Meta Horizon Worlds Spotlight: metajorgen and Spacydoge

Welcome back to our weekly spotlight on the people building for Meta Horizon Worlds and their amazing creations.

Last week, we dialed the energy way down in purplewren00’s Fairytale Lane, a world meant to relax you and get you thinking and moving calmly, taking long slow breaths, and not worrying about the fast-paced world beyond your headset.

This week, we tried something we’ve never done before—talking to a husband-and-wife creator team, metajorgen and Spacydoge, the builders of numerous worlds including Alone in the Arctic: Survival Sim, which tasks you and up to three others with finding ways to stay warm in a glacially cold environment.

What got you interested in VR?

Spacydoge: I had seen videos of avatars being interviewed in VR, and I found it really intriguing. During the pandemic, I started exploring how to make avatars and worlds for VRChat. Then I got into the early beta of Worlds, and that’s when I got metajorgen into VR as well.

What do you draw upon for inspiration when building in Worlds?

metajorgen: Before we make a new world, we spend a long time looking around on the internet for the right style and atmosphere for what we’re planning on building. There’s a lot of tricks that professional animators and artists use that we bring to our worlds, so we study non-VR art and entertainment. For example, I’ve always been a fan of claymation and stop-motion movies because they force you to create an artificial world that’s meant to look real. I built my first claymation movie in high school as a love letter to Spacydoge, long before we got married, so creation has always been an important part of our relationship.

What do you want people to take away from their experience with your worlds?

Spacydoge: We do our best to give people a sense of a transformative atmosphere. We want them to forget about what’s going on in their real life. So whether it’s bouncing around giant mushrooms or exploring a distant planet, we want you to be fully immersed.

Are you a programmer/creator as your day job, or do you see this as a hobby?

metajorgen: This was originally a hobby for Spacydoge, and now making worlds for others is her part-time job. She’s only limited by the amount of time she can spend in VR. I have a full-time job, so I work with her in the evening and on weekends. As a married couple, it’s easy for us to support each other when one of us needs a break. And we do find time to build our own worlds in between paid jobs because we know it’s important to keep experimenting with new things.

Do you collaborate with others, and if so, what’s that experience like for you?

metajorgen: All the time. In our last project, we worked with a digital artist who helped us make the Huaguang Stone Forest experience as true to the original style as possible. That was super fun.

We also find that working with great scripters is half the battle. That really brings our worlds to life, because we’re able to include things like fishing, cooking, and even flying.

What’s your best advice for getting started building for Worlds?

Spacydoge: First, believe in yourself and that you can do it. Accept that there will be some frustration at first, but remember that it’ll all be worth it. Also, studying art fundamentals like composition, color, and lighting will help tremendously—because even though VR is a different medium, good worlds incorporate those techniques.

What do you think the ultimate potential is for Worlds?

Spacydoge: Worlds has incredible social potential. Being able to feel present with someone no matter how far apart they might be physically has real value. It was essential during the height of the pandemic, and I believe it will continue to be going forward, especially as we enter a future where cutting back on traveling and consumption will be vital for mitigating climate change and environmental damage. That’s the benefit of a more digital economy: production and distribution are so much cheaper.

How do you think VR fits into the future vision of the metaverse?

Spacydoge: I see VR and the metaverse as layers of the world we live in now.

What’s your favorite VR experience?

metajorgen: I know Spacydoge loves VRChat when she’s not in Worlds. For me, I think workout apps like LES MILLS BODYCOMBAT and The Thrill of the Fight are incredibly fun. But I think we both agree that the best part is building together in Worlds.