The specialist in the sale of computer equipment LDLC opens a virtual reality studio dedicated to creating out-of-home entertainment experiences. The LDLC VR Studio’s first creation, “Catch the dragon”, sees two teams of 2 to 3 players compete in a 200 m² space in order to recover a dragon’s head as often as possible.
Another newcomer among virtual reality game creation studios! The LDLC group, specializing in the sale of computer equipment, announced Thursday January 16, 2020 the launch of LDLC VR Studio. He specializes in creating content for entertainment outside the home, and already markets his first game, called “Catch The Dragon”.
TWO TEAMS COMPETING
“Catch the dragon is both a cooperative and competitive game that takes place in a somewhat fantastic universe , ” explains Laurence Lacombe, director of information systems at LDLC. Two teams of 2 to 3 players compete for twenty minutes. The goal ? Collect as many times as possible the dragon head which is located in the middle of the arena.
Once equipped with a backpack computer, a VR headset and associated controllers, each player chooses their character class: a mage or an archer. The players are split into two camps: “Chaos” and “Order”. To make sure they dominate the game, they kill the characters on the other team. “The archer reproduces the real gesture of the archery , specifies Laurence Lacombe, and the mage draws energy using his stick” . After 10 minutes of play, the players swap sides. It is then possible to continue the experiment with the same character class or to change it.
A NEW GAME IN DEVELOPMENT
For now, “Catch the dragon” is only accessible at the MultiWorld area of Bourgoin-Jallieu, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region at the price of 32 euros per person. LDLC VR Studio “is in discussions with other virtual reality rooms” , assures Laurence Lacombe. But this “free roaming” experience (in which players move physically) requires a space of 200 square meters, which limits the number of compatible establishments.
The virtual reality studio is already working on a new experience that could see the light of day in the second quarter of 2020. LDLC VR Studio seeks to “offer a completely different experience on a different surface” , specifies Laurence Lacombe, who will not say much more. . The studio, which is considering developing experiments in smaller spaces, could also make “static” virtual reality games in a standard space of 9 square meters.
UPCOMING RECRUITMENTS
The studio is currently made up of a team of six people based in the Lyon region. LDLC is however planning recruitments this year in order to give itself the means to achieve its ambitions. But LDLC VR Studio would not have quantified objectives for the moment, either for its sales or the number of productions to be produced. The studio does not close any doors and could even, why not, open its own room one day.
