Gorilla Tag Creator Aims for the Stars with New VR Sports Arena 'Orion Drift'
October 1, 2024Gorilla Tag, which allows players to swing their arms and chase each other in a virtual environment, was first released on Steam and SideQuest in 2021.
Orion Drift will feature a zero-g district, allowing for diverse gameplay experiences and blurring the lines between spectators and athletes.
Smith's vision for Orion Drift was influenced by his experience as a top-ranked player in Echo Arena before its shutdown.
Kerestell Smith, the creator of Gorilla Tag, began developing the game in December 2019 as physical playgrounds closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The game saw significant success, adding in-app purchases in late 2021 and achieving a full release on Quest and PC VR headsets by December 2022, generating over $100 million in revenue since then.
In August 2022, Smith partnered with David Yee and David Neubelt to expand into new VR sports experiences beyond Gorilla Tag.
Their new project, Orion Drift, aims to create a massive space station arena where players can engage in sports like soccer and volleyball, emphasizing community and interaction.
Smith emphasizes the social connections enabled by VR, highlighting how it contrasts with traditional gaming where organizing in-person meetups can be complicated.
He believes that the broad adoption of VR is inevitable, driven by a deep human desire for social interaction and presence, regardless of distance.
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UploadVR • Sep 30, 2024
Gorilla Tag Creator Believes 'VR's Success Is Inevitable'