‘Dimensional Double Shift’ is Owlchemy Labs’ Fastest Growing Game, Tapping Into Quest’s Latest Freemium Trend

https://ift.tt/Fag59qU

Owlchemy Labs has been a powerhouse of top-selling VR games, so when the Google-owned studio released Dimensional Double Shift in beta last year for free, it wasn’t immediately clear why the studio behind Job Simulator (2016) was making its first stride into freemium territory. With over 500,000 downloads now though, it’s evident they saw the writing on the wall: free-to-play on Quest is more lucrative than ever thanks to Quest 3S.

Like Job Simulator and its sequel Vacation Simulator (2019), Dimensional Double Shift tasks players with jobbing around a patently wacky universe, this time running a combination garage and diner station, where you and three other players can fix up both cars and grub for alien patrons.

There’s a little more under the hood than just being essentially a free-to-play multiplayer version of Job Simulator though. While Dimensional Double Shift replicates the sort of immersive and easy to pick up mechanics of the studio’s most successful titles, also being one of the first designed exclusively for hand-tracking, the launch of Quest 3S has seen a large influx of younger users, which undoubtedly has been a big driver.

And as it goes, younger gamers typically spend more time in social games, less money on premium purchases, and more on in-app purchases—meaning free-to-play games are seeing a big boost right now.

To boot, Dimensional Double Shift’s 500,000 download milestone follows a growing trend of veterans and indie studios alike hoping to strike it big with freemium titles, ostensibly aiming to replicate the viral success of Another Axiom’s breakout hit Gorilla Tag, which generated over $100 million in gross revenue last summer.

“We’re building a social-first platform, and these younger users are more likely to spend time with friends in multiplayer experiences and social hangout apps,” Meta’s Metaverse Content chief Samantha Ryan said last month. “They’re contributing to the rise of free-to-play titles—a pattern historically common on other platforms. We’re also seeing growth of younger users in Horizon Worlds.”

And Meta knows full well it needs a Gorilla Tag—or multiple Gorilla Tags—of its own on Horizon Worlds too. Meta recently announced a $50 million fund to incentivize the creation of new and improved content in Horizon Worlds, aiming to attract developers to build on the social platform what they might otherwise launch as self-contained apps, with the fund designed to pay out bonuses to creators of worlds that drive high visits, retention and in-app purchases.

The post ‘Dimensional Double Shift’ is Owlchemy Labs’ Fastest Growing Game, Tapping Into Quest’s Latest Freemium Trend appeared first on Road to VR.

from Road to VR https://ift.tt/TQ1KslU
via IFTTT

Classic Melee Combat Game ‘GORN’ is Getting a Sequel Later This Year on Quest, PC VR & PSVR 2

https://ift.tt/w9TiIe2

GORN (2019), the comically violent combat game from Free Lives, is getting a sequel that aims to bring a double dose of madcap melee mayhem, coming to all major VR headsets later this year.

GORN 2 is currently being developed by Cortopia Studios, with help from the teams at Free Lives and Devolver Digital. You might know Cortopia from its rash of VR games over the years, including Down the Rabbit Hole (2020), Escaping Wonder Land (2024), and Wands Alliances (2022).

Promising to be “bigger, wilder, and stronger than ever before,” Gorn 2 is slated to introduce new weapons, a host of arena traps, and new power-ups for even more supernatural strength (and size).

Check out the announcement trailer below:

Like the original, the cartoony, physics-driven combat sim is also packing in its fair share of boss battles, this time around boasting “five sons of the God of the Afterlife” to beat across an array of heavenly realms.

“GORN 2 is everything GORN was but MORE,” Cortopia says on the game’s Steam page. “More weapons, more enemies, more arenas, more traps, more power-ups, and more hilariously over-the-top combat. If you loved the first game, but still feel a raging yearning for more, GORN 2 will sate your blood-thirst.”

And once the boss-laden arenas are vanquished with your choice of over 35 weapons, Gorn 2 also promises a Custom Mode so you can craft your own challenges, and (of course) an Endless Mode to keep the shirtless barbarians coming your way non-stop.

There’s no exact launch date yet; Cortopia Studios and Free Lives say it’s coming to the Horizon Store for Quest 2 and above, SteamVR headsets, and the PlayStation Store for PSVR 2 later this year.

To see more, check out an early hands-on from YouTuber ‘Beardo Benjo’, which shows off a good slate of gameplay across the first few stages.

The post Classic Melee Combat Game ‘GORN’ is Getting a Sequel Later This Year on Quest, PC VR & PSVR 2 appeared first on Road to VR.

from Road to VR https://ift.tt/Y3iIuvX
via IFTTT

‘Batman: Arkham Shadow’ Update Adds New Modes, Maps & Extreme Difficulty for Seasoned Players

https://ift.tt/HmGQIgy

Batman: Arkham Shadow (2024) just got its ‘Game of the Year’ update that brings a host of new features, including three new maps, an ‘Extreme’ difficulty setting, and a new permadeath mode.

Camouflaj released the game’s 1.4 update to celebrate its recent Game of the Year win at the annual D.I.C.E. Awards last month, where it took home the Immersive Reality GOTY category.

Released in October 2024 shortly after the launch of Quest 3S, Batman: Arkham Shadow now has three new maps inspired by classic Arkham games, including Arkham Origins, Arkham City, and Arkham Asylum.

• Quiet Reflection (inspired by “Quiet Waters” from Arkham Origins)
• Architect of Fear (inspired by “Natural Selection” from Arkham City)
• Stalking TYGER (inspired by “Silent Knight” from Arkham Asylum)

You’ll also find a new Extreme difficulty setting, which you can select both in the campaign and existing Challenge Maps.

There are also some new modes too, including an ‘I Am the Knight’ permadeath mode—a variant on New Game+ that puts you on Extreme difficulty, restarting your campaign every time you get a game over. Beat it, and you’ll unlock a gold-accented Batsuit variant called ‘The Prestige’.

‘Crane’s Nightmare’, an infinite combat mode, is also here, inspired by the classic ‘Scarecrow Nightmare’ extra content from Arkham Asylum.

The 1.4 update also brings six new ‘Echo’ collectibles, looping haptics while gliding, and alternating leg animations when mantling. The studio says 1.4 also comes with over 500 bugfixes; you can check out the changelog here.

The post ‘Batman: Arkham Shadow’ Update Adds New Modes, Maps & Extreme Difficulty for Seasoned Players appeared first on Road to VR.

from Road to VR https://ift.tt/FmrA8su
via IFTTT