The mobile game phenomenon known as App Lab has surprised developers by rapidly gaining traction, boasting a staggering 360,000 monthly active users, a milestone achieved prior to its official release on the flagship Quest platform later this week. Engaging with the studio, they candidly share their vision for the mission’s trajectory, highlighting the driving forces that propel its progress and the exciting possibilities that lie ahead.
Developed by Trass Video Games, the project spanned an eight-month development period, ultimately yielding a Closed Alpha release in February 2024. The sport formally launched on App Lab in March, before making its debut on the primary Quest retail store just this week.
The event workforce, comprising co-founders Jack Southard, Nathan Jew, and Steve Shockey, came into being through a collaborative process. Because the builders clarified that they, Jack, Nathan, and Steve, presented three distinct recreational ideas to pitch. After gathering components from various sources, we combined and streamlined them to create.
emphasizes options for arm-based locomotion, a system popularized by numerous VR titles. The builders acknowledge the inspiration. We have immense admiration for their innovative arm locomotion system that they pioneered. We recognized that this was the logical next step for VR locomotion, particularly in a social setting with a playful vibe.
Despite this, the goal is to stand out by offering additional choices. The team responsible for the locomotion’s development notes that they enhanced its capabilities by incorporating innovative features such as bombs and gliders, allowing it to reach new depths of complexity. As we’ve observed the success of popular video games adopting the battle royale format, complete with entertaining and engaging gameplay elements, we decided to draw inspiration from this trend and bring a similar experience to life within our VR platform.
A primary emphasis is on user-generated content (UGC), driven by the team’s prior experience and expertise. As kids, we invested countless hours in popular user-generated content (UGC) video games such as. We were familiar with the capabilities of these expressive construction techniques and set out to develop a VR-native one.
Since the launch of App Lab, Trass Video has witnessed significant consumer adoption of its games stories. Since our launch on App Lab on March 14th, 2024, the platform has experienced significant growth, now boasting approximately 360,000 monthly active users (MAU), according to our workforce. As the main quest store’s launch unfolds, we anticipate a rapid expansion of our participant base.
The sport has received a wide range of consumer reviews. After just three months since its App Lab debut, the game had achieved a remarkable milestone: surpassing VR basics to become the tenth most-reviewed VR game of all time, while consistently exceeding average evaluation ratings. The sport currently boasts a staggering 18,000 rankings, an impressive figure that surpasses 31,000. While granted is a free-to-play option, its counterpart is available for the price of $25.
Trass Games has unveiled its strategy for regular content updates. We’re committed to delivering a steady stream of fresh content updates, incorporating innovative devices, blocks, game mechanics, and diverse biomes. “We’re thrilled to further enhance our social user-generated content capabilities, enabling creators to build and share comprehensive worlds with their entire community,” the team states.
Trass Games was founded in 2022 by Jack Southard and Nathan Jew, who claim to have first met during their freshman year of high school in 2015 and began collaborating on game development together. Prior to exploring the realm of virtual reality in their senior year of high school, students claimed to have developed a collective total of 30 small recreational project endeavors.
Their debut VR experience, “Sharknado VR”, launched on Steam in 2019, is a tongue-in-cheek recreation where players combat increasingly vicious and deadly sharks using makeshift weapons.
As the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, the team felt compelled to create a multiplayer virtual reality game. Their efforts ultimately resulted in the successful development and deployment of a well-received experience on Quest.
According to the studio, Godsgain has caught the attention of A16Z, a prominent venture capital firm, which has extended an invitation to Trass Games to participate in its Speedrun accelerator, a program designed to support early-stage game development. This system invests a total of $750,000 across its network of partnering companies.
Trass Video Games significantly expanded its workforce, increasing staff numbers from three to six, as it brought aboard new talent to achieve its goal of developing a groundbreaking free social game that surpasses all previous endeavors in every aspect.
Despite gaining an initial advantage through the A16Z Speedrun program, the studio does not intend to seek additional investment beyond this point. While planning to gradually build our talent pool, we’re confident in our ability to adapt and grow as a nimble, eco-conscious organization that can quickly respond to changing circumstances. As part of its strategy, the studio reveals that it doesn’t intend to seek external financing for its projects.
