Yet more developers with experience creating some of the biggest videogames in the industry have pledged support to VR tech today.
A new studio named Fast Travel Games has just been announced, and it’s set to focus exclusively on VR content. Based in Stockholm, Sweden, the developer already consists of former staffers at the likes of Battlefield developer DICE and Angry Birds 2 creator Rovio Stockholm. They intend to explore the “full potential of next generation VR storytelling”, suggesting that we can expect to see some true VR adventures come out of the studio.
In a statement, Fast Travel Games CEO and co-founder Oskar Burman pledged to “define a new genre of games” with VR, building “narratively rich worlds” that feature “social gameplay where players can cooperate, share worlds and experiences, and play together.” It sounds like the team has a specific project in mind right now; perhaps a co-op multiplayer experience with an element of user-generated content?
Other Fast Travel staff includes CTO Kristoffer Benjaminsson, who previously worked as a Senior Development Director at EA’s Frostbite Labs, which is also known to be experimenting with VR tech. Erik Odeldahl also joins as Creative Director, having previously worked at DICE as Design Director for the recently released Mirror’s Edge Catalyst.
Speaking to UploadVR, Burman confirmed that the studio was looking at all VR platforms to develop on right now, including everything in the PC, console and mobiles spaces. He stated that headsets like the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR had the “highest potential” in the near future, though mobile platforms like Google’s Daydream ecosystem will also reach that potential in “the long run.”
Fast Travel Games has also closed a seed funding round for an undisclosed sum. Nordic investors like Sunstone Capital, Mattias Miksche and Mathias Ackermand have helped out.
It will likely be some time before we see the first project from this new studio, but it certainly sounds like one to look out for.
