younger users are more likely to click ads on ROBLOX.

We are looking into why this is so, but we have a theory.  High quality ads that link to high quality assets and places tend to get clicked by everyone.

Our younger users are also likely to click on user ads that may be created using hand-drawn art, or that may refer to younger oriented assets. Some of these ads are ignored by our older players.

We will soon optimize which user ads we show to our players based on age and usage patterns. We expect this will increase the quality of everyone’s ROBLOX experience.  Older players will see more ads for military battle RPG’s, and our younger players will see more ads for cartoon obstacle courses.

Also, if you’re interested in advertising on ROBLOX, check here for more information.

254 thoughts on “Advertisements and Age Segmentation”

  1. If the ad is cool, or awesome, or even if it doesn’t look too good, but was made and not stolen and edited… I’d click it… I think the reason why 13-14 has a low number of click throughs(?) is ’cause as we’re between our childhood stage and our young-adult stage, and we don’t really know if we want childish stuff or mature stuff. That’s just my opinion… Btw, I’m in the 13-14. :3

  3. Why not use the categorisation system you have in place for items and places (A.K.A. War, Sci-Fi, Pirate, Adventure, etc.) and just let us pick the kind of thing we want the ad to lead to? So… say I want to go to TylerMcBride’s ROBLOX quest3: The Rise of Nobeesi- I’d select that I want to see ads to adventure games, items, and models, and only ads for those would show up.

  5. Younger people click on ads more because they are more vulnerable to false or simple advertisement because of lack of experience. That’s not supposed to be an insult, it’s just how demographics work.

    • Yep, its probaly also due to copied ads, because they dont know that a ad is worth clicking on if it is both very good and not copied, also, the younger users dont know to click on a good ad, not a bad one.

  6. I never click on ads, I just think that I don’t need to unless I want to, and if I ever did (which is very unlikely) I would probably be redirected to a game with empty servers galore. I really think ads ar just a waste of time, but I respect the time and R$ spent to make them, but what I dislike is stolen ads they are just lazily copy/pasted. So my conclusion is basically, if you want me to clikc your ad you better step up your game.

  7. I really don’t want to see horribly drawn ads with fail jokes on it. That is what I see EVERYDAY. So I support this idea entirely. Although it would be havoc to see even MORE kid places on ROBLOX. The front page is deteriorating very rapidly… :[

  8. ROBLOX needs a section where teenagers or those above the age of 14 can actually enjoy a game, not just an “obby” or hangout place. That would give ROBLOX much more positive feedback…

  9. I look at ads, but when I see one I like, I don’t click because people will often steal ads.

  10. I don’t mind any ad, but I just don’t click any of them unless it is something I really agree with or it is something that amuses me (which is rare). I just have no business with most of the ads since I already have something to do. But what annoys me is how some players are trying to DOMINATE the ad system. There should be a limit of ho many times an ad appears per player per minute or something like that. That is all I have to say for now.

  11. I think that older players are just used to not clicking ads for fear of viruses.
    I , myself have tended to not even looking at the ads. It is a practice that most older users have. If you put those ads in a special heading , like user ads you may get more clicks. The whole worlds an advertisement and I’m not buying.

  12. I thing that this would improve the likelihood of your advertisement getting seen, and clicked. But it decreases the broad array of people who will know about you.

    Say I start a group, it has some mild cartoon violence in its combat places and adverts– however the group is looking for members who aren’t go to get upset if they lost of something.

  13. Also remember people, advertisements have to be approved by Roblox, so its not like we are scaring any of the kids.

  14. I think we should choose what age we want to see, or be able to see all. I still like playing obbys and stuff, and im what you would consider a “young adult”

  15. I’m 10 but I don’t want to see the ads like that. I want to see the ads like 13+ and all of the other ages. I’ve actually been looking for a nice rpg so I would kind of want to see an ad to it.

