For 14 years, Roblox players have freely expressed when they feel pain by freely uttering a profound "oof", but now the iconic death sound effect comes with a price tag. "Oof" may have been popularized by the sandbox game creator, but the sound effect has a history that extends past the birth of Roblox.
Tommy Tallarico is the chief executive for Intellivision Entertainment and has worked in the gaming industry for 30 years. Tallarico is also the creator of the "oof" sound effect, but he didn't make it for Roblox. "Oof" originated from the year 2000's action-adventure title Messiah, which Tallarico worked on as a music and sound producer. He produced the "oof" sound for a scene in Messiah in which a baby angel is flung out of an exploding building on the moon. When the angel baby makes with the moon's surface, it utters the legendary "oof."
While Messiah was produced 20 years ago, Tallarico wasn't aware that his "oof" sound effect had been repurposed within Roblox until 2019. According to pay $1 or 100 Robux. Tallarico will receive a percentage of each sale for compensation, and he has also developed a sound effect kit for Roblox that developers can purchase.
In an interview with BBC News, Tallarico seemed quite shocked that a simple sound effect produced 20 years ago could hold so much relevance today. He also stated that Roblox was very accomodating with the situation. "It's kind of funny to think that out of all the things I've done over my 32 years in the video game industry... I'm now just known as the oof guy," said Tallarico. As a result of the dispute, Roblox has stated that it will be replacing the default death sound effect later this month.
It is a wholesome end that Roblox has allowed Tommy Tallarico to become a part of the community and that he will be fairly compensated for his work. The community may be upset that they will have to pay to satisfy their nostalgic need to hear "oof" whenever they die, but as the intellectual property owner, Tallarico deserves to be paid. Plus, what's $1 nowadays when other games charge upwards of $25 for a skin. One thing is for sure, the Roblox team is under a lot of pressure to find a new death sound effect that can live up to the almighty "oof."
Source: BBC News
