When it comes to VR game design, Survios' "Raw Data" stands out as a prime example of success. At the recent VRDC Fall 2017 conference, two key developers from Survios shared their insights into the challenges they faced during the development process and the valuable lessons they learned along the way.

Mike McTyre, the Director of Design at Survios, and Alex Silkin, the Technical Director, began by saying, “Today we want to share with you all the issues that came up with Raw Data.”

Originally released on Steam in a pre-order version in June 2016, "Raw Data" has seen seven major updates so far. While the game supports Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, with the PSVR version soon to follow, the majority of players—about 80%—are still using the HTC Vive.

One of the most interesting points made during the talk was about the initial plan for the game. The team originally intended to offer only two maps. However, as the game gained popularity, they decided to expand the content by adding more maps. Unfortunately, this expansion didn’t pay off, as only 21% of players managed to complete the fifth task.

First Impressions Matter

Silkin emphasized the importance of first impressions: “Many players only try the first few tasks, and they get the impression that this is just a game where you stand in the room and shoot.” This perception had a negative impact because the team later invested time in creating more complex maps, which most players never even saw.

McTyre added that the second biggest feature introduced was the PvP mode. Despite the effort put into developing what the team considered a strong PvP experience, only 12% of players ended up playing it. He noted, “About 80% of our players only play the single-player mode. This is crucial information for other VR developers, especially since multiplayer cooperation is often seen as a big selling point. Even so, only 16.5% of players have tried the cooperative mode.”

McTyre concluded, “This is an important message for developers: Even though VR is growing and there are many users, creating a PvP-focused product or trying to build a PvP community can be a challenge. I encourage you to include some single-player experiences as well.”

These insights come from analyzing player behavior in "Raw Data," which has helped Survios better understand how people interact with their game. For instance, they were surprised to find that only 1% of players used the defensive features, and 50% struggled with the first task.

Update Frequency Matters Too

McTyre also discussed the importance of update frequency. Initially, the team aimed to release updates every two weeks, but this proved ineffective. They then switched to monthly updates, and eventually settled on a three-month cycle. “We realized that small updates, like just a new map, weren’t enough to bring players back,” he explained. “But when we made bigger updates, we saw a significant spike in player return rates.”

Platform Differences Shape Player Experience

Another key takeaway was that players on different platforms use the game differently. For example, 79% of Vive users preferred the “Sticky” control mechanism, while 72% of Rift users favored the “Hold” method. McTyre warned, “Don’t assume what works on one platform will work everywhere.”

Adding PvP required switching to a stick-based movement system, which the team was initially unsure about. “If players could just send each other away, it would get boring,” Silkin said. “So we decided to go with the stick-based system, even if it wasn’t our first choice.”

For the PSVR version, the team had to adapt due to the lack of a joystick. They introduced a “rewind” button, which worked well. McTyre admitted, “Porting to PSVR was one of our biggest challenges. We hadn’t planned for it initially, and it forced us to make a lot of changes.”

Performance was another hurdle. Sony had strict requirements, and the team had to optimize the game significantly, including reducing enemy count, improving animations, and switching to a forward renderer.

Final Tips for VR Developers

In closing, McTyre and Silkin offered some advice for other VR developers:

  • Bundling: “Form partnerships across platforms.”
  • Participate in promotions: “You’ll be surprised how many people are waiting to buy your game. We saw this with Raw Data, and it’s still true today.”
  • : “Even though it adds work, releasing on as many platforms as possible can lead to greater sales success.”

By learning from these experiences, developers can better navigate the evolving VR landscape and create games that resonate with a wider audience.

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