Bryan Lee started at the University of Tampa as a marine biology major while also working full-time for Roblox, the massive online gaming platform that brought the metaverse into the mainstream.
The major lasted one semester before Lee switched to animation, but the passion for ocean conservation stuck — and now the 20-year-old is merging the two with his newest project.
Lee is working with Roblox and California-based The Hydrous to create an interactive game that allows users to get a feel for ocean life and boost conservation efforts. The Hydrous is led by Dr. Erika Woolsey, a National Geographic explorer and consultant on Lee's unnamed project.
"I love what Aquatica Studios is doing to push the Roblox platform and engage players in ocean exploration and stewardship," Woolsey said in an email. "I especially admire Bryan's commitment to scientific accuracy, conservation messaging and positive impact on a huge scale."
The game — which has yet to be named — is a realistic, free-roam game allowing users to roam throughout the ocean with a storyline, side quests and questions on ocean conservation. It will be across multiple platforms, including virtual reality sets and more standard Xbox, PS5 and PCs.
"We want to get people involved all over the world, and those who aren't able to have access to the ocean have the ability to get their foot into the door for conservation," Lee said. "We want to empower people to create more games and get involved in awareness."
It will be the first of many for Lee's newly launched game-creating company, Aquatica Studios. The LLC was established in April after Lee first got involved with Roblox in 2012 at 10 years old. In 2016, he created a game centered on the Vietnam War, which allowed Lee a source of income throughout high school.
"To get involved, it's all time and practice, and the learning curve was pretty exponential," Lee said of his original start with Roblox. "Back then, it was word of mouth just learning from other people. Now, since there's so much tech and resources available, it's pretty easy to get involved."
Despite the full-time job with Roblox, Lee plans to stick to UT. He is a rising junior in the animation program and credits the recent donation from Tampa-based Vu Studio with sticking to the school.
"What's encouraging me to stay in the school is the production studio tech, the people, the friends I've made," he said. "It's really worth it and helps me balance my life out with work."
