Gaming platform Roblox has hired former Google Play VP Tian Lim to lead the product team for its creator group, the division focused on user-crafted games and experiences. Commenting, Lim said: “I’m excited to engage with the Roblox community of developers and creators and help build an immersive, safe and civil metaverse platform.”
Before joining Roblox, Lim spent five years at Google Play. Prior to that he served as CTO at Disney-owned streamer Hulu and led teams at both Xbox and PlayStation.
Lim will work with VP creator engineering Nick Tornow and report to chief product officer Manuel Bronstein, who said: “One of our core values at Roblox is to take the long view, and finding the right person for this role has been one of my top priorities for over a year. Tian’s experience as a multi-functional leader at Google (and at Hulu, Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo), his expertise in gaming, entertainment and platforms, and his passion for the creator and developer communities made him the ideal candidate.”
Roblox is regarded as an early mover in shaping the emerging metaverse, alongside the likes of Meta and Epic gaming franchise Fortnite. It has facilitated the creation of millions of creator-led portals, which are collectively known as experiences. While many of these are UGC, an increasing number of leading brands are playing in this space. A good example is high end fashion brand Gucci, which launched Gucci Town on Roblox two years ago. This week it introduced an avatar of Manchester City footballer Jack Grealish into the virtual town. Grealish, who became a Gucci brand ambassador in 2022, will host a new football minigame that can earn players an in-game Gucci reward. His distinctive hairstyle and hairband have also been added to the Gucci Store, so fans can mimic the footballer’s look with their own avatars.
In other metaverse-related news this week, the National Basketball Association (NBA) announced a multiyear partnership extension with Meta that will feature a new virtual reality experience for fans on Meta Horizon Worlds. The NBA Arena in Horizons World will feature live NBA League Pass games in virtual reality throughout the season. The partnership extension will also include the launch of NBA-licensed apparel in the Meta Avatars Store and authenticated NBA League Pass access in Xtadium, a VR sports hub app that offers shared watching experiences in high-definition.
