Interview: Rival Rides VR Theme Park Co-Creators – Robert Varnavsky, Roiy Eretz Kdosha, Gal Ben Hamu

Rival Rides VR Theme Park is a brand new virtual reality party game. You will be able to experience the game when it releases on January 24th, 2023. I had a chance to experience this game in early access and play with 2 of the co-creators. Then I had the opportunity to interview the founders/co-creators of the game. I asked them about Rival Rides VR Theme Park-related things, the inspirations behind the game, development, and what’s next in the pipeline.

LOGNET: First off thank you for allowing me the chance to play with you guys and check out the game. For those who are not familiar with Rival Rides VR Theme Park, can you give us an overview of what the game is and some of its prominent features?

RR: Rival Rides is a virtual reality party game that takes place in a theme park setting. The game features five different experiences, including a lobby area where players can hang out, have fun, and meet new friends. Rival Rides includes four different games. The first is the Foodland Court, where players race to make the most dishes and sabotage each other in funny ways. The second is the Earthland Ride, where players compete to collect the most coins and diamonds to be on top. The third is the Hauntedland Ride, where players are on a haunted house ride with the goal to take down as many enemies as they can.

And finally, the fourth is the Cosmicland Ride, where players shoot lasers at each other in an outer space death match. We wanted to create a game that would appeal to different types of players, whether they’re looking for a more relaxed experience or a more competitive one. And we believe that Rival Rides offers something for everyone. And we have a lot of future plans as well, we are continuously working on improving the game and adding new features and experiences to keep players engaged and entertained.

LOGNET: What made you and your fellow co-creators decide to make this style of game?

RR: As three childhood friends with a shared passion for gaming, we came up with the idea for Rival Rides. Growing up, we spent countless hours playing multiplayer games together and as virtual reality technology evolved, we knew we wanted to be a part of that industry. We set out to create a game that not only immerses players in an exciting experience but also evokes the nostalgia of the fun and competitive multiplayer games we used to play. Our goal with Rival Rides is to bring a new level of excitement to the VR gaming world.

We designed the game to be interactive and competitive, encouraging friendly competition between players, just like we used to when we were kids. This is all part of our big vision of building a successful VR gaming company. We want to be at the forefront of the VR gaming industry and to create a gaming community where players can come together, have fun, and immerse themselves in an exciting and interactive experience. Rival Rides is just the beginning for us and we are thrilled to share it with the world and see players enjoy it just as much as we do.

LOGNET: What was your inspiration behind the art style for Rival Rides?

RR: When creating the art style for Rival Rides, our main goal was to create something that was colorful and humorous, appealing to all ages. We drew inspiration from games like Mario Party and the art style of Disney to create characters that people would connect with. We wanted to create unique avatars for players, in the real world, everyone is human, but in Rival Rides we wanted players to be able to be a “Bloop” and tap into their inner child.  The “Bloop” avatars are a unique feature of Rival Rides, they are designed to be playful, colorful, and humorous.

We want players to have fun with their avatars and be able to express their personalities through them with different costumes. The “Bloop” avatars are also meant to bring out the inner child in all of us, reminding us to have fun and not take things too seriously. If you’re interested in learning more about our creative process, we have an art book available on our website at http://rivalrides.com/artbook. It’s called “The Art of Rival Rides” where you can see our process and the inspiration behind the art style.

LOGNET: What were some of the challenges you faced during development since you are a very small team?

RR: One of the main challenges we faced as a small development team was having to learn a lot of new skills in a variety of topics. This was difficult because we had to run multiple tasks simultaneously, which can be challenging to manage. Additionally, we had to learn new technology and techniques that we had never touched before. Another challenge we faced was balancing the development and testing process. As a multiplayer game, it was crucial for us to test the game with multiple players to ensure that everything works well.

However, coordinating multiple players and schedules can be challenging, especially with a small team. It can be time-consuming to ensure that everyone is available at the same time for testing. Overall, it was a challenging process but we are proud of what we have achieved.

LOGNET: Nausea and motion sickness have always been sticking points towards VR adoption, what measures has the game implemented in order to combat or reduce VR-induced nausea?

RR: In Rival Rides, we have implemented several measures to combat VR-induced nausea. One of the key elements is that players are able to focus on objects while playing the game. This helps to reduce the likelihood of nausea. Additionally, our game is designed to be played in shorter sessions. Players can hop in for just a 15-minute round or even a 5-minute session. This allows players to enjoy the game without feeling overwhelmed or experiencing discomfort.

LOGNET: What are some examples of plans you have for the future if you don’t mind sharing?

RR: In the short term, our main focus is on expanding the lobby area of Rival Rides to create a fully-themed park that can accommodate a large number of players online. We believe this will enhance the overall player experience by providing a more immersive environment. Additionally, we are planning to incorporate mini-games within the park for players to enjoy and socialize before heading into the main games. Another feature we’re looking to add is the incorporation of AI bots, which will greatly enhance the experience for solo players and provide more dynamic gameplay.

In terms of long-term plans, we are constantly looking for ways to improve the game and offer more options for our players. We plan to add more games and content to Rival Rides to keep the experience fresh and exciting. Overall, we are excited about the future of Rival Rides and are dedicated to providing the best experience for our players.

LOGNET: What platforms is Rival Ride VR Theme available on?

RR: Rival Rides will be available on Steam VR, Meta Store, and Pico, and it will support cross-play.

LOGNET: Shipping a game with just a small team is an amazing feat. What advice would you give to others that want to get into the industry?

RR: Our advice would be to believe in yourself and never give up. It’s important to be prepared to learn new skills on the go. It’s also important to always keep the player experience in mind and strive for innovation in your work. The gaming industry is always changing and advancing, so it’s important to stay on top of new technologies and trends. By constantly pushing the boundaries and trying new things, you can create unique and exciting experiences for players that they won’t find anywhere else. It’s also important to be open to feedback and willing to iterate on your ideas until you find something that truly resonates with players.

Wrap-Up

I am very thankful for the chance to play with 2 of the founders in early access. They went through and explained everything as we played, and they crushed me by the way. If you are interested in a party-style VR game then Rival Rides VR Theme Park is for you. You can pick it up when it goes live on January 24th, 2023. It will be available for $29.99, so make sure to pick it up and hop in with your friends!