Sumo Digital acquires CCP Games’ Newcastle studio, responsible for EVE Valkyrie

 Sumo Digital, part of the Sumo Group plc (AIM: SUMO) a leading independent game developer, today announced that it has taken on CCP Games’ Newcastle studio, responsible for EVE Valkyrie  

34 staff have transferred to Sumo Digital, with Owen O’Brien as Studio Director, and remain in Newcastle. As the fourth studio for the developer – the third in the UK alongside Sheffield and Nottingham – this addition further extends Sumo’s capacity and breadth of experience.

Sumo Digital has done work on Hitman, Forza Motorsport 7, and LittleBigPlanet 3.

Paul Porter, Managing Director of Sumo Digital said, “As we continue to expand this was a great opportunity to bring an experienced, talented and tight-knit team on board."

”Sumo Digital is a great home for the team in Newcastle,” said Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, CEO of CCP Games. “As we say goodbye to our former colleagues we know that they will do great things there, and we can’t wait to see what they do next.”

CCP makers of EVE Valkyrie, Sparc, and Gunjack to move away from VR and close down several studios.

Today there was a significant restructuring to CCP games, known in the VR world for the excellent EVE Valkyrie and Gunjack games. Recently we reported on how EVE Valkyrie was transitioning away from just the VR elements and into cross platform gaming. http://www.catsandvr.com/blog/evewarzone

This transition may have been a look at things to come. CCP is stepping back from VR and has closed it Atlanta office responsible for Sparc and is selling its Newcastle office responsible for Eve Valkyrie. I have been a fan of the VR work of CCP for a while and EVE VR was my first Oculus experience all the way in 2013. EVE VR would eventually become EVE Valkyrie, one of the first must have VR games. 

CCP CEO Hilmar Veigar Pétursson released a statement to the Iceland Monitor today

“Despite the success of the VR games we have released we will be shifting our focus to our PC and mobile initiatives,” says Pétursson. “We will continue to support our VR games but will not be making material VR investments until we see market conditions that justify further investments beyond what we have already made.” 

No word on what will happen to CCP Shanghai, the team responsible for Gunjack, a game that has sold over 500,000 copies.

My heart goes out to the team and thank you for being VR pioneers. 

CCP Games Launches EVE: Valkyrie – Warzone, The First Fully Cross-Platform, Cross-Reality Videogame for VR, PC and PlayStation 4

Today, CCP Games released EVE: Valkyrie – Warzone™, taking the thrill and skill of competitive online space combat beyond VR to PlayStation®4 and PC gamers as the first fully cross-platform, cross-reality videogame. Since its initial announcement last month, CCP’s expanded first-person spaceship shooter has impressed fans and critics alike, with PCGamesN stating, “EVE: Valkyrie’s Warzone expansion turns it into Overwatch in space.”

New players can purchase EVE: Valkyrie - Warzone for $29.99 SRP from the PlayStation®Store, Steam® and Oculus Home, while all current EVE: Valkyrieowners will receive it as a free mandatory upgrade, expanding the base game to become EVE: Valkyrie – Warzone. With all new and expanded versions of the game, pilots can choose to play the game with or without a VR headset.

“EVE: Valkyrie was born in virtual reality and is now reborn for everyone” said Andrew Willans, Lead Game Designer at CCP’s Newcastle Studio. “With the introduction of Warzone, it’s a great time for all players to get involved in the gritty-but-glorious celestial arenas of EVE: Valkyrie.”

“Breaking down barriers is a big part of what keeps us on the forefront of the gaming industry,” said Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, CEO of CCP Games. “The evolution of EVE: Valkyrie to EVE: Valkyrie – Warzone brings the thrill of the playing this first-person spaceship shooter to its highest level of inclusiveness.”

