Job Simulator Dev Says ‘We’re Close’ To Mass Market Immersive VR

The Future of VR: A Decade in the Making

For Andrew Eiche, the journey into the world of virtual reality began a decade ago, with a simple question: “Do you want to move to austin?” Instead of an interview, EicheS entrance into Owlchemy Labs, the studio behind popular VR experiences like Job Simulator and Vacation Simulator, was a life decision. Today, Eiche reflects on this journey, sharing insights on the evolution of VR and its potential for the future.

Playgrounds for Roleplay: From simulations to Social Spaces

Eiche’s decade-long career in VR development has seen the medium evolve from quirky simulations to immersive social spaces. Games like Job Simulator and Vacation Simulator, both developed by Owlchemy Labs, offered players the chance to playfully interact with virtual environments and embrace the absurdity of everyday tasks in a fantastical way. These titles, along with the more recent Cosmonious High, showcased the power of VR to create engaging and humorous experiences.

“humor that players make for themselves is the most potent kind of joke in their VR games,” explains Eiche. This user-generated content underscores the power of VR to foster creativity and community.

The Next chapter: Seamless Integration and Immersive Experiences

Looking ahead, Eiche believes the key to VR’s mass adoption lies in seamless integration with existing workflows and daily life. “What you’re really going to see happen is, when you can combine the experiences that keep you engaged in the immersive, that’s when the magic’s going to happen,” he states. This vision involves creating VR spaces that can handle both immersive entertainment and essential dialog needs, eliminating the need to constantly break immersion.

“As people go, ‘wow, I’m experiencing one of the really cool immersive films that are out there, or I’m doing Puzzling Places, right? And I get a message in Puzzling Places or Walkabout. I get a message, right? Those games are kind of in the zone games. And you go, oh, I have to answer this Slack message. Right now, I have to take off my headset and look at my phone…but if I could just pop up Slack, answer it, close it, the game doesn’t even exit, and I’m off and running. That’s incredible.”

this future, he suggests, could mirror the evolution of mobile devices, where apps and functionalities seamlessly integrated into our daily lives, blurring the lines between the physical and virtual worlds.

The challenge, as Eiche points out, lies in maintaining the core values of VR—immersion and presence—while incorporating these new integrations. “The real question looking forward is, can we create a space for the 2D content to exist within the immersive without becoming so obsessed with the 2D content that we forget what made this platform so special?”

Ready for the Journey?

As VR continues to evolve, one thing is certain: the next decade promises to be even more exciting and transformative than the last. Eiche’s insights offer valuable guidance as we navigate this uncharted territory, reminding us that the true potential of VR lies not just in its technology, but in its ability to connect us, inspire us, and expand our understanding of what’s possible.

What key factors do you believe will drive VR’s mass adoption?

The future of VR: A Decade in the Making

Andrew Eiche, a seasoned VR developer adn co-founder of Owlchemy Labs, reflects on his journey into the world of virtual reality and the promising future it holds.Eiche’s decade-long career has seen VR evolve from quirky simulations to immersive social spaces, opening new doors for creative expression and community engagement.

from Austin to VR: A Life-Changing Decision

Q: Andrew, a decade ago, you were presented with a question that would change the course of your career: “Do you want to move to Austin?” What drew you to make that life decision and ultimately join Owlchemy Labs?

Eiche: “At the time, I was working as an actuary, which was interesting but not exactly my passion. Moving to Austin meant an opportunity to join Owlchemy Labs, a startup building interactive VR experiences. I was captivated by the idea of creating humor and engaging users in a whole new medium, so I took the leap.”

Playgrounds for Roleplay: The Evolution of VR

Q: Your studio, Owlchemy Labs, has produced acclaimed VR experiences like Job Simulator and Vacation Simulator. How have you seen VR evolve from creating quirky simulations to fostering immersive social spaces and user-generated content?

eiche: “Early VR games were often more about novelty than substance, but we’ve come a long way since then. Today, VR can create immersive worlds that foster genuine connection and creativity. Games like Cosmonious high show that users are eager to not just watch, but also participate, create, and share their own stories within VR.”

The Next Chapter: seamless integration and Immersive Experiences

Q: Looking ahead, what key factors do you believe will drive VR’s mass adoption?

Eiche: “seamless integration with our daily lives is crucial. We’re seeing this in mobiles apps, and VR is no diffrent. Users want to stay immersed in their virtual worlds without having to constantly switch between devices. Imagine receiving a message while you’re in a VR game, and being able to interact with it seamlessly, without breaking immersion.”

Q: As VR becomes more integrated with our everyday lives, how do you think it will change us as users and creators?

Eiche: “This shift could significantly alter how we perceive and interact with the world around us. Just as the web democratized information, VR could reshape our understanding of presence and connection, opening doors to new forms of expression and collaboration.”