  16. You should really just look at the genres of ads people click on and have those type of ads show up for those people. Sure, I’m on the older side but war games and RPG’s aren’t my thing. (Exept Star Wars, Star Trek, and Doctor Who. I like those RPG’s) See what I mean? I don’t want ALL RPG’s just Sci-Fi ones.

  17. I don’t see why we can’t keep having the same ads showed to everyone. I see kids – 1st and 2nd Graders – Playing PS3 and war Games on it. If less people see your ads, then less people go to your game when you bid a lot of tix.

  18. Well, Roblox is starting to get the right idea, but still, bad turn.

    We as users should be able to customize what kinds of ads we want to see, and block specific kinds of ads (well still seeing the same amount of ads).

    • It won’t happen. It’s like sending an email to G4 and saying we as viewers should determine the commercials. They have sponsers that pay to get their word out there and if you don’t like it tough love.

  20. If theres a 18+ catagorie, Doesn’t that mean someone could get 56 and play roblox o.o

    ~Creepy Thoughts.~

    • Yes, but thats not a problem. That’s sort of why the communities need to be split. Some of us are 18+.

  21. I’m not quite sure I’d like this. I’m in the upper age groups but I still like seeing ads for younger users. I think we should be able to decide for ourselves.

    • Very true, but this will help if you want to aim at a specific age group. Just think about how we could target ads to optimize clicks.

      • I think you should be able to choose what type of age group you want your ad to be.

      • But the thing is that for some reason ive made an account back in 2008 and i but my account age as 12 years old but over years now my account age is still 12 years old

  22. Well, there are pros and cons about this, that feature could be used for more evil, but also for more good.

  23. You have to realize that some off the off-site ads are for things from healthcare to oil, and even credit score. I don’t think many Roblox users have much interests in those things…

  24. Over 18′s play ROBLOX?! LULZ! You would think they would more likly play MW3.(etc)

  25. I click user ads, because I KNOW they are safe, they don’t take me to a new website, and most of the time they don’t try to force you to buy something

  26. I think that we should be able to select the type of ads we see. Sometimes I want to look for a group to join; then I slog through ads which most don’t have groups. Then other times I want to laugh at the ads but not always click. I’d look for ads with comedy. Some people are more mature than others and can be the same age.

  29. I don’t click ad’s much. This test is actually true, because I don’t click drawed ad’s.

  31. 13-14 Year olds are smart and get to the point without going to games with empty servers. The first page or recommended games is where it’s at.

  34. I do not like this idea because I like obbys too but then it wouldnt show adds for them. :(

  35. Ummm…. I’m 10. And don’t want to see stupid kids ads. I want to see all ads please, not cartoony kid rubbish.

  36. It seems everytime I make a ad, nobody clicks. It’s a VERY nice ad like a photoshopped one, I usually spend over 100k+ tix on it and get like 5000 visits because my ad never shows even though I have advertised like 15 different ones.

  37. I once the guy who created the “I have BC/ Well your mom wrong ad” corssover, and its the most popular thing I ever made.

  38. Interesting that the teenagers are the most likely to click on the ad instead of the 18+

  39. My ad is that one where it says “Your Mom” at the end. And yes, I created it. :3

  40. We should be able to choose what age groups are targeted by our ads, like the ones you see on TV or in the newspaper.

    • No we (ROBLOX players) probobly shouldn’t be able to beacuse someone could make a violent ad and set it up for younger kids and so if there’s a younger kid (like my 4 yr old sister) it might give nightmares or such

      • Ads that are in that kind of category are useless and will get the advertiser nothing (maybe get them reported if bad enough) if targeted at the wrong age group…

  42. Yay! but i don’t look at ads much or make them. This will be a nice update.

  43. good idea i dont like RPG and milatary games much but i luv obbys I CANT WAIT!

  44. This is a great start, I definitely see ways to improve upon this. Especially with the idea of adding genres you want to see, like I saw in a couple of other comments.

  45. If you choose to do this, Non-builders CLub members and BC members shouldnt be able to see adult ads, unless they are 17+ im 15 and I HATE normal ads. And I never click on ads anyway, NOBODY DOES.

