Connected Play in Virtual Worlds: Communication and Control Mechanisms in Virtual Worlds for Children and Adolescents

Multimodal Technol. Interact. 
2021
, 
5
, x FOR PEER REVIEW 
13 of 22 
successfully utilized the 3D gameplay environment to develop strategies to support neu-
rodiverse players’ health literacy. Figure 5 illustrates an Instagram screenshot posted by 
the server owner, known as the “autism father,” showing how players learned to use 
blocks to “create spheres of particles around themselves to help visualize, demonstrate, 
and practice social distancing” [90]. In this virtual environment, players can manipulate 
particles with different shapes, sizes, and densities to visualize the abstract concept of 
“social distancing,” which can be difficult and risky to teach in a real-world learning en-
vironment (e.g., public spaces such as school, museums, and libraries) during a global 
pandemic. This example demonstrated how an adult stakeholder leveraged the 
Autcraft
platform, reappropriated the conventional play interaction of “building with particles,” 
and offered direct supports to create embedded learning and inclusive play opportunities 
for neurodiverse players [82–86,91]. 
Figure 5. 
An Instagram post shared by the 
Autcraft
server owner, “autism father” (avatar on the low left, surrounded by 
purple particles) who created spheres of particles with other 
Autcraft
players to visualize social distancing. 
3.2.3. Roblox 
As one of the most popular online gaming platforms with more than 90 million 
monthly active users [92], 
Roblox
is a multiplayer, user-generated, 3D world launched in 
2005 by the entertainment company Roblox Corporation.
 
Roblox can be accessed from 
various devices such as Microsoft Windows, Android, Xbox One, iOS, macOS, and Fire 
OS. Marketed to players who are 10 years old and above, this platform allows players to 
play free games designed by other users and/or use tools to build and create their own 
games. Without prior programming skills,
 Roblox
users can contribute their own creations 
(e.g., games, items, sounds, ads) via Roblox Studio for free. Roblox Studio offers various 
templates of virtual environments and has been utilized as a video game development 
engine in prior research in order to teach language to students with hearing impairments 
[93] and teach cultural heritage [94]. Differing from 
Whyville
and 
Autcraft
, 
Roblox 
makes 
profits from micro-transactions of in-game purchases [95]. Users can purchase the virtual 
currency known as “Robux” to buy upgrades and/or virtual items (e.g., accessories for 
avatars) and membership options (e.g., “Builders Club”) for premium items such as avatar 
customization, removal of screen advertisements, and item purchase and trading within 
games. 
In this paper, we rated 
Roblox
with a “scaffolded” degree of freedom for parental 
controls, given the diverse range of customizable options (e.g., account restriction, account 
PIN) available to parents to limit or disable online chat communication and restrict access 
to age-appropriate games on 
Roblox
. As illustrated in Figure 2, for players above 13 years 
old, 
Roblox
offers a high degree of freedom in which players can communicate with each 
other via direct and small group text chat and can also customize chat histories to be seen 
between only friends and/or friends of friends, whereas players younger than 13 years old 
can only send direct messages to their friends. Additionally, voice chat is available via the 
Xbox One app [96], and via external third-party voice chat tools (e.g., 
Discord
), neither of