Valo Motion releases “Plankton” – a zen AR gaming experience that builds player’s confidence while encouraging respect for the environment
New tracking technology makes this modern “under-the-sea” take on the original “bullet hell” dodging video games a new possibility for AR climbing walls
Helsinki, Finland (April 27th, 2022) Valo Motion’s ValoClimb has launched its first AR climbing wall game this year, called Plankton. In it, players navigate an undersea fantasy world in which they help a vulnerable sea creature navigate dangerous passing creatures.
“A lot of our VR climbing games are high action and intensity. We wanted to create something a bit different that brings you into deep focus mode while you’re also getting exercise. This gives the game more of a zen feeling than you would get from many traditional AR gaming experiences. One of our goals at Valo Motion is to get people to enjoy movement, and also to provide a variety of different types of experiences for different kinds of players, people, and mindsets,” says Raine Kajastila, CEO of Valo Motion.
Developers were inspired to create a new type of AR climbing game experience. They liked the idea of building the climber’s confidence, tackling new technology, and encouraging respect for the environment.
“The game was originally designed due to a love of old school style “bullet hell” video games like Ikaruga, The Touhou Series, and Cuphead. We thought it would be fun to bring this kind of concept to the climbing wall, but up until recently, we didn’t have the technology to make it happen. The new tracking technology follows the player's head smoothly, and this means our vision could become a reality. The game is not only fun to play, but also fun to watch. To the viewer, it looks really hard. However, from the player’s perspective, it is actually manageable. So we also liked the idea of creating something confidence-boosting that looks almost impossible to the viewer, yet the player manages,” says Game Developer Lassi Vapaakallio.
Viral videos of ValoClimb have reached over 200 million views and have been featured by popular media all over the world. ValoClimb games were played over 2.5 million times during 2021.
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For additional information:
Fana Immonen, Press Relations
Valo Motion
+358 44 237 3770
marketing@valomotion.com
Founded in 2016, Valo Motion creates groundbreaking active experiences that empower people to find the joy of movement. Their state-of-the-art movement tracking technology turns park attractions into immersive digital experiences where players feel a part of the game. Viral videos of their previous launch ValoClimb reached over 200 million views and have been featured all over the world by hugely popular video channels such as Discovery Channel, MTV, Red Bull, and Buzzfeed. Their games are featured at activity centers and parks worldwide.
