A new London-based VR studio is hoping to “redefine the virtual reality experience” with a focus on storytelling.
Formed in partnership with Output Group, Maze Theory, as the studio is called, will be entirely focused on VR development and is already in production on its first experience. The company was founded by former managing director at Activision Europe, Geoff Heath, and Mark Hardy, who previously worked for PlayStation as European marketing director. Heath brings over 40 years of experience in the gaming industry to Maze Theory, while Hardy’s time at PlayStation saw him help launch the PlayStation 3.
Dr. Dave Ranyard, former director at PlayStation VR Worlds developer Sony London and now head of Dream Reality Interactive, also joins the team as a board member, while Output CEO Ian Hambleton will run the company.
“It’s a really exciting time to be involved in virtual reality, especially with the technology gaining traction with video game producers and rolling out at experiential events and visitor attractions,” Heath said in a prepared statement. “Maze Theory’s going to redefine the virtual reality experience by combining the latest VR technology with Output Group’s vast experience in animation, games development, film production and storytelling to create truly immersive games.”
The team’s first VR project is The Vanishing Act, which is already in Alpha. In fact, the game was previously in development under the VR arm of Found Studio, a division of Output. The experience sees players retracing the steps of an inventor that creates a machine allowing you to see other people’s memories. Early test footage for the project can be seen below.
The Vanishing Act – Tech Demo Footage from MazeTheory on Vimeo.
No word yet on when The Vanishing Act will release (under Found it was billed for a late 2017 launch), but look for more from Maze Theory soon.
