On the surface, this update seems fine. Not necessarily something I would make use of, but I can respect the application that this could provide to a digital space such as Roblox.
However, this update is ruined due to the fact that in light of this change, many classic faces have been taken offsale, including the default smile, chill face, check it and worst of all, The Winning Smile…
Now I am all for new features, as I have said previously, but I find the way Roblox has sought to increase adoption of said new feature, (that is, removing classic faces from sale and replacing them with dynamic heads), completely unacceptable. There was genuinely no need offsale faces that have been on the platform for longer than a decade in some cases. And it’s not like the alternatives are any better. While they are animated, they aren’t completely the same as their originals, which breaks lots of outfits and look like cheap copies you’d find in a Roblox clone. In addition, these dynamic heads are ludicrously expensive. Seriously, 120 Robux for a strange remake of a free face is nothing but a rip-off. The Winning Smile is a staple of modern Roblox culture, and has gained a cult following both on the platform and off (myself included), and to take it offsale is nothing short of nonsensical.
This move seems to accomplish two main things; force adoption of, what seems to be, a lackluster feature (as I have seen very few dynamic heads out in Roblox except for default characters), as well as punish new/free-to-play players by removing multiple free items that can be used to customize avatars.
Again, this new feature seems fine. Very technically impressive and has lots of uses in a quickly growing online space, but why do the classic faces need to go?
One of the best features of Roblox, in my opinion, has always been freedom and self-expression. No matter who you are, you can visit Roblox and create your character to be just what you want it to be. A superhero, pirate, whatever. And part of this self-expression is choices. You can choose what hats you use, what clothes you wear, and what facial expression you use. Removing already existing faces takes away the freedom to make these choices, and forces players to pick an option that they may feel doesn’t allow them to be properly represented in a digital space. I’m sure there’s people out there who love dynamic faces, and really enjoy the animated look inside of games. That’s great! But there’s also many who do not wish to use animated faces. They should at least get the option to pick classic faces over newer ones if they so choose…
I can only hope this decision is reverted.
~innit_2winnit