Jasmine Uniza on Creator-Led R&D: Key Insights into Validation, "Unflattening," and the Future of Immersive Gaming

This week on the Immergence Show, we were thrilled to host Jasmine Uniza, the CEO of Impact Reality and Flat2VR Studios, a subsidiary of Impact Reality. A true "triple threat" in the industry, Jasmine leverages a formidable background engineering space robotics for NASA and managing iPhone operations at Apple to lead the charge in bringing classic gaming experiences into virtual reality. She is a recognized voice in XR strategy, game development, and community-driven innovation.

Jasmine shared profound insights into "Creator-Led R&D," a bottom-up approach to de-risking product roadmaps by validating concepts through community engagement before writing a single line of code. This article distills the key educational takeaways and pivotal insights from our discussion, offering a blueprint for efficient, high-impact development.

While we explore the core concepts here, to truly grasp the depth of Jasmine’s vision—including a fascinating, unexpected story about how a drone school in China repurposes their gaming software for flight training—the full video interview is a must-watch.

📺 Watch the Full Interview with Jasmine Uniza on YouTube or LinkedIn.

The Art of "Unflattening": Reimagining, Not Porting

One of the most significant takeaways from the conversation was the distinction between "porting" a game and "unflattening" it. Jasmine emphasized that taking a 2D game into a 3D space requires more than a technical translation; it requires a philosophical reimagining of the user experience. The goal is to avoid a lazy 1:1 transfer, which often feels hollow in an immersive medium. Instead, developers must ask how the physics, interactivity, and spatial environment can elevate the original core loop.

Jasmine used the analogy of the difference between watching a Disney movie and going to Disneyland. The movie is the 2D experience—compelling and structured. Disneyland is the immersive version—you are inside the world, eating the food, and interacting with the characters. To succeed in XR, developers must build "Disneyland," adding elements that didn't exist in the flat version (like an audience reacting to your performance) to justify the medium shift.

Key Insight: "We essentially ask: 'Why is this in VR?' If it’s just a direct translation, it loses the magic. It must be built from the ground up to take advantage of the medium’s interactivity."

Creator-Led R&D: Validating Demand via Content

Traditional market research can be slow, expensive, and often outdated by the time it is applied. Jasmine advocated for a "Creator-Led" approach to Research and Development. By utilizing content creation channels—YouTube, TikTok, and social media—developers can test theories in real-time. Posting a video concept, a poll, or a "mod" allows studios to gauge audience reaction immediately.

This strategy effectively flips the development model. Instead of building a product and hoping for an audience, studios can identify an audience's desire and build the product to match. This significantly lowers the "burn rate" risk for startups. If a concept video garners massive engagement, it serves as a green light; if it falls flat, the studio has saved months of development time.

Key Insight: "You have to act faster than you think. If you have a theory, drop a video to test it. The audience will tell you exactly what they want before you spend the budget building it."

The "Hidden" Premium Market

There is a prevailing narrative in the XR industry that the market is dominated solely by younger demographics seeking free-to-play, casual experiences. Jasmine challenged this view, arguing that a robust, older demographic is hungry for premium, deep narrative experiences but is currently underserved.

Drawing from data seen in the modding community and direct sales of higher-priced titles, Jasmine noted that price sensitivity isn't the primary barrier—quality is. Adult gamers with disposable income are willing to pay premium prices ($30+) for polished, substantial games. The success of retro-ports and deep simulation games proves that if developers respect the older audience's desire for depth, the revenue is there.

Key Insight: "The premium audience hasn't disappeared; they've been ignored. If you build high-quality, full experiences, they will show up with their dollars."

Looking Ahead: Jasmine’s Vision for Smart Glasses & Mass Adoption

Looking toward the future horizon, Jasmine predicts that smart glasses will serve as the critical "Trojan Horse" for mass XR adoption. As consumers get comfortable with having displays and intelligent overlays on their faces for daily utility, the leap to fully immersive gaming becomes a natural progression rather than a jarring jump.

She advises developers to pay close attention to the convergence of mixed reality and daily wearables. The transition won't happen overnight, but the psychological barrier to entry is lowering every time a user puts on a pair of smart glasses. For Jasmine’s full, unfiltered predictions on where the hardware wars are heading—including some truly eye-opening scenarios discussed off-the-cuff regarding Apple vs. Meta strategies—the complete Immergence Show episode is unmissable.

🚀 Unlock the Full Strategic Discussion

This article provides a strategic overview, but the magic is in the details! To hear Jasmine Uniza share the specific mechanics of how they turned a 20-year-old game into a $600,000 Kickstarter success, and to truly absorb her operational expertise on managing remote engineering teams:

📺 Watch the complete interview on YouTube or LinkedIn.

About Your Host & The Immergence Show

Nico Fara is a Go-To-Market Strategist, Product Marketing Consultant, and passionate Community Builder specializing in the vibrant intersection of AI, Gaming, XR, and Consumer Tech. With a talent for translating visionary tech into compelling product strategies and fostering thriving, engaged communities, Nico empowers brands to connect authentically with their audiences and drive impactful growth. Explore Nico's insights further by visiting www.nicofara.com or www.productmarketpro.com

Get your weekly dose of community and cutting-edge insights on The Immergence Show, a thriving live community event where innovation in AI, XR, Web3, Gaming, and Retail-Tech meets a deeply engaged global community. We host interactive discussions with industry pioneers, ensuring our audience of creative technologists, entrepreneurs, and brand executives leaves with fresh perspectives and actionable knowledge. Join the live experience every Tuesday at 12 PM EST on LinkedIn, catch up on all past episodes via our YouTube Channel and find more resources on www.theimmergence.com.