Highlights from the UploadVR Showcase
Excited to announce some major milestones for Maestro, Thrasher, Laser Dance and Starship Home from the Creature label during the UploadVR Summer Showcase.
We are very excited to help some of our label studios announce major milestones for their upcoming VR and MR games. These games make us optimistic about the future of immersive gaming. We know when you get the chance to play these novel experiences, you’ll see why.
Maestro, the full-length VR rhythm conducting game is coming to Quest 2, Quest 3 and SteamVR later this year.
After the success of their free demo Maestro: The Masterclass, development team Double Jack and VR label Creature is turning the project into a full-length game, revealed today with a new announcement trailer. Maestro is a VR rhythm conducting game that transports the player to the Paris Classical/Orchestral music scene. It’s slated to launch on Quest 2, Quest 3 and SteamVR later this year.
Maestro is the first of three projects to receive funding from the SideQuest x Creature $1,000,000 Indie VR Fund, which was launched in August 2023 to support promising independent developers.
Thrasher, the mind-melting arcade action odyssey, is coming to Steam VR this December.
THRASHER, the mind-melting arcade action odyssey from Brian Gibson (composer and artist for Thumper and bassist for the band Lightning Bolt) and Mike Mandel (Rock Band VR, Fantasia: Music Evolved) has a SteamVR release window!
The game is coming to Steam VR this December.
From the artist & composer behind the cult hit THUMPER comes THRASHER, a mind-melting arcade action odyssey and visceral audiovisual experience. With the wave of your hand, guide a magnificent space eel through breathtaking and unsettling landscapes. Swoop, dash and thrash to defeat wild bosses in the ultimate race for survival.
THRASHER is slated to release on Meta Quest and Apple Vision Pro on July 25th with PCVR and flatscreen versions to follow sometime after.
Pre-order Thrasher now for the Meta Quest or Apple Vision Pro!
You can also wishlist on Steam for the December release.
Laser Dance, an upcoming game from Thomas van Bouwel, has a new mixed reality teaser.
From Cubism creator Thomas Van Bouwel and presented by Creature, the new VR-focused label from industry veteran Doug North Cook, comes Laser Dance, a mixed reality game that turns your living room into a laser obstacle course. Announced at Meta Connect 2023, Laser Dance will come to Quest 2, 3 and Quest Pro devices later this year.
A new teaser was released today during the UploadVR showcase to celebrate the Quest store page going live.
Laser Dance is a mixed-reality game that turns your living room into a laser obstacle course. Dance, dodge, and crawl your way to victory in this intuitive party game, perfect for both newcomers and seasoned gamers!
Players move between two buttons on opposite ends of their living room, traversing a sequence of laser patterns which adapt to the room’s size and layout. Different laser patterns will have them move their bodies in different ways as they make their way to the finish line.
Starship Home, the Quest 3-exclusive mixed reality game from our own studio, has a new trailer that was feature in today’s UploadVR showcase.
VR studio and label Creature have released a full game reveal trailer and opened pre-orders for Starship Home, a plant-filled mixed-reality adventure through the stars! It is the first game developed by the Creature team and is a Quest 3 exclusive. The team is planning a 2024 release date.
Turn your home into a starship… then turn your starship into a home! Starship Home is a Mixed Reality game where you can turn your living room into an interactive spaceship.
Through strategically placing virtual windows, control panels, and other components, players will transform their physical environment (viewed through the passthrough cameras) into a starship ready to launch into the stars. Travel from planet to planet collecting plant clippings, and decorate your home with weird and wonderful alien foliage. Plants aren’t just for decoration – they’ll allow you to unlock interactive ‘dreams’ that show off mixed reality to its full potential!
Players will travel through hyperspace between planets, gather alien plants needing care, and receive transmissions from friendly aliens, all while unravelling the mystery of a sinister blight that threatens plant life across the galaxy.
Pre-order Starship Home now on the Meta Quest to get a 10% discount before launch.
Announcing Starship Home
VR studio and label Creature have announced their inaugural project – Starship Home, a plant-filled mixed-reality adventure through the stars! It is the first game developed by the Creature team. The game is a Quest 3 exclusive. Alongside a teaser trailer, the team have also revealed they are planning a 2024 release date.
Turn your home into a starship… then turn your starship into a home! Starship Home is a mixed reality game where you can turn your living room into an interactive starship.
Through strategically placing virtual windows, control panels, and other components, players will transform their physical environment (viewed through the passthrough cameras) into a starship ready to launch into the stars. Travel from planet to planet collecting plant clippings, and decorate your home with weird and wonderful alien foliage. Plants aren’t just for decoration – they’ll allow you to unlock interactive ‘dreams’ that show off mixed reality to its full potential!
Players will travel through hyperspace between planets, gather alien plants in need of care, and receive transmissions from friendly aliens, all while unraveling the mystery of a sinister blight that threatens plant life across the galaxy.
Features:
Interactive Setup: Create a personalized cozy starship environment!
Hyperspace Travel: Explore a diverse galaxy using an interactive star chart!
Plant Healing: Care for and revive plants through wondrous dream sequences!
Mixed Reality Interaction: Engage with virtual interfaces in the physical world!
Available for wishlist now on the Meta Quest store!
SideQuest and Creature Launch $1 Million Fund for Indie VR Developers
VR content aggregator, SideQuest has announced its partnership with VR studio and label, Creature to launch an indie VR fund worth $1 million. The fund – established by SideQuest and managed by Creature – will be used to support promising independent developers, uncover VR gaming’s next hidden gems, and expand the industry.
Today, VR content aggregator, SideQuest has announced its partnership with VR studio and label, Creature to launch an indie VR fund worth $1 million. The fund – established by SideQuest and managed by Creature – will be used to support promising independent developers, uncover VR gaming’s next hidden gems, and expand the industry.
