We recently came across a game titled Naked Sun that was launched on 17th July, 2018 on Steam platform and got in touch with the developer of this interesting game. Here is our interview with the developer of Naked Sun game where they talk about this game along with some interesting aspects of game development:
1. Tell us a bit about your game and what was it that inspired you to make this game?
‘Naked Sun’ is a VR first-person shooter set in the 23rd century where a war between people and robots is raging. You play as a hybrid of human and AI, and you’re given a mission that will determine humanity’s future. A special feature in the game is that you move at about 100 km/h speed, no motion sickness. Apart from the main campaign, there’s an arcade mode with global and local leaderboards.
We wanted to make a game with high-speed movement and changing environments, so players can enjoy fast-paced action in VR without experiencing motion sickness. The dystopian “AI turned against people” theme of the game was inspired by our love for sci-fi books and movies. And just how cool robots are in general.
2. Naming a game is almost always one of the most difficult tasks since that’s what people identify it with. Was this name the first choice for the name? If not then what were some other options you were looking at?
3. What sort of thought process went behind the artwork of this game?
Unfortunately we did not have time to develop a large number of assets for the game, and to some extent the style of the game was dictated by this. A lot of attention was given to the assets for the player’s character, i.e., weapons, armor, and hands. We weren’t focussed on environment as much. Also from the very beginning, we realized that we won’t be able to use many of standard effects such as reflections,transparency, fire, etc., because if we use them abundantly, we wouldn’t be able to keep 90 frames per second, which is critical for VR games.
Regarding the visual style, pretty much everything was based on the plot. The dystopian future, revolt of machines against people, and of course giant integrated cities – arcologies.
4. What was the major challenge in developing this game?
5. Any in-game secrets that could be easter eggs for players to discover?
6. Why do you consider Steam as a platform for your game and is there any other platform you look forward to get your game onto?
Well, we’ve released Naked Sun for PC so far, and Steam is the biggest platform for PC games, including VR segment. Also simply as gamers we were most familiar with Steam, and that made it all the more natural to have the game posted there first.
Of course, we strive to make ‘Naked Sun’ available to the biggest possible number of players. Right now we’re in the process of getting the game on Oculus and PlayStation VR. ‘Naked Sun’ is already available on VIVEPORT, which BTW is really great in terms of help with publishing and promoting games. ‘Naked Sun’ is also available on arcade platforms SynthesisVR, SpringboardVR, and Private Label VR.
7. How much time did it take to get this game developed and what can players expect in updates for this game?
8. What are your future plans as a game developer?
9. How long have you been developing games and what is the most enjoyable aspect of game development according to you?
10. Have you developed the game solo or you have a team working with you?
11. What are your personal favourite games?
I’ve had the most memorable experiences with Fallout 2, Max Payne, FIFA, Morrowind, Witcher 3, and Red Dead Redemption. An honorable mention goes to Worms Armageddon.
12. Any message for our readers?
