Vanguard Games, a console and mobile game developer best known for its contributions to the development of Halo: Spartan Assault and Halo: Spartan Strike, announced today that it has merged with Force Field VR, a recently established development firm specializing in VR and AR content.
Vanguard Games is joining Force Field and will be focusing entirely on virtual and augmented reality content. As part of the merger, Force Field is expanding its reach from just gaming into “broader entertainment experiences.”
“We are super excited to reveal our official shift to exclusively work on VR & AR under a new banner, Force Field,” said Arthur Houtman, CEO, Force Field. “We kicked off in this new direction nearly a year ago through our partnership with Oculus and absolutely fell in love with the possibilities of this new platform. We believe in the incredibly potent future of VR and AR and have made the bold decision to re-focus our entire company. Based on our legacy, awesome talent, studio size and deep relationships with the platforms, we feel confident that Force Field is in a unique position to create high quality games, interactive entertainment and experiences in virtual reality.”
Force Field is one of the first larger firms to shift its focus entirely on VR. The company said that most VR games have been made by small teams and independent studios. Force Field already has 60 developers under its wing, which it said gives it more resources than most companies working on VR projects.
“Force Field has shown itself to be a talented team with the creative and technical skills to bring experiences to life,” said Jason Rubin, Head of Studios at Oculus. “VR opens the door to an incredible future of immersive entertainment. It's exciting to see established studios like Force Field jumping in with both feet.”
Force Field said it already has several projects in development, the first of which will be released on Oculus Rift. The company will reveal details about the game later this year.
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