In May 2017, amid a big virtual reality push, Google announced that it acquired Owlchemy Labs. Known for Job Simulator and Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality, Owlchemy shared today that it’s making a new VR game.
No other details were shared with Road to VR today besides the fact that the studio is currently hiring to support development, and that it will “share details in the coming months.” The announcement came after a quiet period from the studio.
In announcing that Owlchemy Labs was joining Google four years ago, the company said it “care[d] a lot about building and investing in compelling, high-quality, and interactive virtual reality experiences.” Google praised the studio for “really thoughtful interactive experiences that are responsive, intuitive, and feel natural.”
They’ve helped set a high bar for what engagement can be like in virtual worlds, and do it all with a great sense of humor!
Together, we’ll be working to create engaging, immersive games and developing new interaction models across many different platforms to continue bringing the best VR experiences to life. There is so much more to build and learn, so stay tuned!
Since the Google acquisition, Owlchemy released Vacation Simulator in 2019 and subsequent DLC updates. That title is available on Steam VR, Oculus Rift/Quest, and PlayStation VR. Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality and Job Simulation has similar availability.
As a phone-based approach to VR, Daydream did not have the power to run these titles. Of course, Daydream is no longer seeing active development as Google has retreated from virtual to augmented reality in recent years. This wind down has seen Google open source the Tilt Brush VR painting app and shut down other creator tools.
The focus today is on products like Lens, Live View in Google Maps, and AR experiences in Search.
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