Bohemia Interactive, the developers behind popular titles Arma 2, Arma 3 and DayZ, confirmed that it is actively developing a game for VR.
Cracks in the company’s wall of silence first began to appear after a job posting went live on its website. The position to be filled, according to that post, is for a, “Gameplay Programmer to join our development team in the studio’s Prague office on an unannounced, original IP, Virtual Reality (VR) title.”
Representatives from the studio were tight-lipped about the project when approached for further comment about the title’s genre, size or scope. However, Ota Vrťátko, a marketing representative for BI, did confirm a VR game is in active development at the studio. He also said that more details will be revealed if the project moves further down the development pipeline towards release.
The job posting itself does hold at least one clue as to what the title may entail. Besides calling for a programmer with basic coding and team skills, the listing also states candidates should possess “a passion for space and exploration.”
BI started with linear shooters, but with Arma 3 and DayZ the studio established a pattern of creating open-world titles instead. The studio’s pedigree, combined with their request for space-obsessed job candidates, makes an outer space exploration game with shooter elements similar to No Man’s Sky a fairly strong theory for what is currently running under the hood at Bohemia Interactive.
Sci-fi, fantasy, and cartoonish whimsy are among the genres dominating this first-wave of VR titles. A similar trend was present in the early days of console and PC gaming as well. Until the technology can be better understood and graphical fidelity embraced more confidently most developers, even those with years of practice creating realistic worlds, seem hesitant to tackle the uncanny valley.
We will bring you all the details on this game as they become available.