Set in the the notorious sci-fi universe of EVE, EVE: Valkyrie – Warzone puts PC and PS4 gamers in the cockpit of heavily armed spaceships, enabling them to fly and fight alongside each other – both in and out of virtual reality – as they battle for legendary status in fast, fun, and intense multiplayer space combat.
EVE: Valkyrie - Warzone includes all the content and improvements released for EVE: Valkyrie since launch while dramatically enhancing the experience for new and current players alike. It introduces a next-generation fleet of iconic ships – including the new Covert class ship, “Shadow” – each one with their own distinctive role to play in battle. With new weapons – including powerful Ultra abilities – and a fully redesigned progression system for each ship, players will have more control over how they evolve their arsenal to suit their playstyle.

New to EVE: Valkyrie - Warzone will be the ‘Extraction’ game mode that puts capture-the-flag in outer space for an exhilarating gameplay experience. The Warzone expansion also features two new maps, “Fleet” and “Outpost,” as well as new Wormholes that introduce a fresh challenge each week. Players will also be able to fight for Spoils of War to earn Loot Capsules, enabling them to unlock a hangar-full of personalization options for their ships and pilot.

More information about the game can be found by visiting www.evevalkyrie.com and fans can follow EVE: Valkyrie - Warzone on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Current players can find out how the Warzoneexpansion will affect them by visiting www.evevalkyrie.com/changes.

CCP Games, makers of EVE: Valkyrie announce new projectile based VR sport Sparc coming to Vive, Rift, and PSVR.

 CCP Games today announced Sparc, a unique virtual sport only possible in virtual reality. In Sparc, players connect online to compete with each other in fast and fun full-body VR gameplay.

Currently in development for Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR, Sparc will be the first wholly original IP to be shipped by CCP outside of the EVE universe when it releases in 2017.

Sparc's skill-based, full-body gameplay makes for a fast-paced and fun physical sport. Players use their motion controllers to throw projectiles at their opponents from a distance, and in turn defend themselves by dodging, blocking, or deflecting the incoming attacks. Players can join one-on-one matches with friends online or find opponents via matchmaking.

Sparc enables players to connect and compete in an online community. Players can watch matches in-person and queue for the next match in VR through Courtside, a freeform social area for spectating in VR or on screen. Sparc includes multiple two-player game modes as well as single-player challenges and training modes, plus a range of customization and personalization options for competitors.

"After our early experiments with standing VR gameplay, we were excited by the idea of building an original sport designed for the current generation of VR hardware. We've designed Sparc so that players can express and improve their skill through their physical actions." said Morgan Godat, Executive Producer at CCP Atlanta. "Ultimately, we want players to think of Sparc as a virtual court in their living room where they can meet and compete with other players from around the world."

"At CCP games, our goal is to harness our passion for virtual reality as a new medium and create the killer apps for the first generation of VR technology," said Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, CEO of CCP Games. "We set out to achieve that in mobile VR with Gunjack and in seated VR with EVE: Valkyrie, both released in the first year of VR becoming publicly available. With Sparc, we want to capitalize on the unique strengths of standing VR and deliver a game with all the depth and excitement to keep players returning long into the future."

Today's announcement is only the beginning for Sparc and CCP Games plans to reveal further information about Sparc's gameplay and feature-set ahead of release later this year.

For more details about the game, please visit www.playSparc.com . You can also find Sparc on Facebook via facebook.com/PlaySparc , or follow the game on Twitter via @PlaySparc .

CatsAndVR.com

From EVR to Eve: Valkyrie! CCP made a killer VR game.

Back at E3 2013 CCP's EVR demo left me awestruck and totally a VR fanboy. Now as Oculus RIft releases and EVR has now become EVE: Valkyrie I want to share this moment in time that introduced me to Oculus Rift for the first time. 3 years later and EVE: Valkyrie is live check out the gameplay footage. 

Bobby Venomous takes a look at CCP's EVR Demo at E3 2013 and talks with developer David Gundry about his work on the project. 

Experience the future of space combat in the EVE: Valkyrie VR gameplay launch trailer. The most intuitive, intense, and immersive dogfighting game ever made is here, developed by CCP Newcastle and powered by Oculus Rift. Read the launch day blog here: http://bit.ly/1SqZlCg Oculus Rift pre-orders include the EVE: Valkyrie Founder's Pack. 
 

EVE: Valkyrie is also coming to PlayStation VR in October 2016