Cloudhead Video games is one among VR’s most senior and most profitable studios. Having not launched a brand new recreation since Pistol Whip in 2019, the studio tells Highway to VR that two model new VR video games are in growth.
Cloudhead Video games could be old-school so far as VR studios go, but it surely has at all times been forward-looking.
Again within the Oculus Rift DK1 and DK2 days (circa 2014), the studio was already serious about the best way to design video games for VR movement controllers, regardless of no headsets available on the market transport with movement controllers till 2016. The studio was additionally instrumental in establishing a number of VR locomotion mechanics which have advanced into trade requirements.
After the launch of The Gallery – Episode 1: Name of the Starseed (2016) and Episode 2: Coronary heart of the Emberstone (2017), Cloudhead was waiting for standalone VR headsets. Designing across the alternatives and limitations of the primary Quest headset meant discovering a cautious steadiness of scope and enjoyable, culminating within the launch of the VR rhythm-shooter Pistol Whip in 2019.
Although not fairly the bar-setting success of Beat Saber (2018), Cloudhead’s Pistol Whip has endured as one among VR’s finest rated and hottest video games.
The title’s success allowed the studio to constantly replace and enhance the sport with extra maps, music, and modes. In comparison with its authentic launch, Pistol Whip as we speak ships with considerably extra content material, all of which has been added utterly free for present homeowners.
Regardless of its success, the studio has been largely silent about its post-Pistol Whip plans. However in the end we’ve realized that Cloudhead is now constructing two model new VR video games.
“A part of our progress technique [after Pistol Whip] was to separate our group into two distinct lanes. This opened up the door to Cloudhead Labs, an incubator for inside pitches, prototypes, and the analysis of recent {hardware}. From there we arrange further inside help buildings permitting Cloudhead to responsibly transition from Pistol Whip to 2 utterly new video games,” a spokesperson tells Highway to VR. “We’re excited to announce that the previous couple of years of prototyping in Labs has led the best way to 2 new titles for our studio. The groups at the moment are a number of months into manufacturing and will likely be sharing extra particulars within the close to future!”
So it seems like we are able to anticipate a correct announcement within the “close to future,” however what else do we all know at this level? Nicely, for one, neither undertaking is a Pistol Whip sequel. And contemplating the studio is “a number of months into manufacturing,” it’s unlikely that both title will likely be launched earlier than late 2024 on the earliest, with an actual risk of pushing nicely into 2025.
As a studio, Cloudhead has traditionally been very multi-platform—Pistol Whip is accessible on each main VR platform (and even some much less common ones). Whereas that’s possible the case with these upcoming tasks, the studio’s pedigree would put them on the brief checklist for an unique writer deal, however these have been very uncommon from main platforms in recent times.
Regardless of the case, we’re trying ahead to seeing what Cloudhead builds after all the things it has realized in regards to the success of Pistol Whip, and the place the studio will place its subsequent bets.
