I’ve been engrossed in the Olympics 🥇, who hasn’t? The athletic display, the locale, and the storylines always hook me. But did you know that some of the world’s best are also massive gamers?

🏃‍♂️ The fastest man in the world, Noah Lyles, has showcased his love for Yu-Gi-Oh, Dragonball Z, and League of Legends

👓️ US gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik (aka 'Pommel Horse Guy') can't wait to get home and play Rocket League

🛶 🇪🇸 Bronze Medalist Pau Echaniz said he won’t get back in a canoe until he’s gold rank in League of Legends

Everyone’s a gamer 🎮️ 

1. Roblox reports 79.5M Daily Active Users in their Q2 Earnings Call; that’d make Roblox the 20th largest country in the world 🤯. US & Canada players spent an average of $34.36 in 2024 🤑

   1. That is larger than I could have ever imagined but I see the appeal for early gamers. It opens up a new world of online adventures but with lots of potential issues: trademark infringement, exploitative tactics, and child predators.

   2. It was just banned in Turkey and has a $10M class action around compensation for purchases.

      1. Screen Studies covers Roblox this week but I'd push your younger kids to other games

2. The Senate passed the Kids Online Safety Act last week and it’s now with the House. The goal is to protect children from harmful content and cyberbullying. 1998 was the last time a law was passed to protect kids online; so much has changed since then. There’s still a long way to go, so stay on top of things yourself.

3. In the “You’re never too old” column, there’s a senior esports team in Japan recruiting VALORANT players 59+. I wouldn’t be surprised if we continue seeing more of this. If there’s beer league softball, why not beer league esports?

4. A new study by from Rutgers revealed that gaming, modifying games, and similar hobbies likely form a pathway into high-demand IT fields. We’ve mentioned gaming as a career path in the past.

BACK TO SCHOOL 🏫

Summer is great, but as a parent it feels good knowing you’re sending your kids back to school soon 😆 . We asked Genius League students for their must haves at school so you can get the best gear for your kids. Next issue, we’ll discuss gaming and esports opportunities at school and how to take advantage of them.

For a high school or college student:

For elementary school kids:

Roblox

Not technically a game, but an online platform where users can create their own games for others to play. Users choose a game, called an experience, and play with others. Because anyone can publish, it’s an imaginative gaming playground. But, as it’s UGC, many games are hit or miss.

The Basics:

Released: 2006

Platforms: PlayStation / Xbox / PC / Mac / Mobile

Pricing: Free to play, with in-game purchases through a virtual currency called ‘Robux’’

Here's what is on screen (PC/Mac version shown).

When you first open up the game, you’ll be at the Home Screen.

1. Nav panel - this allows you to go to the home screen, the Charts tab to find games (called experiences), customize your avatar, connect with friends and more (the more tab is where you’ll find settings & parental controls)

2. Friends will be shown here and what they’re playing

3. You can search for games to play here

4. Here’s where you can purchase Robux or see your notifications

5. This is a curated main screen where you’ll find trending and recommended games to play - just click to open up the game page and then play.

   1. The numbers under the pictures show the user rating and the current active players (when you are in the Charts tab)

6. Launches a new website where you can download the Roblox software to create your own experiences

For a deeper dive into Roblox - see our full Screen Studies.

NPC: (Noun) - NPC stands for Non-Player Character, a computer controlled character in a video game programmed with set of lines and actions. Used as an insult towards someone believed to act in a similar fashion or someone who is boring and lacks independent thought or actions.

Synonyms: boring, follower, minion, sheep

“Devin is just repeating the same opinions he sees on TikTok, dude is such an NPC.”

Our next back to school issue will focus on gaming and esports opportunities in schools and how students can get more involved in their passion as an extracurricular.

For now, enjoy the rest of your summer 🌞.

GLHF,

Chris

Connect with me: LinkedIn, X (Twitter)

What I’m playing: Elden Ring