The Oof sound that accompanies getting killed in Roblox is as much part of the game as customising your avatar, discovering new games and spending Robux on stuff you really don’t need! The sound is used in thousands of games on the platform and has become an icon in its own right.
Recently, Tommy Tallarico brought a copyright claim against Roblox for the use of the sound stating its similarity to the death sound he created for his own game Messiah almost twenty years ago. As a result of this claim, the oof sound will be temporarily removed from Roblox and then reinstated for a fee of £0.76. Players won’t have to pay to hear the sound in games but developers will have to pay to use it.
The full financial details of the case haven’t been revealed but part of the agreement Tallarico will also create a sound effect kit for Roblox developers which will cost between $10-$250.
In an interview with the BBC Tallacario said “It’s amazing to think that such a small sound I did over 20 years ago for a different video game ended up being one of the most iconic pop culture audio clips of the 21st century.
“I would hear kids saying it on playgrounds and didn’t even realize that they were repeating something I had created over two decades ago.
“It was great that we were able to come to a resolution with Roblox and they were very accommodating of 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… that for a new generation of video game players, I’m now just known as the Oof guy.”
A spokesperson for Roblox told the BBC: “We worked together to find a fair resolution that allows Tommy to become part of the Roblox community.
“As part of our commitment towards UGC content, we will replace the platform’s default ‘game over’ sound effect with a new audio track later this month.
“When our Developer Marketplace is available, people will also be able to choose community created sounds for platform-wide events.”
