Holospark set out to create a ghost story set in virtual reality. It started as Séance: The Unquiet, a kind of VR film. But the Seattle company pivoted and decided to make a VR game experience for the emerging VR arcade market.
The Haunted Graveyard will be a scary game, designed for all ages. I saw a demo of the company’s earlier work, and I was struck at how good the developers were at making you feel like you were talking to a character in VR. Now they’re taking the creepy music and character to create a spooky vibe with the game.
The title is a VR adventure targeted at “VRcades,” or location-based experiences with VR headsets. It is being distributed through Springboard VR, Synthesis VR, and direct license on the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift VR headsets. In the experience, you visit a magical graveyard inhabited by ghosts. While it sounds like a horror game, the company said it is for all ages. And it’s just in time for Halloween. ,
“Our VRcade customers are going to love The Haunted Graveyard,” said Nathan Alder, director of licensing for the VRcade chain VRJunkies with twelve locations, in a statement. “It deserves to be at the top of any VRcade’s Halloween offering.”
VR has been slow to take off with consumers in homes, partly due to cost. With VRcades though, players can engage for a one-time experience for a much lower price.
Holospark views its haunting experience as a ride at an amusement park.
“VRcades are bringing a broad new audience to virtual reality, but most experiences on the market are made for hardcore gamers,” said Russell Williams, CEO of Holospark, in a statement. “With The Haunted Graveyard, we have created a new entertainment format that appeals to all audiences, driving VR forward to mass market entertainment.”