Category: CCP Games

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Preview: EVE: Valkyrie on PlayStation VR

CCP Games’ EVE: Valkyrie debuted on the Oculus Rift earlier this year to significant acclaim. Despite arriving so early in the lifespan of the new virtual reality (VR) medium, the videogame offered a deep and complete experience like few other titles have managed to. Now coming to PlayStation 4, specifically for PlayStation VR, CCP Games are hoping to repeat their PC success amongst the console audience.

EVE Valkyrie - Carrier Assault

On the evidence presented to VRFocus, it’s more than likely that CCP Games will be successful in this regard. Much like the original PC release, EVE: Valkyrie on PlayStation 4 is a robust videogame package. A multiplayer orientated space combat experience, EVE: Valkyrie features multiple craft with varying weaponry, an upgrading system and a skill tree (of sorts). Multiple maps and gameplays modes are presented and each and every update – including additional post-launch content – that exists for the Oculus Rift version will be made available for PlayStation VR gamers on day one.

VRFocus has written about EVE: Valkyrie on many occasions, but for the uninitiated the videogame places each player in the cockpit of a small, nimble vessel as they attempt to outmaneuver the enemy on large outer space maps. Playing in team-based matches, players can engage in deathmatch or king of the hill style gameplay modes, as well as a more enduring specialist mode. Given the variety of ship types, players can take on roles within their team to ensure high kill counts, survival or strategic defence. Though this may sound as if experienced players will dominate newcomers – they will of course have a significant advantage – there’s a fine balancing act that’s been undertaken to ensure that first-time players aren’t immediately disheartened by a loss.

This balancing has been important not just for the growing Oculus Rift audience, but also because EVE: Valkyrie will be cross-platform compatible. Players picking up their PlayStation VR on day one will be able to immediately jump in and battle with/against Oculus Rift gamers – and subsequently HTC Vive, upon the release of EVE: Valkyrie for that head-mounted display (HMD) also. This ensures that there will be a large audience of EVE: Valkyrie players ready as soon as PlayStation VR early adopters jump on-board.

The only inferiority between the PlayStation VR and Oculus Rift versions of EVE: Valkyrie worthy of note is due to the differences in the hardware, opposed to videogame design. While those who have not yet used the Oculus Rift will be perfectly happy with PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift players will note the lower screen resolution. The ‘screen door effect’ (where the pixels are visible due to the proximity of the screen to your eyes) is a significantly bigger issue on PlayStation VR compared to Oculus Rift, however this is unlikely to impede gameplay or put PlayStation VR players at a disadvantage.

EVE: Valkyrie is set to launch alongside the PlayStation VR HMD on 13th October 2016, and as it stands is likely to become one of the early ‘must have’ titles for the format. VRFocus will keep you updated with all the latest details on EVE: Valkyrie and the many other VR titles coming from CCP Games.

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EVE: Valkyrie Joint Strike Update Arriving in October

CCP Games’ sci-fi shooter EVE: Valkyrie has been one of the poster videogames for virtual reality (VR) since it was first unveiled all the way back in 2013. In June the studio released the first major update for the title, Carrier Assault, and today it now announced the next major update, Joint Strike will be heading to gamers in early October.

EVE: Valkyrie Joint Strike adds a giant list of updates, with new features, improvements and fixes. Part of the update revolves around the upcoming launch of PlayStation VR on 13th October, allowing cross-platform combat whilst adding a new co-op game mode.

EVE Valkyrie dailychallenges

With this new mode players will be able to invite friends to their squad, or use matchmaking to create a team to do battle against AI opponents. Whether its player vs AI or PvP, gamers will still get XP, currency and unlocks in the same way so they won’t miss out on valuable progression whatever they play.

Two new single-player Recall missions have now been added, revealing more of the backstory in EVE: Valkyrie, whilst helping players train for online multiplayer. There’s also going to be daily challenges that’ll give players the chance to build funds and stockpiles for crafting. Three challenge cards can be held at one time, with player able to refresh one per day.

CCP Games has added a game guide in the CAT menu, giving players information on many of EVE: Valkyrie’s key features, modes and mechanics. Fancy taking a ship out to test before heading into battle, a new Test Arena has been created to do just that. Test out weapons and abilities on the enemy and friendly AI that are engaged in a never ending Team Death Match battle and are programmed not to return fire. And if pilots want to practice their trench runs on the carriers they can do as the shields have been disabled.

