Google's New Buy Boosts VR Gaming

By

Google isn't exactly new to gaming. As the originator of the Android operating system, it's had a hand in more than a few games. A while back, Google even had some special games specifically for Chrome, like the Wizard of Oz-related Chrome Experiment. Now, thanks to a recent purchase, Google might be an even bigger part of the picture than ever before as it picked up Owlchemy Labs, a leader in virtual reality (VR) gaming.

Gamers are likely familiar with Owlchemy Labs, even if not immediately; Owlchemy put together both Job Simulator and Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality, two of the biggest VR games running right now. This acquisition won't affect any of Owlchemy's releases—reports suggest that there are several games currently in various stages of development at the company that will still come out—but rather, Owlchemy will enjoy support from Google.

What's interesting here is that Google's purchase of Owlchemy is almost at odds with Google's own internal VR development. While Google, with its Daydream VR platform, has been focusing more on visuals and limited motion controls, Owlchemy has instead focused on its controls in a bid to approximate the experience of using real hands. It's worth noting that Google has released products that weren't for Google headsets, so this could just be a project in that vein.

With its I/O developer conference set to arrive next week—and E3 only a little over a month out right now—there's every opportunity that Google could be planning something a lot bigger in the space to come. Given the advances made by competitor Facebook and its Oculus acquisition, that's not out of line; Google almost certainly won't want to cede non-mobile VR to PlayStation and Facebook.

It would be easy here to say that Google is trying to expand beyond its own capabilities in the VR space, expressed primarily by the Daydream system. After all, if Google's focused on limited manipulation and all Owlchemy does is manipulation—seriously, have you seen either of its games? They're like an electronic busy box toy for grown men and women, only a lot funnier—then Google might be set to bring Owlchemy's development to its own operations. It's also something of a profit center; Job Simulator alone has sold over $3 million's worth so far.

This could be the start of something impressive for Google, and since Owlchemy has already delivered in the past, it's a safe bet it will continue to do so. With some powerful new backing and loads of resources, the next stop for Owlchemy could be just about anywhere.




Edited by Alicia Young
Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. [Free eNews Subscription]

Contributing Writer

SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Related Articles

Can Science Outsmart Deepfake Deceivers? Klick Labs Proposes an Emerging Solution

By: Alex Passett    3/25/2024

Researchers at Klick Labs were able to identify audio deepfakes from authentic audio recordings via new vocal biomarker technology (alongside AI model…

Read More

Top 5 Best Ways to Integrate Technology for Successful Project-Based Learning

By: Contributing Writer    3/19/2024

Project-based learning, also popularly known as the PBL curriculum, emphasizes using and integrating technology with classroom teaching. This approach…

Read More

How to Protect Your Website From LDAP Injection Attacks

By: Contributing Writer    3/12/2024

Prevent LDAP injection attacks with regular testing, limiting access privileges, sanitizing user input, and applying the proper encoding functions.

Read More

Azure Cost Optimization: 5 Things You Can Do to Save on Azure

By: Contributing Writer    3/7/2024

Azure cost optimization is the process of managing and reducing the overall cost of using Azure. It involves understanding the resources you're using,…

Read More

Massive Meta Apps and Services Outage Impacts Users Worldwide

By: Alex Passett    3/5/2024

Meta's suite of apps and services are experiencing major global outages on Super Tuesday 2024.

Read More