With two VR games under their belt, Oculus Studios partner Coatsink says they have just scratched the surface of what they want to do with the tech and is now building a “deeper,” “better” and “bigger” new IP for VR, according to Coatsink CEO Tom Beardsmore.
With work on porting its original VR puzzle game, Esper, to the Oculus Rift wrapping up, Beardsmore noted that the team is currently building prototypes that will flourish into “two sets of new IP.” When asked what either might be about he kept coy, noting that Coatsink would be building on what they learned with their first games to make “deeper experiences” and “bigger games” that players would want to play on any type of platform, while also expanding on story.
At least one of these projects will be a multi platform experience, though Beardsmore wouldn’t confirm if one could be a continuation of the Oculus Studios partnership that both Esper and its sequel, Esper 2, were developed under. If that is the case, then you can expect one of these IP to be exclusive to Oculus VR platforms again. As for multi platform, the developer has been listed as one of the 230 working on PlayStation VR, and confirmed that at least one of the projects would be seen on the platform. Beardsmore anticipates one of these titles being announced later this year and the other being revealed in 2017.
It sounds like the team has no shortage of ideas; Beardsmore spoke of one Coatsink developer that had come up with a 2D platformer prototype in which players could look to the right to see an ever-growing suite of challenges and to the left to see those they had already conquered. It didn’t sound like this formed the basis of one of these new IP, however.
In the meantime, there’s plenty more to look forward to from Coatsink. The first Esper and its sequel will soon be available as a bundle on Oculus Rift, with people that already bought Esper 2 – available at Oculus Rift launch – getting its predecessor for free. The studio is also working with Boneloaf to help bring its manic multiplayer brawler, Gang Beasts, to the Rift and PlayStation VR, which we’ll have more on later down the line.
