Stormland is the new IP being created by Insomniac Games, the studio best known for the Ratchet & Clank series and the upcoming Spider-Man title. The title is meant to be a unique, virtual reality (VR) open-world experience, and Oculus is heavily involved in its development.
The Oculus VP of Content Jason Rubin spoke to Variety about what players might expect when Stormland comes to the Oculus Rift in 2019.
Stormland lets players take the role of an android caretaker on a strange alien planet. An entity called The Tempest arrives, breaking the body of the android and causing vast destruction to the planet. The player needs to repair itself and journey up through layers of cloud in order to find out exactly what happened.
Many commentators have mentioned the lack of a true ‘killer app’ for the Oculus Rift, and Rubin believes that Stormland might full that niche: “This is one title that could encourage people to come onto the platform,” Rubin said, “This is a title that could radically change their view of the platform.”
VR is still in its infancy in many ways, “We’ve been working three or four years to push the state of VR content forward,” Rubin said, noting that traditional video game developers have had about 10 times that amount to perfect their craft. “It takes a long time to learn about this new medium.”
Rubin said he believes there will be a tipping point for VR: “I think there is going to be a moment at which VR reaches the point where the general consumer base understands it is a long-term value proposition, an inevitable part of the future, an inevitable part of their future,” Rubin said.
“We have seen in the past year a radical change,” Rubin said. “People are not saying, ‘What’s the next thing? There’s nothing out there.’ Now they’re saying, ‘There is so much great stuff coming out, I don’t know what to do next.’”
For future coverage of new and upcoming VR titles, keep checking back with VRFocus.