Dark Slope, a Toronto-based VR/AR developer, today announced the studio has secured $1.5 million in seed funding, which will support the launch of its first location-based VR game Scarygirl Mission Maybee.
Based on Nathan Jurevicius’ graphic novel Scarygirl (2009) and the various console & PC games that followed, Scarygirl Mission Maybee is a first-person action game that tasks players with saving the world from Dr. Maybee and his diabolical experiments. Players must cooperate in order to rid the world of Dr. Maybee’s infectious goo, purify it and “blast it back at the hordes of creatures infesting the world.”
The experience accommodates between 4-8 player, and takes place in an untethered, 60’ × 30’ room-scale space (~18m × 9m). The company appears to be using modified Oculus Rift headsets in conjunction with a custom optical tracking setup, and HP backpack computers to allow for the fully-tetherless experience.
The company says seed funds will used to add new staff, develop their free roam technology and enterprise product line, and to support the release of future VR and AR experiences.
New investor Steven DeNure is now on the board of Dark Slope, co-founder and former president/COO of DHX Media. Nathan Jurevicius is also overseeing the project in his new position as creative director.
“Scarygirl Mission Maybee showcases our hyper-focus on developing multiplayer free-roam VR and AR experiences that bring people together in immersive worlds,” said CJ Hervey, president and co-founder at Dark Slope. “We’re excited for audiences to come and be the among the first to experience Scarygirl Mission Maybee and to witness how incredible free-roam multiplayer VR can be.”
Dark Slope is opening its doors starting February 28th. A session, which is said to take one hour, costs $30 CAD; you can find further ticketing information here.
