Meta Horizons - The Office World

About

Meta and NBCUniversal have come together to present a new kind of VR experience, as The Office World will arrive for Meta Quest headsets. This is basically the VR game for all fans of the original US version of The Office, and as far as we can see, it has no ties to the new one being planned for NBC. You'll be able to take part in several activities in the Scranton location of Dunder Mifflin.

Step inside the iconic Dunder Mifflin office and get to "work" with mini-games show trivia, and more in an engaging and entertaining experience that takes one of the all-time greatest TV sitcoms to the next level. Working a fake job for make-believe money has never been so fun!

In The Office World, users can earn and spend "Schrute Bucks" to customize their desks and purchase trinkets from the interactive vending machine. They can claim a desk in the office, track their progress, and play mini-games inspired by iconic scenes like "Kevin's Chili" and "Bats." In addition to playing The Office World in Meta Horizon, users can also watch full-length episodes of The Office on the Peacock app on Meta Quest, and play other exciting NBCUniversal experiences on Meta Horizon like Universal Monsters Arena and Halloween Horror Nights. Whether you're a die-hard fan who watched The Office when it first aired or someone who just recently started streaming it, every visit is full of fun activities and jam-packed with references to the characters and jokes that fans love from the show.

My Role & Contributions

As a massive fan who's probably clocked more hours in Dunder Mifflin Scranton than I have in Skyrim, getting to work on an officially license VR project for The Office was incredibly exciting to me (my younger self would be pinching himself). As a Lead XR Designer at Magnopus, my role involved translating the beloved sitcom's iconic humor and charm into engaging and authentic interactive moments.

My responsibilities spanned key areas of design, focusing on creating a world that felt both familiar and fun for fellow fans:

Core Gameplay & Systems Design

• Mechanics Ideation & Prototyping: I led the conceptualization and prototyping of core gameplay mechanics, transforming memorable show moments like "Kevin's Chili" and "Dealing with Bats" into interactive mini-games.

• Engagement Loops: Prototyped the initial gameplay loop involving earning and spending "Schrute Bucks," linking mini-game performance to tangible rewards like desk customization and interactive vending machine purchases.

• Player Progression: Defined systems for tracking player progress and objectives within the virtual Dunder Mifflin environment.

UI/UX Design

• Interface Development: Designed and iterated on the user interface for key systems such as the nostalgic computer OS interfaces, ensuring intuitive access to mini-games, progress tracking, and customization options.

• Thematic Consistency: Focused on creating a user experience that felt natural within VR while meticulously maintaining the grounded, slightly quirky aesthetic of The Office.

Interaction Design

• Satisfying Feedback: Prototyped and refined player interactions with world objects, ensuring that engaging with elements like the vending machine or participating in mini-games felt intuitive, responsive, and rewarding within the VR space.

Lore Integration & Authenticity

• Fan-Focused Details: Made it a personal mission to weave in deep-cut references, inside jokes, character nuances, and specific lore details wherever possible.

• Capturing the Spirit: Collaborated closely with the team to ensure every aspect, from the environmental design to the mini-game concepts, captured the unique humor and heart that defines The Office, making it resonate deeply with long-time fans.

Ultimately, my goal was to leverage my XR design expertise and passion for the source material to help the team build not just a VR game, but a genuine extension of the Dunder Mifflin universe that fans could step into and enjoy.