Roblox game-makers must pay to die with an 'oof'

Fans of the hugely popular Roblox game may soon notice that a familiar noise has fallen silent in the game.

The "oof" sound that famously accompanies the death of characters will temporarily be removed, following a copyright dispute.

When it is reinstated, game-makers will have to buy it, paying around around $1 (£0.76) or 100 in-game currency Robux.

The developer who originally created the sound for a game released 20 years ago, will get compensation.

Only players who build their own games for the platform will have to pay for the sound - for those just playing there will be no charge.

According to Roblox there are around two million developers and 150 million gamers on the platform.

Tommy Tallarico is now chief executive of gaming firm Intellivision Entertainment, but has 30 years experience in the industry as a music and sound producer.

When the similarity between the Roblox "oof" and the sound he made for action-adventure game Messiah was brought to his attention last year, he contacted the firm.

Under the settlement, he will also create a sound effect kit for Roblox which developers can use, with prices ranging from $10 to $250.

The financial details of the copyright case have not been shared.

He told the BBC: "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."

Roblox is an open world game-creation system, and is especially popular with children.

It is free to download but relies on in-app purchases, with in-game currency known as Robux.

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."