Meta’s plan to compete with Roblox experiences involves the king of Hollywood blockbusters

As movie marketing budgets swing toward creation platforms like Roblox and Fortnite, Meta is trying to figure out how it can pull in some of those dollars. To that end, it has announced a partnership with James Cameron‘s Lightstorm Vision, which will produce interactive experiences for distribution across Meta Quest devices.

The pact will lead to the creation of “world-class 3D entertainment experiences,” according to a Meta blog post. Those experiences will be tied into “big-name IP” across fields like live sports, concerts, film, and TV.

Ultimately, the multi-year partnership aims to democratize access to 3D creation, distribution, and consumption tools, with Lightstorm Vision’s proprietary tools laying the groundwork for that initiative. Encouraging creators to build 3D worlds in Meta Quest continues Cameron’s long track record as a technological innovator in Hollywood.

Can the man responsible for Terminator, Aliens, Titanic, and Avatar turn Meta into a serious Roblox competitor? The company formerly known as Facebook changed its name because it wanted to dominate the metaverse

, but Roblox quickly stole its thunder by becoming the main platform through which Americans experience that medium. A few years later, Roblox is attracting attention from Hollywood studios like Warner Bros. and Lionsgate while delivering strong returns and paying out millions among its creator community.

Meta recognized Roblox’s cultural import when it brought the platform to Quest devices last year. Now, it’s going a step further. Ironically, the availability of Roblox on Meta Quest may help the Lightstorm Vision partnership, since it will convince people who are interested in metaverse experiences to shell out for a $500 Meta Quest 3 headset.

Cameron, who described his Meta deal as a chance to “revolutionize all visual media,” can use his own work as the template for forthcoming Meta Quest innovations. The third film in the Avatar franchise is due out next year, and some immersive experiences are probably coming with it.