Experience 6 amazing indie VR games at the Gamescom VR Showcase!

Hey, Andreas introduce yourself to my readers!

Hi, my name is Andreas Juliusson! I am the Marketing & Communications Manager for Swedish VR games developer Fast Travel Games, the studio behind Apex Construct. I am also a dedicated gamer & a collector of Masters of the Universe vintage toys.

Can you explain us what is the Gamescom VR Showcase?

The VR Games Showcase is a collaboration between us and 5 other VR games developers, where we have joined forces to offer exclusive access to our upcoming games for media & content creators, with access to the devs! The Showcase will premiere at Gamescom in Germany on August 20, and I hope we will be able to bring it to other events going forward – and also include visitor show floors!

How has the idea born?

6 months ago, I started to explore ways for a relatively small VR games studio like ours to attend the bigger gaming conventions of the world. It is usually a costly business to do so, and it requires a lot of resources that we simply did not have. From that understanding, I got the idea of reaching out to other VR studios in the same situation as us to see if they were willing to collaborate. I was met with massive interest, and by splitting the costs and sharing our expertise, we were able to create The VR Games Showcase!

Can you describe the games shown there?

It’s really a mix of genres, from our own interactive tale called The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets & the sequel to action/adventure Budget Cuts, to the multiplayer frenzy of Acron: Attack of the Squirrels and the popular IP known as The Walking Dead! Here is the game list:

• Fast Travel Games (Apex Construct): First hands-on with The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets
• Neat Corporation (Budget Cuts): Exclusive hands-on content with Budget Cuts 2: Mission Insolvency (co-developed with Fast Travel Games)
• Survios (Raw Data, Creed, Sprint Vector): First hands-on with the story mode with characters from the show The Walking Dead: Onslaught
• Resolution Games (Angry Birds VR: Isle of Pigs, Bait!): First hands-on with Acron: Attack of the Squirrels!
• Carbon Studio (The Wizards, Alice VR): First hands-on with The Wizards: Dark Times
• Cortopia Studios (Wands VR): First hands-on with “An Adventure in Wonderland” (Final title and info revealed at Gamescom)
• Perp Games: Global games publisher sponsoring ‘The VR Games Showcase’

Why is there the need for these “VR showcases”? I have also seen the one of Upload VR during the E3… what are the advantages for the studios?

I think there are two main reasons. First, most VR games developers face a lack of financial resources, many are not able to spend a single dollar on marketing.

By running a collaboration such as the Showcase, where we share all costs, we make sure that costs are minimal but the return on investment is massive. Second, it is hard for a single studio to get traction in the gaming media with a single VR game. But by offering exclusive access to 6 games in one place, the content offering is much more attractive and we hope to have a better chance to attract the attention from the media and players.

What do you expect from the VR showcase at Gamescom?

I expect to learn a lot from it! It’s the first time we run it, so there are bound to be things we want to improve upon for upcoming events. I also expect, or rather hope for, a lot of media articles and Youtube movies from the Showcase and for each of the game on display. And I expect it to be hot. Really hot.

What are the general difficulties of VR indie game studios in this moment?

There are many difficulties today. The unpredictability of the VR games industry, for example, is one. We do not have much data on consumer preferences, so it’s a bit of a guessing game as to what kind of game will sell or not. Or what price point is the right one. But that’s also what makes it fun! Then of course, the fact that most studios do not earn any real money strictly from their game sales… as the industry grows this will of course change, but many studios are struggling financially at the moment.

Is it possible for indie game studios to already survive just by producing VR titles?

There are almost no studios today that would survive by game sales revenue alone. Even though Beat Saber has sold over 1 million copies, the reality is that most VR games do not sell over 50K units during their lifetime. You either need financing to run your studio or a contract with e.g. one of the headset manufacturers. Or make that game that EVERYBODY wants! But as the industry grows, and more people acquire VR headsets, the better the chance to sell enough units of your game to survive.

Can you give some pieces of advice to the VR developers reading this post on how to make a VR game that is successful and profitable?

I would say, research what has been happening in the VR games industry since 2016 when the first headsets arrived on the consumer market. What games have been successful, at what price points, etc? This helps you get an understanding to base your own decisions upon when bringing your game to market.

I would also say, focus on the few unique things that make your game stand out. In 2016 there were 800 VR games listed on Steam, now it’s over 4000 so competition is increasing month by month.

How can the VR communities help the indie game studios?

They have been really important for me and for Fast Travel Games. I would suggest to get close with the VR communities in an open and trustworthy way. Engage on places like Reddit, forums, closed community groups, etc. Listen to the feedback, run some fun initiatives like Ask me Anything, etc. Interacting with an active and transparent developer is something the VR communities appreciate a lot and you learn so much in regards to their preferences, what works in VR and what doesn’t. Just make sure to don’t do this to “sell” your game.

How do you envision the future of VR gaming?

That’s a broad question but long-term, I envision it to be wireless like the Oculus Quest, potentially mixed with Augmented Reality in a much slicker device than today’s relatively big headsets. Short term, I envision the bigger flat screen gaming studios to start focusing on VR relatively soon, as we breach 10 million sold high-end headsets. Lastly, I do not think it will overtake “traditional” gaming but live alongside it, like mobile & console gaming do today for example.

Something else that you want to add to my readers?

Make sure to allow each and every one of your friends to try out your VR headset! It’s awesome to see someone experiencing VR for the first time and the potential water ring effect it could create will help the VR gaming market grow and take it to where it needs to be!