Flat2VR Studios Reflects On Its First Year, Choosing What To Adapt & Future Plans

For Flat2VR Studios, first impressions have been all the things after changing into an official developer.

Created from the Flat2VR neighborhood and a part of Influence Actuality, we have seen numerous VR mods throughout the years and Flat2VR Studios goals to turn into a bridge for making such variations official. After the crew’s unveiling again in March 2024, a number of months handed earlier than its debut recreation can be unveiled. Few anticipated that might be the comedy music recreation Trombone Champ: Unflattened.

“There is a huge a part of the Flat2VR neighborhood that wasn’t notably blissful that [Trombone Champ] was the primary recreation we selected,” admits Eric Masher, Chief Working Officer & Co-founder of Flat2VR Studios.

Talking to UploadVR at PG Connects London 2025, Masher defined that the studio anticipated this response. Its first announcement needed to show the crew “are by no means married to 1 style,” which is why Flat2VR Studios confirmed 4 video games throughout August’s VR Video games Showcase.

However why particularly lead with Unflattened? Masher states this “was one of many tougher video games we might have picked as a result of it was utterly 2D,” however there have been a number of causes. With established modder Raicuparta formally working for Flat2VR Studios, whose prior work included Trombone Champ’s BaboonVR mod, a path turned clear.

“We have been a brand new studio popping out and never each IP wished to work with us, so we needed to show ourselves. We had a relationship with the unique IP holders, and so they have been very eager on doing one thing within the VR house. They only did not have an avenue or a path to do it.”

To date, I am informed it has been comparatively profitable regardless of launching near huge names like Batman: Arkham Shadow and Metro Awakening. Masher praises Influence Actuality’s advertising and marketing crew for this, confirming that Trombone Champ: Unflattened’s gross sales have been “near what our projections have been for the vacation season.” He additionally mentions the studio’s long-term plan contains content material updates throughout 2025, reminiscent of final week’s new setting.

Trombone Champ: Unflattened’s Winter Setting

However what challenges do these variations face? As an organization based by VR gaming fans, relationship constructing with mainstream publishers is an enormous one. Constructing mentioned connections required needing a physique of labor to indicate these potential companions. Initiatives like Cabalistic’s Half Life 2 VR mods and Raicuparta’s Firewatch VR mod helped.

Explaining one in every of his fundamental duties is to construct these relationships, Masher had a lot to be taught going ahead.

“I had no conventional gaming relationships, I am very rooted within the VR world. I have been within the VR house for over eight years, so I needed to begin making these connections… it isn’t ever a one assembly factor. You are coping with conventional gaming firms which have huge IPs which might be nonetheless essential to them. Getting them to belief you with the IP may be tough, however we’re getting there.”

Simply because the management desires to play a selected recreation in VR would not essentially imply it is a terrific enterprise choice for Flat2VR Studios.

“There are many video games that we might in all probability go signal tomorrow that will not make a terrific VR recreation. That is the place we now have to watch out and as VR followers, we all know what we need to play. These are the video games that we usually intend to get, however deciding what to prioritize is essential.”

Quest is one other main problem as a result of standalone headset’s much less highly effective {hardware}. Nevertheless, not each future adaptation essentially faces this barrier.

“There might be occasions that we in all probability will not go to Quest. We could discover a title that’s simply such a terrific IP, we’ll need to keep true to it, and there is going to be no manner we’ll have the ability to convey it to standalone. We could convey it to Steam and PlayStation VR2.”

Flat2VR Studios would additionally reasonably keep away from staggering a recreation launching between completely different headsets, and Masher acknowledged the uncertainty asserting Trombone Champ: Unflattened’s launch date in phases introduced. Although the studio was anxious about “briefly upsetting some followers,” they needed to threat it when Sony wished to characteristic Unflattened.

“Sony was nice for us. They have been blissful we went to that platform, and we are going to proceed to help PlayStation VR2 as a lot as we will.”

Presently, Flat2VR Studios has three confirmed upcoming video games: Roboquest VR, Wrath: Aeon of Spoil VR, and FlatOut. I am informed Roboquest and Wrath are aiming to launch this yr, whereas FlatOut is “hopefully on a great path” however much less sure to land in 2025.

Given the flatscreen variations of Roboquest and Wrath are already on Steam and PS5 — or in Roboquest’s case, heading to PS5 — will these VR variations be launched individually? I am informed each titles will launch as separate video games, reasonably than an replace or DLC to the flatscreen variations.

“If in case you have it on the identical SKU as an add-on, improve or a DLC for the VR model, I feel that cheapens what we’re doing… Possibly we are going to bundle them collectively down the highway, however I feel it is essential that we keep separate.”

As for what’s subsequent, Masher did not present any hints on different future video games. That mentioned, you may anticipate extra bulletins throughout 2025.

“We’ve got extra titles that we are going to announce later this yr. We’re going to announce one main title coming this yr in March proper earlier than GDC. This would be the largest IP that we have signed so far, it is one of many ones we have been working in direction of for a very long time.”