Wargaming’s multiplayer hit World of Tanks will soon be larger-than-life — the developer is partnering with the virtual reality venture fund VRTech to form a location-based VR company called Neurogaming. It already has 75 employees working on its projects, and its first big title will be World of Tanks VR.
Neurogaming is based in Nicosia, Cyprus with an additional development branch in Moscow, Russia. However, it plans to expand to Amsterdam and New York in the first quarter. Its partnership with VRTech will involve two main projects: one with Cinema VR and another with Polygon VR.
Cinema VR specializes in location-based VR entertainment that can support up to four players. It has 36 locations so far throughout Russia, and reported 180,000 players last year. Meanwhile, Polygon VR is a platform that powers the virtual reality gameplay on location. It has features like motion capture technology, software for broadcasting, second screen support, and a game management system that supports first- and third-party content.
As part of the partnership, Neurogaming plans on launching its own platform for people who are interested in installing location-based VR spaces, expanding the number of Cinema VR franchisees. And Polygon VR’s multiplayer capabilities will enable folks to play World of Tanks VR at those locations.
“With location-based VR, we make the experience more affordable and accessible,” said World of Tanks creator Slava Makarov in a statement. “Moreover, unlike any other developer, our biggest aim is to change the experience from one-time involvement to a long-term engaging story with co-op and competitive elements.”
World of Tanks boasts over 140 million players worldwide, and its dedicated fan base appreciates Wargaming’s commitment to historical detail. The developer’s chief of militeria relations Nicholas Moran frequently posts videos explaining the actual engineering behind the tanks featured in the game. Neurogaming hasn’t revealed any details on what World of Tanks VR will be like, but it will likely contain that same level of detail — and this time in virtual reality.
