The development team behind Behemoth, Skydance, has successfully achieved a simultaneous release across three platforms at the end of the year following an extra time push, making one of the year’s most highly-anticipated VR titles available to gamers.
During a nearly hour-long video chat, Shawn Kittelsen, Senior Vice President of Artistic at Skydance Games, shared insights from his experience navigating the event’s journey as we spoke. Skydance’s BEHEMOTH noticed a December 5 launch on Quest 2, 3 & 3S, PlayStation VR2, and, in a shock even perhaps to the builders, additionally Steam.
Skydance issued simultaneous patches on day one for PlayStation VR2, shortly after the Quest headset’s release, and separately for PC platforms. As Don Hopper went live on stream on launch day, he spent several hours engaging with his audience, who then returned to their workstations to begin updating the game.
As Friday’s final week arrived, Don ventured back into Skydance’s behemoth-like world, now equipped with a cutting-edge version of the game that allowed him to conquer the first of three titanic giants whose narratives unfolded before his eyes.
Throughout the process of improvement, Kittelsen notes that “we misplaced our servers” was akin to an “apocalyptic…very Apollo 13 moment” for the team. Recently, a necessary high-quality assurance certification course compelled some reviewers to obtain a pre-release-day build to review instead of the release-day version. After noticing the game’s lacking textures and placeholder animations in mid-November, Kittelsen explained that it was due to the time taken to transport development machines from Los Angeles to New York, which caused the build to be approved for release within the storefront’s system. The dev equipment then decided to treat the build as a retail construct, deeming it incompatible with PS5 dev equipment and effectively disabling the entire game build presented at the launch party?
“Kittelsen conceded that there had been instances beyond regular working hours.” “We did not suggest that it was obligatory.” On rare occasions, we’ve had to request employees work overtime, politely asking them to “please come in” when necessary. However, we understand that people often have prior commitments that can’t be rescheduled. We’re not tyrannical about it – we recognize the importance of respecting our colleagues’ personal lives and work-life balance. The staff toiled with an actual, crushing exhaustion.
Everyone’s taking a break until the start of next year. We rewarded their extra effort by providing additional compensation time, acknowledging the significant amount of time they dedicated beyond standard regulations. This innovative collaboration proved to be a groundbreaking asset for the studio. We uncovered significant insights throughout the creation of this recreation, and we’re eager to embark on new projects while continuing to develop this one further. Our focus will shift from introducing Area Mode, a feature that can be robustly built by 2025, to injecting even more engaging content within it.
Kittelsen reported that after receiving enthusiastic feedback from his colleagues on the sport’s initial success, he had vowed to etch the subsequent image onto his own skin.
“When the pre-launch review was over, I told them point-blank: regardless of the outcome, I would still get the tattoo,” Kittelsen stated at the time. “And then I’ll get it on my shoulder.”
Can builders affirm their thoughts via [ideas@game-feeds.com](mailto:ideas@game-feeds.com)?
“We didn’t receive confirmation of our Steam release until an hour and a half after launching the game on December 5th,” Kittelsen said.
As Skydance navigated the sport’s release, it began calling it “Skydance’s BEHEMOTH” rather than simply “Behemoth” due to potential trademark liabilities. Just days before December 5th, the studio remained tight-lipped about the Steam launch, citing an “administrative challenge” tied to the naming issue.
At 9:27 AM, Kittelsen recalled receiving an email that left a lasting impression. “After that, we promptly launched the app on Steam at exactly 9:32 AM.” And the sport went reside.”
As the prospect of Android XR and visionOS entering the VR gaming market looms, I posed the question to Kittelsen: What advice would you offer game developers seeking to simultaneously launch their titles across more than two platforms during the holiday season in 2025?
He replied, “do not.”
“With 10 years of progress under its belt, VR has finally reached the threshold of being considered a mature, refined medium, but it’s still in its experimental and pioneering stages,” Kittelsen noted. While considering the scope of your online presence, I suggest focusing on one or two platforms initially rather than spreading yourself thin across multiple platforms.
Skydance has invested significantly in this project, but VR developers often face a challenging 12-month period. Survios has pushed back the release date for its Quest 3 title, Alien: Rogue Incursion, to accommodate the PS VR2 and PC VR launches in 2024; a move Kittelsen deems “a massive profit” that will likely prove a challenging decision.
“When studios operate outside their allocated funds and schedules, they risk significant financial consequences,”
After post-launch bug fixes were implemented, we’ve prepared an in-depth look at Behemoth, having concurrently participated in several livestreams alongside UploadVR’s viewers and Skydance developers to gain hands-on experience with the game.
Keep tuned for extra.