  47. 18+??? is that the admins? Eh, I’m in the 13-14 group and I rarley click adds.

  48. This is not a good idea, please let all advertisements be available to all age groups. Preferences don’t always change with age.

    If this was the only reason for adding the age to our profiles, I am highly disappointed.

  50. I just say we should have a place like a checklist, where you check off which genre of games’s ads you want to see.

  52. I think that if you add this feature, you should make it optional, have the choice of what Genres you play the most and what kinds of ads you would like, and have recomended ad types from previous clicks, so you have a wide variety of what to choose, and you wont be left hanging with what you want and don’t.

  53. There should be a check box or something, so that when you are creating your ad you can just check the box for this feature.

  54. I really like the idea, but let’s make it optional, like the new site layouts. ROBLOX has made a lot of really big strides, both in gameplay and website design, in the past few months, and part of the beauty of those advanced is that they aren’t mandatory. Perhaps under the Account page, with Select Your Theme, there can be a checkbox “Turn on Age-Selected Advertising”?

  55. not a good idea but maybe a panel on the kind of ads you want that would be nice

  56. Only problem; I’m in the 13+, so would I see more military games? I’m not interested in military games, I’m more interested in skill and puzzle games, like Ro-tetris and Obby courses. As you said, obbies would be shown to younger users. Wouldn’t it be easier to do “Ad Preference” Where you could decide what type of games you want to see advertized based on the category. (Say I wanted to see tutorials and town and city games, I’d put those ad ratings to 10, and put the games I dont like, say space, I’d put that near one.)

  57. oops,i accidently posted a comment saying just “s”
    well anyways i think their should be a way to choose what ads we see, because i am an older player, but i just HATE military group ads, they are always like”we need you” and they dont, and they are always inactive

  60. Hey David Baszucki, John S. and other mod’s. I am guessing the majority is no, but I do get where the idea is going, as of the click rates.
    I have never went by my own opinion but this time I will, but I do like your research. As the majority rests, it is a no, but nice try though!

    Sincerely,
    superhunter

  61. what if you put a older of younger age then you realy are? maybe ad a age changer or something.

    • Problem would be, if roblox made features for 13+ ppl, little kids would say they were 13.

  62. I think this is a bad idea. Like others have said, the ad may lead to a good game but we may not see it because of this.

  64. I disagree. Well yes, it sounds good, there are too many flaws. For example, if somebody makes a new account, as an alt, for example, they wouldn’t really care about the age. However, if they start to play it more, they’d want to see ads more oriented towards their actual age, not their alts’. And there are, of course, other flaws. I don’t think this should be added, and if so, optional.

    • That’s true, because some older robloxians make products for younger, and If I understand what david is saying, 13+ will get 13+’s ads, then 13+ people might get a 7 year old’s game, you know what I mean?

  67. We want to be able to change ad-types ourself please. I hate all those ‘war games’ and ‘war group’ ads all the time.

    • I agree with niels22, I honestly don’t like war games or war group advertisements. I’d much rather keep it the way it is so we can get more “Place Traffic” rather than darting it toward one specific age group and hardly getting anyone to come.

  68. Actually, I’m one of the older members of this fine milti-game site,and I often click on ads just to see what’s on the other side. Most of the time I avoid the propaganda type ads, due to my own family/friends history. Frankly, it unnerves me to see thinkings that wouldn’t look out of place in 36-87 and later.

    A concerned user,
    Hapori

  70. I have an advertisement suggestion, how about you’re able to choose which ROBLOXians advertisements you’re able to see, as in, your favorite builder makes advertisements, you choose to ony see his/her advertisements.

    • Yeah, exactly what I’m thinking. Rate a category (Such as tutorial or something) at a 1-10 ratio so you’d see tutorial ads more often.

    • That wouldn’t be that good.. I don’t like your idea or the mod’s idea much. Robloxians pay for their ad to be shown. It should be seen by everyone (Depending on what they paid)