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11/02/2024 01:24:04 pm

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HTC Enters Game Development; Creates Virtual Reality Game for Vive Headset

HTC Vive

(Photo : Getty Images) A view of HTC Vive during Advertising Week 2015 AWXII at the ADARA Stage at Times Center Hall on October 1, 2015 in New York City.

Taiwanese tech giant HTC is developing its own virtual reality game which will be released for its flagship virtual reality headset, the HTC Vive. The game is called "Front Defense." HTC is allegedly planning to release a demo version of the game at the Computex conference in Taipei next week.

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Not much is known about HTC's virtual reality game. According to Engadget, a translated marketing material only describes it as a wartime shooter game.

The news that HTC is developing a game surprised some observers in the tech community, especially since the company is known for hardware manufacturing and has not traditionally been involved in game development.  HTC does have also experience in creating contents for the virtual reality platform. Therefore, many tech analysts are somewhat skeptical about the company's ability to create a video game title.

However, HTC is collaborating with Valve. In fact, HTC has set aside money to help emerging game development studios which focus on creating titles for the virtual reality platform.

Last week, HTC announced its new program dubbed Vive X. This accelerator program aims to fund video game developers. The program has at least $100 million to give out to deserving studios to get them started, according to The Verge.

Vive X will start its campaign in Beijing and then slowly creep out to Taipei and then San Francisco. Through Vive X, HTC will also share its virtual reality technologies to help startup companies to create immersive virtual reality experiences.

Some experts say given the upcoming competition that HTC Vive is facing in the form of the PlayStation VR and the Google Daydream, it is important for the company to firmly establish its grip in the platform or otherwise it will be overshadowed by its rivals.

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