The December Build

"In the beginning there was an empty darkness. The only thing in this void was a black brick, Two-By-Two. Two-By-Two was the Alpha Brick, the First. Copied, pasted, and recolored a million times, Robloxia was built out of nothing from the images of Two-By-Two. These were the early days…" - John Shedletsky

The December Build was one of, if not the first version of the game creation platform we now know as Roblox. Due to the game being in such an early stage of development, it lacks many features that we would now take for granted and is almost unrecognizable compared to the game we know today. Anyone lucky enough to see the December Build for themselves would consider it a bleak place with eerie vibes given off by the game's completely black and null sky.

However, it is not these aspects that are of interest inside the December Build, but rather the strange anomalous occurrences that take place during gameplay. It is said that prolonged gameplay could cause symptoms ranging from mild irritation to profuse vomiting and even permanent personality changes.

''"I had a friend that got his hands on a version of the December Build in August of 2007, and it is like the One Ring without all the good parts. If you start feeling like (expletive) while you are messing around with it, exit the game immediately because it will turn you into Gollum before you know it." - Anonymous (identity expunged for witness' safety)''

These symptoms have been consistently reported by players who obtained the game when it was discovered and rediscovered on the Roblox servers numerous times. Perhaps coincidentally, one of these discoveries was leaked to the public by a forum poster just days before the April Fools Hack of 2012, causing speculation on whether the incident was simply a cover-up for the real danger: the leak.

Over time, little progress has been made on identifying the cause and motive behind this strange syndrome. Some theorists have drawn comparisons to the "Polybius Syndrome" caused by the legendary 1981 arcade cabinet, but anything close to evidence has gone unseen - until now.

The following statements were made by members of Roblox's early development team, as well as those who were in contact with them in between the years of 2003 and 2005.

"If you are wondering how Roblox keeps people so engaged by the platform, "Beta Syndrome" is why."

-Former Roblox Developer

"Where Polybius failed, Roblox succeded. A game designed from the start to toy with the mind and its feelings, It changes the player........And we lovingly hated it."

-"Jane"

Author's Note: This will probably be part of a series - E