Temple Run VR
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Overview
Temple Run VR is a first person infinite runner made as a virtual reality experience for the Samsung Gear VR. The game was made primarily over the summer of 2014 with intent to be released at the same time as Samsung's new VR headset in late 2014. Imangi's overall goal with the game was to experiment with emerging technology and create a version of the Temple Run experience fit for virtual reality. Since the target platform was very specific, much time was spent on updating Temple Run's visual quality to enhance the experience. On top of this, Imangi introduced new Temple Run features specific to virtual reality that made running in first person more enjoyable.
My Involvement
I was involved early on in this project during my first internship with Imangi. My role included many different parts of the development process. I started working on software tools to fix some of our shader issues and help reduce the file size. Later, I found myself working as a sound designer and programming the 3D sounds important to the VR experience. Then I became involved in development of software tools to handle light mapping that was key to look and feel of our track pieces. Finally, I worked on improving track piece animation to support the multitude of moving obstacles in Temple Run VR. Overall, I learned a lot by working on this project. Although it was stressful to meet a deadline, it was well worth it at the end to see our game showcased at Samsung's Unpacked 2014 Episode 2 and have it featured on their store at the Gear VR's release.
Temple Run VR is a first person infinite runner made as a virtual reality experience for the Samsung Gear VR. The game was made primarily over the summer of 2014 with intent to be released at the same time as Samsung's new VR headset in late 2014. Imangi's overall goal with the game was to experiment with emerging technology and create a version of the Temple Run experience fit for virtual reality. Since the target platform was very specific, much time was spent on updating Temple Run's visual quality to enhance the experience. On top of this, Imangi introduced new Temple Run features specific to virtual reality that made running in first person more enjoyable.
My Involvement
I was involved early on in this project during my first internship with Imangi. My role included many different parts of the development process. I started working on software tools to fix some of our shader issues and help reduce the file size. Later, I found myself working as a sound designer and programming the 3D sounds important to the VR experience. Then I became involved in development of software tools to handle light mapping that was key to look and feel of our track pieces. Finally, I worked on improving track piece animation to support the multitude of moving obstacles in Temple Run VR. Overall, I learned a lot by working on this project. Although it was stressful to meet a deadline, it was well worth it at the end to see our game showcased at Samsung's Unpacked 2014 Episode 2 and have it featured on their store at the Gear VR's release.