Developers are invited to send pitches to Creature beginning August 18, 2023 for funding consideration. Both SideQuest and Creature will support successful applicants throughout the journey to major platforms and beyond.
The fund was provided by SideQuest having been ring-fenced during their Series A investment expressly for this purpose; Creature will be responsible for management of the fund. Both SideQuest and Creature are excited for this opportunity to support VR content creation and the passionate developers growing the industry.
Creature makes for an ideal partner for SideQuest in this venture. Launched in January 2023 and led by industry veteran Doug North Cook, Creature is dedicated to sourcing and supporting the artists, designers, and developers unlocking new projects and possibilities in VR. Above all, they want to help developers build sustainable businesses while releasing outstanding games to the community – most of whom are very active on SideQuest.
With the Creature team’s experience working with some of VR’s highest-rated games (including titles like The Light Brigade by Funktronic Labs, Cubism by Thomas Van Bouwel, and Budget Cuts Ultimate by Neat Corporation) and SideQuest acting as a reliable proving ground for aspiring developers to grow their fanbase and test their creations, this is the perfect partnership to find the industry’s next big hits.
Full details of the Indie Developer Fund including how to apply, what to include in your pitch, and criteria for success can be found here.
Quote from Orla Harris, SideQuest COO
“Since we started SideQuest, we’ve often been asked why we don’t sign/launch/release games ourselves. The simple answer is: we’ve never had the expertise to do it before. Championing developers has always been our focus, but we’ve needed time to learn, grow, and build relationships with industry experts. Doug North Cook and the Creature team are those experts. And now, we have the funding to back them up. Together, we’re poised to help more indie devs get their games released while expanding what VR can offer.”
Quote from Doug North Cook, Creature CEO and Creative Director
“SideQuest has a great reputation for supporting developers as they work to find an audience prior to release on one of the major platforms. Games like Gorilla Tag, Ancient Dungeon VR, We Are One, and hundreds of others have benefitted from the community SideQuest has built. We know that the best VR games have yet to be discovered and that many of those games will come from unexpected places – like most of our current favorite VR games. The teams making those next great games will benefit from the collected experience, support, and funding that this collaboration will provide.”
About Creature
Founded in 2023, Creature is a VR-focused video game studio and label committed to revolutionizing the gaming industry through innovation and creativity. With a talented team of industry veterans and a portfolio of groundbreaking projects, Creature aims to build the future of play. In addition to developing its own games, Creature offers business development services to independent studios, empowering them to succeed in a competitive market. For press requests, please contact the team at hello@creature.email.
About SideQuest
SideQuest is a place to get more apps for the Oculus Quest, as well as a completely safe way to enjoy some cutting-edge content in VR and expand the capability of your standalone VR headset. The VR content aggregator makes it easier for users to access content that is not yet available on the Oculus Store and as a proving ground for developers to validate their content and kick-start their communities. SideQuest is completely free for users and developers – and always will be – as it is deeply committed to supporting the VR industry. For press requests, please contact the team at contact@side.quest.
Introducing Creature: the Game Studio and Label Building the Future of Play
Welcome to Creature
The new company brings together Virtual Reality industry veterans
[Pittsburgh, PA]
Creature is announcing today its public launch as a game studio and label. Led by a team of industry veterans since January 2023, Creature is developing an unannounced mixed-reality game. It is also working with several game studios as part of its label, where it provides business development support,production consulting, and release strategy. Creature has been formed for two intertwined purposes: to assist game developers in building sustainable businesses and to bring high-quality games to consumers.
The newly formed Creature label is working with several announced and unannounced game studios on current and upcoming mixed and virtual reality games, including the team at Funktronic Labs, creators of The Light Brigade and Fujii; Thomas Van Bouwel, creator of Cubism and the upcoming mixed reality game Laser Dance; and Neat Corporation, makers of Garden of the Sea and the recently released Budget Cuts Ultimate.
As part of its label, Creature provides business development support and production consulting, helping game developers focus their efforts on building incredible gameplay experiences. By working alongside developers, Creature aims to foster a vibrant and empowering community of studios building best-in-class games.
Creature’s studio is working on a mixed-reality game to be officially announced at a later date. Spearheading the studio's art direction is Ashley Pinnick (Tilt Brush, Slimeball). The Engineering team is led by Mark Schramm (SUPERHOT® VR, Gravity Lab).
Creature is led by industry veteran Doug North Cook (Creative Director & Chief Executive Officer), former head of VR at Robot Teddy, where he worked on Among Us VR and The Last Clockwinder in addition to other titles. Chris Hanney (Shredders and Space Pirate Trainer) has joined as Director of Production. Abbey Cooper joins the team as the Chief Operating Officer with 8+ years of experience in business strategy and operations management. Rose Gerber is the Director of Marketing & Communications, bringing her communications and events management experience to Creature.
Quote from Doug North Cook
“We’ve built Creature to support artists, designers, and developers who we believe are creating experiences that unlock something new. I believe that operating with a focus on trust, transparency, honesty, and unrelenting quality is the way that we can push the industry in a more playful direction that creates room for developers to build sustainable studios that are able to focus on building their best work yet while we support them every step of the way. Our team is able to do this because we have some of the most talented, experienced, and lovely people who have helped to build some of the most transformative VR experiences to date. We are just getting started.”
About Creature
Founded in 2023, Creature is a VR-focused video game studio and label committed to revolutionizing the gaming industry through innovation and creativity. With a talented team of industry veterans and a portfolio of groundbreaking projects, Creature aims to build the future of play. In addition to developing its own games, Creature offers business development support, production consulting, and release strategy to independent studios, empowering them to succeed in a competitive market.