There’s loads of other stuff including new paint jobs, decals, explosion FX, progression changes, chronicles redesign and more coming in the update so head over to the EVE: Valkyrie blog for all the details.

EVE: Valkyrie Joint Strike will be arriving the week of 10th October, and for all the latest news from CCP Games, keep reading VRFocus.

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CCP Games to Earn Back the $30 Million Invested in VR By the End of the Year, According to CEO

One of the more popular and intricate games at the moment for both the Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR is CCP Games’s EVE: Valkyrie, and the studio has a few other titles dedicated to virtual reality (VR), but there may still be a feeling of surprise when it was reported that CCP Games had said the studio is close to breaking even on the money it has spent on VR investment, something not many studios can say.

We have all heard that the VR market will result in millions, if not billions, but it really hits home when a single studio claims to be closing in on profiting $30 million as a result of just VR videogames. This all unraveled during the keynote given during DICE Europe this week, according to Games Industry.

EVE Valkyrie - Carrier Assault

“We were fortunate enough to have some early success, so we have added a bit of investment into the field,” said Hilmar Petursson, CEO of CCP Games. “So I think we’re now, by the end of this year, we’ll have invested $30 million into virtual reality games. And we’re just about seeing a path to break even… We’ll probably hit it in a few months, so we’re extremely proud of that.”

All of this is thanks to its releases of EVE: Valkyrie on Oculus Rift, and Gunjack on Gear VR, Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive, as well as the close partnerships with the major platform holders. “We got tremendous help from the platform holders to be in that position,” Petursson said. “It’s a combination of starting early, and working with all the platform holders – we’ve been fortunate to work with close to all of them, so that got us to a place where we were able to invest so much, and bring so much product to market.”

Moving onwards from this position, CCP Games will be focusing on PC development, and 30% of the company to work on VR. We can only imagine how much they will earn in profit once the titles launch on Google’s Daydream and PlayStation VR, not to mention forthcoming VR developments.

For more on the latest developments from CCP Games, as well as all the news, updates, and features in the world of VR, make sure to check back with VRFocus.

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Celebrities in VR: Videogames, Movies & Investment

Virtual reality (VR) is a pervasive new medium. While it’s currently being lead by videogames – as was expected by many over the past three years of gestation – there are plenty of other areas in which VR will in time become a dominating presence. Hollywood is one of these, and many celebrities have already begun vocalising their support. Some have in fact gone even further however, lending their talents or finance to videogames and short movie productions.

Katee Sackhoff

Katee Sackhoff in EVE Valkyrie

Battlestar Galactica, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Riddick actor Katee Sackhoff is famed for her science-fiction adventures, so who better to star in VR’s first sci-fi blockbuster? EVE Valkyrie casts Sackhoff as Rán Kavik, stalwart leader of the Valkyrie pilots. Sackhoff is presented as your comrade during story-driven moments and a commentator on the action during multiplayer gameplay. She is suspiciously aware of your successes and failures, and is quick to condemn a poor performance.

Henry Oculus screenshot

Elijah Wood in Henry

Henry is a short film from Oculus Story Studio, currently available for free to all Oculus Rift early adopters. It depicts a loveable cartoon hedgehog that’s having a bit of a rough time. See, Henry loves hugs, but his spiky exterior is not all too welcoming for his friends. As such, he finds himself in a very lonely situation at his birthday party.

In a rather odd turn of events, Oculus Story Studio decided not to make a big deal out of the fact that Elijah Wood, who shot to fame in his role of Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, is the sole voice viewers will hear throughout the film. Wood acts as the narrator, guiding the player through Henry’s misery and into an unsurprisingly smile-inducing resolution.

Sean Pertwee as Alfred Pennyworth

Nick Frost, Lara Pulver & Sean Pertwee in Esper 2

The first Esper videogame, originally developed for Samsung Gear VR, featured some rather humorous voice-acting courtesy of Norm MacDonald (My Name is Earl, Mike Tyson Mysteries, Family Guy), but it was the sequel that really upped-the-ante. Coatsink rallied the talents of Nick Frost (Spaced, Shaun of the Dead), Lara Pulver (True Blood, Sherlock) and regular videogame voice talent Sean Pertwee (Event Horizon, Gotham) to lend their voices to Esper 2, offering the biggest celebrity cast of any VR videogame to date.

firebird la peri

John Rhys-Davies in Firebird: La Peri

The recent Steam Early Access release of Firebird: La Peri saw John Rhys-Davies, actor famed for playing the character of Sallah in two Indiana Jones movies and Gimli in the big screen adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, deliver a narrative for Innerspace VR’s recreation of the classical piece, La Peri.

