Interested in learning what's next for the gaming industry? Join gaming executives to discuss emerging parts of the industry this October at GamesBeat Summit Next. Learn more.
I am the proud owner of a magnificent Pembroke Welsh Corgi. If you follow me on Twitter, you probably knew that already. I never really had pets growing up because I was (and still am) horribly allergic to cats and used to be just as allergic to dogs. Luckily, the latter affliction has passed and now I enjoy the companionship of Earth’s greatest animal every single day. But not everyone can be that lucky, which is where RoVR comes into play.
RoVR is a VR pet simulator much in the same vein as Nintendogs on the Nintendo DS, Hey You, Pikachu! back on the Nintendo 64, or even the old pocket-sized Tamagotchi devices that every 90s kid had at some point. Like this Buzz Lightyear-themed one I used to carry around with me everywhere that I went.
This little VR doggo, RoVR, that you can see in action up above is created by Ridgeline Labs (a company that’s part of the MIT Accelerator Play Labs) but is not to be confused with the Wizdish ROVR locomotion device of the same, although slightly different, name.
“In our game, players can play with, raise, and build an emotionally significant connection with a VR dog,” writes Henry Zhou, CEO of Ridgeline Labs, in an email to UploadVR. “Players can do many things in RoVR such as feeding, playing with, going on walks with, and competing in competitions with their VR dog – things that players could expect to do if they owned a real dog!”
To be fair, this isn’t the first VR pet game we’ve seen. There is of course Konrad the Kitten, Fantasy Pets, and My Own Pet, among others. But RoVR certainly seems to be the most feature-rich, polished, and charming of the bunch that we’ve seen. But I could be biased since the little pupper resembles a corgi. That’s the real key to my heart.
Event
MetaBeat 2022
MetaBeat will bring together metaverse thought leaders to give guidance on how metaverse technology will transform the way all industries communicate and do business on October 3-4 in San Francisco, CA.
We don’t know much else about RoVR yet, but Zhou tells us Ridgeline is aiming to start a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the game’s development within a month from now. For more on the game make sure to follow Ridgeline Labs on Twitter.
This story originally appeared on Uploadvr.com. Copyright 2017
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it. Learn more about membership.
