All Segments
Virtual Worlds Mean Real Business: How Games Power the Future
9 segments available
In 2025, the global gaming market is projected to surpass $300 billion—but its impact goes far beyond entertainment. Troy Kirwin, Partner at a16z Games, shares his 2025 Big Idea: gaming technologies are breaking out of entertainment and transforming industries. From workforce training and architectural visualization to autonomous systems and digital twins, these innovations are solving real-world challenges. Troy also dives into how AI-powered simulations, XR devices, and brain-computer interfaces are unlocking groundbreaking possibilities for work, design, and beyond. Timecodes: 00:00: Gaming Technology's Real-World Applications 01:10: The Role of GPUs and AI in 3D Development 03:31: Innovations in Real-Time 3D and XR 06:36: Economic Impacts and Cost Curves 08:19: Enterprise and Consumer Applications 12:15: Future Technologies and Human-Machine Interaction Resources: FInd Troy on X: https://x.com/tkexpress11 Check out all 50 Big Ideas: https://a16z.com/big-ideas-in-tech-2025/ Stay Updated: Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16z Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/ Follow our host: https://twitter.com/stephsmithio Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.
Segments Timeline
The Rise of Interactive 3D
Troy Kirwin discusses the evolution of internet content from text to images, video, and now to interactive 3D and gaming technology. He emphasizes how gaming simulations, originally designed for entertainment, are increasingly being utilized in real-world applications such as training, robotics, and architectural visualization.
"the 90s was about text on the internet the 2000s was about images the 2010s was about video and we feel pretty strongly that the 2020s is going to be about interactive 3D and gaming technology being u..."
GPUs: From Gaming to Innovation
In this segment, Troy highlights the pivotal role of GPUs in the gaming industry and their unexpected applications in fields like cryptocurrency mining and digital biology. He reflects on NVIDIA's journey from a gaming company to a leader in accelerated computing, showcasing how gaming technology has become a crucible for innovation across various industries.
"maybe and also are there any that you think maybe are overlooked you know everyone references gpus today as maybe one example but are there others people forget that Nidia was a gaming company um almo..."
Breakthroughs in Gaming Technology
Troy explains how the gaming industry's hacker mentality fosters innovation, leading to breakthroughs such as multiplayer gaming. He discusses how these innovations, while initially gaming-focused, are likely to influence other sectors in the future, emphasizing the ongoing evolution of gaming technology.
"back you know the 90s was about text on the internet uh you know the 2000s was about images the 2010s was about video and and we feel pretty strongly that the 2020s is going to be about interactive 3D..."
Real-Time 3D in Various Industries
Troy shares insights from his experience at Unity, detailing how industries like architecture and automotive are leveraging real-time 3D technology for design and virtual testing. He discusses the challenges faced in content creation and how AI is transforming asset generation for non-gaming applications.
"those breakthroughs aren't all obvious as breakthroughs a good example is multiplayer right multiplayer has existed forever in gaming and then it took a while for that to really penetrate or really co..."
Advancements in 3D Capture Technologies
In this segment, Troy elaborates on the advancements in 3D capture technologies, such as neural radiance fields, that allow for efficient and photorealistic capturing of environments. He highlights how these technologies enhance the interaction with virtual simulations, making them more accessible and realistic.
"that seem so obvious are really some of the same constraints that the gaming you know that game developers have faced and so it's you know bottlenecks on the content creation side within a game Studio..."
Economic Impacts of Virtual Training
Troy discusses the economic implications of virtual training technologies, emphasizing how they empower organizations to update and manage their training simulations internally. He explores the cost dynamics of content creation and how advancements in technology are reducing these costs across various applications.
"the third is for some of these non-gaming use cases uh this is where we're going to see the prevalence of uh of XR and being able to put on a headset and see how you know the Bim model overlays on the..."
Applications of Virtual Simulations
Troy highlights the diverse applications of virtual simulations in industries like defense and automotive, showcasing how companies like Andrel and Tesla utilize gaming technology for strategy simulations and training. He emphasizes the scalability and efficiency of virtual environments in capturing complex data.
"think like particularly if you think about virtual training use cases where let's say we wanted to train our our Workforce on maintenance and repairs for a robot well you would build this uh experienc..."
Consumer Applications of Gaming Technology
In this segment, Troy discusses the potential for consumer applications of gaming technology, such as virtual interior design. He envisions a future where users can create digital twins of their spaces and visualize design inspirations in real-time, merging gaming technology with everyday life.
"put what you just said around applied intuition is that you can actually do something new that you couldn't do before with the ability to simulate at scale are there other Downstream opportunities or ..."
Future Technologies in Human-Machine Interaction
Troy explores emerging technologies in human-machine interaction, including brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) and advanced haptic feedback systems. He discusses how these innovations could revolutionize gaming and other industries, allowing for unprecedented levels of immersion and interaction.
"already also coming up so one of the ones that I've just been so excited for and I'm and and looking out for is you know I just moved into a new apartment and as I as I wanted to plan out the space ye..."