“When working on the Firebird franchise, it was evident that we wanted a strong voice and John Rhys-Davies was the obvious choice. His legacy in gaming and entertainment is unparalleled,” said Balthazar Auxietre, CCO and co-founder of Innerspace VR.

KevinSpacey_Header

Kevin Spacey Investing in VR

Although Kevin Spacey is yet to appear in any VR productions himself, the actor made a bold early move investing in the technology. Woofbert VR, a content production company specialising in short film, is the benefactor of Spacey’s enthusiasm. Having stated that it was the Oculus Rift that ‘opened his eyes’ to the possibilities of VR in theatre, Spacey recognises that: “A lot of the early problems with the technology have been solved, it’s time for the content creators to produce.”

Posted on

Celebrities in VR: Videogames, Movies & Investment

Virtual reality (VR) is a pervasive new medium. While it’s currently being lead by videogames – as was expected by many over the past three years of gestation – there are plenty of other areas in which VR will in time become a dominating presence. Hollywood is one of these, and many celebrities have already begun vocalising their support. Some have in fact gone even further however, lending their talents or finance to videogames and short movie productions.

Katee Sackhoff

Katee Sackhoff in EVE Valkyrie

Battlestar Galactica, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Riddick actor Katee Sackhoff is famed for her science-fiction adventures, so who better to star in VR’s first sci-fi blockbuster? EVE Valkyrie casts Sackhoff as Rán Kavik, stalwart leader of the Valkyrie pilots. Sackhoff is presented as your comrade during story-driven moments and a commentator on the action during multiplayer gameplay. She is suspiciously aware of your successes and failures, and is quick to condemn a poor performance.

Henry Oculus screenshot

Elijah Wood in Henry

Henry is a short film from Oculus Story Studio, currently available for free to all Oculus Rift early adopters. It depicts a loveable cartoon hedgehog that’s having a bit of a rough time. See, Henry loves hugs, but his spiky exterior is not all too welcoming for his friends. As such, he finds himself in a very lonely situation at his birthday party.

In a rather odd turn of events, Oculus Story Studio decided not to make a big deal out of the fact that Elijah Wood, who shot to fame in his role of Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, is the sole voice viewers will hear throughout the film. Wood acts as the narrator, guiding the player through Henry’s misery and into an unsurprisingly smile-inducing resolution.

Sean Pertwee as Alfred Pennyworth

Nick Frost, Lara Pulver & Sean Pertwee in Esper 2

The first Esper videogame, originally developed for Samsung Gear VR, featured some rather humorous voice-acting courtesy of Norm MacDonald (My Name is Earl, Mike Tyson Mysteries, Family Guy), but it was the sequel that really upped-the-ante. Coatsink rallied the talents of Nick Frost (Spaced, Shaun of the Dead), Lara Pulver (True Blood, Sherlock) and regular videogame voice talent Sean Pertwee (Event Horizon, Gotham) to lend their voices to Esper 2, offering the biggest celebrity cast of any VR videogame to date.

firebird la peri

John Rhys-Davies in Firebird: La Peri

The recent Steam Early Access release of Firebird: La Peri saw John Rhys-Davies, actor famed for playing the character of Sallah in two Indiana Jones movies and Gimli in the big screen adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, deliver a narrative for Innerspace VR’s recreation of the classical piece, La Peri.

“When working on the Firebird franchise, it was evident that we wanted a strong voice and John Rhys-Davies was the obvious choice. His legacy in gaming and entertainment is unparalleled,” said Balthazar Auxietre, CCO and co-founder of Innerspace VR.

KevinSpacey_Header

Kevin Spacey Investing in VR

Although Kevin Spacey is yet to appear in any VR productions himself, the actor made a bold early move investing in the technology. Woofbert VR, a content production company specialising in short film, is the benefactor of Spacey’s enthusiasm. Having stated that it was the Oculus Rift that ‘opened his eyes’ to the possibilities of VR in theatre, Spacey recognises that: “A lot of the early problems with the technology have been solved, it’s time for the content creators to produce.”