Today, Final Approach and Twisted Arrow developer Phaser Lock Interactive has revealed a new long-term strategic partnership with Korean videogame studio Smilegate for the future development of a virtual reality (VR) title.
This announcement forms the first part of multiple rounds of investment in Phaser Lock Interactive’s future, helping build the studio’s infrastructure to aid growth. Alongside collaborating on the vision and production of the un-named VR game, Smilegate will also deal with its publishing and distribution.
“We’re excited to work with an accomplished industry veteran like Smilegate,” says Michael Daubert, CEO of Phaser Lock in a statement. “They understand the Asian entertainment market better than anybody else, as evidenced by the overwhelming success of their game, CROSSFIRE, the most played online First Person Shooter game in the world with six million concurrent players. We couldn’t ask for a better strategic partner to expand, especially with the lightning fast growth of VR we’re seeing in the Asian market.”
It was Smilegate that approached Phaser Lock after seeing the studio’s success with Final Approach last year, with the aim of expanding their VR offerings. “With Smilegate’s support, we feel we can make an even bigger impact on the VR market, creating a best-in-show experience nobody has been a part of before,” added Daubert. “We take pride in putting out high quality VR content. Our partnership with Smilegate will allow us to do that in new ways, and to reach an entirely new audience with our work.
“We are excited to partner with Phaser Lock Interactive, one of the pioneers in the industry. PLI has shown innovative ways to create user-friendly interaction in virtual reality while also creating compelling game experiences. PLI is our first foray into a virtual reality global partnership initiative. We will continue to explore and identify industry leaders to aggressively facilitate our expansion into the new, emerging industry,” said Joonho Sung, Group COO, Smilegate.
Phaser Lock Interactive’s most recent VR videogame was Twisted Arrow, an arcade-style first-person shooter (FPS) for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. Armed with a high-tech bow and arrow instead of a gun, players have to fight through a city overrun with an evil, high-tech paramilitary force.
Phaser Lock and Smilegate plan to release further details on the title in the coming months, when they do VRFocus will bring you the latest updates.