– Stanley Parable co-creator William Pugh shares his thoughts on cartoonist Justin Roiland’s passion for VR game development.
Oculus Connect is taking place in L.A. this week, which means game developers are likely to hear a lot about what to learn and un-learn about making virtual reality experiences and how the various VR headsets about to hit the market will open up new audiences for VR games.
But the debut of mainstream VR technology will also open up game development to VR-curious creators from outside the game industry, including folks like Rick & Morty co-creator Justin Roiland.
After the popular cartoon creator voiced his enthusiasm for the HTC Vive headset and VR in general on Twitter, PCGamer pinned him down for an interview in which he outlines what he finds so attractive about VR game design.
“I have never — and I don’t say this lightly — been more energized, enthusiastic, excited, and motivated about anything in my entire life,” said Roiland. “I want in, and I want to create experiences I can play, and I want to play experiences other people create.”
Both Hover Junkies developer Stress Level Zero and The Stanley Parable co-creator William Pugh have been contacted by Roiland as he hashes out plans to potentially lead development of new VR games or experiences.
“I’m going to have to really focus and make sure that the people I team up with are OK with, you know, handling a lot of the stuff I don’t know about, which is engineering, programming…I’m more the creative director, I guess you could say,” Roiland told PCGamer. ” I have the Vive at my house, so I can get a build, I can load it up, and I can playtest it and I can be as involved as I need to be without even living in the same country.”
For his part, Pugh confirmed that he’s been chatting with Roiland about game design and jokingly noted that “He laughs at all of my Rick and Morty jokes and when he does the voices for me I clap my hands and laugh. This working relationship is solid and professional and completely legally enshrined.”