Job Simulator studio Owlchemy Labs acquired by Google

Owlchemy Labs—the VR-focussed team behind the likes of Job Simulator and Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality—has been purchased by Google, the Texan studio has revealed. 

Moving forward, Owlchemy plans to continue releasing games on multiple platforms but will do so now with Google in its corner. "Our plan to build awesome things will continue forward stronger than ever," says the developer in a blog post. "This means Owlchemy will continue building high quality VR content for platforms like the HTC Vive, Oculus Touch, and PlayStation VR. 

"This means continuing to focus on hand interactions and high quality user experiences, like with Job Simulator. This means continuing our mission to build VR for everyone, and doing all of this as the same silly Owlchemy Labs you know and love." 

Owlchemy follows in the footsteps of Skillman & Hackett who in 2015 was also acquired by Google, the latter in turn taking control of VR painting programme Tilt Brush

In its own blog post Google praised Owlchemy's dedication to virtual reality, with the company's VR engineering director Relja Markovic suggesting it had "set a high bar" within the medium. 

He adds: "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."

Deputy Editor, PC Gaming Show
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