Client Highlight: PreviewLabs

PreviewLabs is a rapid prototyping studio specializing in game development technology with offices in the United States and Belgium. The company works with clients all over the world, including game developers, start-ups and medical and educational research institutions, such as Wargaming, Disney Imagineering and Yale University. PreviewLabs’ prototypes are used to evaluate, improve and pitch console, computer, mobile, virtual and augmented reality games and game concepts.

In 2015, PreviewLabs worked with developer Kobojo to develop a vertical slice prototype for a new JRPG called Zodiac: Orcanon Odyssey in Unity 3D. The two worked closely together to create a 2D level that could be explored by a flying avatar, utilizing a strategy turn-based combat system complete with friendly and enemy artificial intelligence. Using the vertical slice prototype, Kobojo was able to attract some big JRPG names to the game, including Hatoshia Sakimoto (soundtrack for Final Fantasy Tactics and Vagrant Story) and Kazushige Nojima (writer for Final Fantasy VII). More information about this project can be found on their blog.

PreviewLabs also worked with Knight Moves and Once Storytelling to help them experiment with the in-game physics of rowing a virtual boat in their game Journey for Elysium, which is in preproduction. They created an intuitive prototype that accounts for various factors—the force of the row, the torque generated by paddling on the side of the boat, pushing off obstacles, drifting away, etc.—along with tweaks to make the simulation less punishing, like automatically aligning the boat when you reach your destination and respawning dropped paddles. Check out their blog entry for more information.

In the serious games space, PreviewLabs has recently been chosen by Yale’s Center for Health & Learning Games new play4REAL lab to prototype smokeSCREEN VR, a virtual reality video game funded by Facebook-owned Oculus. The game will rely on behavior change theory and virtual reality to immerse and educate teens in simulated decision-making scenarios specifically focused on e-cigarettes. For more information about this project, check out the article on their blog.

To learn more about PreviewLabs and how they can help with rapid prototyping for your game or project, contact rory.madden@ddmagency.com.