The Myth of Democratization: A Comparative Analysis of Unity and Roblox Studio
Camilla Rinciari
Game engines are not simple neutral tools, but socio-technical infrastructures that influence cultural production. Through a comparative analysis of standard development platforms like Unity and proprietary platform tools such as Roblox Studio, this talk unmasks the pervasive rhetoric of democratization, framing these ecosystems as inhabited territories rather than mere software. Employing a Science and Technology Studies (STS) lens and an auto-ethnographic approach, it demonstrates how the promise of technical accessibility masks rigid infrastructural constraints, thereby revealing how platforms standardize creativity and configure pedagogical processes to channel creators’ labor through precarious market logics, ultimately exercising asymmetrical power.
Camilla is a PhD Candidate at Politecnico di Milano and a visiting researcher at Tampere's Game Research Lab. Her research combines Science and Technology Studies (STS) and social sustainability perspectives on platform capitalism, digital labor, and cultural production. Her doctoral project focuses on algorithmic governance and infrastructural lock-ins in Roblox Studio.
