Roblox goes public on New York Stock Exchange, valued at almost $30 billion By Tom West, 10 Mar 2021 FollowtopicsROBLOXRobloxID@XboxFree to PlayMMOTom West Roblox is going public today with a provisional share price of $45 on the New York Stock Exchange, following evaluation of parent company Roblox Corporation resulting in an estimated market value of $29.5 billion.If you thought Roblox was a small indie game that caters only to the youthful generation of gamers (not that you aren't youthful, of course), and found yourself brushing past its free download with an unwillingness to acknowledge its existence, this article may very well surprise you. Roblox Corporation has been valued at $29.5 billion (thanks, CNBC) in preparation for its arrival on the public trading forum. Currently, the New York Stock Exchange has set a reference price of $45 per share, though this is a placeholder value to begin trading and could change due to demand.Roblox’s popularity has grown tremendously during the Covid-19 pandemic, boosting the estimated value of the company to a whopping £29.5 billion. To put that number in perspective, it's more than seven times what Disney paid for Star Wars ($4 billion), while the recent Bethesda acquisition saw Microsoft pay out $7.5 billion — a mere quarter of Roblox's provisional valuation. That should give you a pretty good indication of how well Roblox is doing right now. Of course, there is a difference between a company’s estimated value and its purchase value, so these cannot be compared directly, but it certainly helps put the figures in perspective. It will be interesting to see what happens throughout the year as lockdowns ease and children return to school.Roblox is a free-to-play game built on user-created content that allows players to design their own worlds, games, and experiences, then share them with others online. They can then monetise their creations with cosmetic items that the community can buy with the in-game currency, Robux. The company paid out nearly $330 million to developers last year for their share of item sales.More ROBLOX stories: The best free Xbox games (August 2023) Roblox quarterly revenue more than doubles to over $450 million Xbox One S Roblox bundle now available with exclusive digital content Xbox Gameplay Chart: Fortnite, Apex and Minecraft Lead the Most Played Games of 2019 ROBLOX and WWE Partnership Celebrates WrestleMania 35 Industry News Written by Tom WestTom has been playing video games since he was old enough to hold a controller, experimenting with a number of systems until he eventually fell in love with Xbox. With a passion for the platform, he decided to make a career out of it, and now happily spends his days writing about that which he loves. If he’s not hunting for Xbox achievements, you’ll likely find him somewhere in The Elder Scrolls Online or fighting for survival in Battlefield.