Serious About Metaverse, Disney Recruits New Boss For Virtual World Development

JAKARTA - Disney seems serious about getting into the Metaverse, it looks like they've just appointed a media and entertainment executive to oversee the company's metaverse strategy.

The announcement was made in an internal e-mail sent to staff by Disney CEO Bob Chapek. The new executive is Mike White, who has 25 years of experience in technology leadership at Disney.

White was appointed Senior Vice President of Next Generation Storytelling and Consumer Experiences. In his newly created role, he will allocate resources, explore partnerships, and encourage knowledge sharing about the metaverse.

"For nearly 100 years, our company has been redefining entertainment by leveraging technology to bring stories to life in deeper and more impactful ways. Today, we have the opportunity to connect that universe and create an entirely new paradigm for how audiences experience and engage with our story," Chapek said in an e-mail announcement.

Disney says they see the metaverse as the next evolution of a nearly 100-year-old storytelling tradition.

In addition to overseeing Disney's metaverse efforts, White will also continue to lead the consumer experience and platform teams in the company's media distribution and entertainment group.

Choosing a veteran to lead the company's metaverse strategy itself comes at a time when tech giants and other major media outlets are trying to respond to the rise of the metaverse as the next phase in the evolution of the internet.

Earlier this year, Microsoft announced the acquisition of video gin giant Activision Blizzard as part of its expansion into the metaverse. Last year, Facebook changed its name to Meta in its ambition to become a major player in the metaverse. This is quoted from CNET, Wednesday, February 16.