Breaking the 3D Barrier: How AI is Dismantling the UGC Gatekeepers

For years, the promise of the user-generated content (UGC) economy has been hampered by a steep technical cliff. While platforms like Roblox boast massive audiences and millions of community-created experiences, the actual act of building those worlds has remained the domain of a technical elite. As François Bélanger, co-founder of Élisa Interactive, told BetaKit, creating a world in Roblox currently requires "a lot of developer skills."

This technical gatekeeping is exactly what Montréal-based Élisa Interactive aims to dismantle, as BetaKit first reported. The company, founded by François and Julien Bélanger, recently secured an $875,000 pre-seed round to launch Me-Z-Scene, an AI-powered level design tool. Rather than generating assets from scratch, Me-Z-Scene functions by arranging existing pieces based on user prompts—such as a request for a village or a castle—which can then be further refined by hand or by the AI. François Bélanger likened the experience to a Playmobil toy set, noting that while users can follow instructions, the real value lies in the ability to create a custom world.

Interestingly, the tool wasn't originally intended for the masses. According to BetaKit, the technology was first designed to remove "drudge work" for professional developers and game studios. However, the company discovered that serving professional studios required creating specialized versions of the tech for every client. This realization prompted a pivot toward the non-professional audience, specifically targeting the Roblox ecosystem, which currently sees over 151 million daily active users and hosts seven million different experiences.

From a business perspective, this shift represents a move toward the democratization of 3D creation. By plugging into the open nature of Roblox, Me-Z-Scene allows amateurs to bypass the traditional development hurdles. While the current focus is Roblox, François Bélanger indicated to BetaKit that there is potential to expand into other UGC-centric titles, including Fortnite and Minecraft.

The financial backing for this vision comes from a group of angel investors and several funds, including Anges Québec, AQC Capital, and Investissement Québec’s Eurêka Fund. The company is currently testing Me-Z-Scene with nearly 100 users, with a full launch scheduled for this fall. While the exact pricing remains undecided, Élisa Interactive plans to utilize a credit-based charging model.

Crucially, the value proposition here isn't necessarily about professional monetization. François Bélanger emphasized that the goal is to provide a way for users to have fun with friends in custom environments, rather than promising that creators will make significant money. By lowering the barrier to entry, Élisa Interactive is betting that the desire for creative expression will outweigh the technical intimidation that has historically stifled the UGC economy.