Category: Carbon Incubator

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Marble Land Rolling on to All Major VR Headsets Soon

Independent developer Devious Technologies, in partnership with Carbon Incubator, has today announced that the physics-based puzzle title Marble Land is launching on Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Gear VR this November, with PlayStation VR and Google Daydream support planned in the coming months. Developed specifically for virtual reality (VR), Marble Land players manipulate futuristic Rube Goldberg-inspired devices scattered across ancient ruins, to guide a blue marble to its target destination.

Marble Land screenshot

In Marble Land, players are challenged to face 45 increasingly complex puzzles set on intricately designed platforms, with the goal being to clear the way for a blue marble to reach a green target. Players interact with the environment rather than the marble, manipulating different structures with varying mechanics (changing the direction of the marble, teleporting it, etc.) with a view to altering the marble’s path with each change on the platform.

Players are allowed to spawn an unlimited number of marbles while figuring out the correct configuration of the puzzle elements that would lead the marble into the target. This, in effect, should make Marble Land a much more relaxing experience than puzzle competitors which revel in adding pressure.

“With Marble Land we are trying to bring back the arcade marble run experience to players and VR technology allows us to take this experience to the next level”, said George Tudor, the CEO of Devious Technologies. “No time limit or pressure and unlimited tries make Marble Land, a relaxing fun experience, like a walk in the park. Marble Land will appeal to all the people who want to cut down on their stress levels and escape from reality.”

Marble Land screenshot

Originally revealed back in August 2017, Marble Land made its public debut at Gamescom, Cologne, this year, with audiences treated to a high-end version of the videogame on Oculus Rift with Oculus Touch.

A teaser trailer for the alpha build of Marble Land follows below and some new screenshots from the videogame can be seen on this page. VRFocus will keep you updated with all the latest details on Marble Land, and other forthcoming VR titles from Devious Technologies and Carbon Incubator.

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Marble Land Invokes The Spirit of 80s Arcade In VR

Those who are old enough to remember classic arcade and Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) title Marble Madness may be interested to know that one of the earliest examples of the physics puzzle videogame is being brought into the 21st Century by incorporating the simple concept into a virtual reality (VR) environment with Marble Land.

Marble Land is designed to be a classic level-based experience, where the puzzle in each level needs to be solves before the player can progress. The concept is simple – guide a marble through a series of obstacles towards the goal. The player cannot directly interact with the marble, but must instead interact with the environment, using objects such as teleporters or ‘bouncers’ to send the marble in the correct direction.

The developers at Carbon Incubator have chosen a design style of the title that makes it resemble a large structure recreated in miniature, somewhat like a model train set. There is no time limit on the puzzles in a deliberate decision to try and remove urgency and allow players to approach puzzles from different angles. There are plans for 45 levels with a total playtime of more than five hours.

Carbon Incubator were keen to avoid the simulator sickness issues experiences by some players in VR, so have chosen to use fixed camera angles and simple controls to make the experience as comfortable as possible.

Marble Land is due for release in Autumn of 2017 on all major VR platforms, including Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, PlayStation VR, Samsung Gear VR and Google Daydream.

The developers are planning on showcasing the title at the Gamecom event next week. Attendees can find them in the entertainment Area in Booth 061A.

VRFocus will bring you further information on Marble Land and other upcoming VR titles as it becomes available.