Tiny Studio, Grand Vision: MixRift’s Revolution in Mixed Reality Gaming

In my position at Tech.eu, I occasionally venture beyond my comfort zone to pursue stories. Take gaming, for instance. As someone who is visually impaired, it is not an endeavor I’ve actually contemplated since childhood. 

Nonetheless, a mixed reality gaming firm I encountered at the recent Web Summit may have altered my perspective. 

The Irish startup MixRift develops Mixed Reality (MR) games for Meta Quest and Apple Vision Pro. Prior to diving into the business, I had to try one out.

The thrill of quick-play MR games

I sat down with Bobby Voicu, the CEO of MixRift, in a conference room in Lisbon, and played Hell Horde: a MR survival game.

A portal emerged before me, unleashing a swarm of monsters that I had to fend off. The controllers transformed into firearms, and the more you progressed, the more powerful the weapons became. If the monsters reach you, it’s game over. The game employs specialized software tools known as Presence Platform SDKs to enhance realism and immersion.

As someone who is captivated by horror films, this game was a blast. Furthermore, with my ongoing blurry vision, I find Mixed Reality substantially simpler compared to other formats.

If the notion of an onslaught of monsters is frightful to you, the company has subsequently rolled out the more family-oriented Crit Attack, where the creatures are cute and bothersome rather than terrifying.

Both games embody classic arcade shooters at their core. They are remarkably straightforward to engage with: take a controller, direct your in-game weapons at the invading foes, and commence firing. Even the “Play” button is dynamic – shoot it to initiate the chaos.

A vision for casual gaming

Established in 2024 by Bobby Voicu, David Pripas, and Andrei Vaduva, MixRift aims to create casual gaming sessions with a vintage flair that last just 30 minutes or less, making them perfect for quick pick-up-and-play adventures.

MixRift’s distinctive strategy revolves around game dynamics, crafting and launching games that resonate with audiences, swiftly instead of spending years developing a single title.

Bobby Voicu formerly co-founded and served as CEO for Mavenhut, a mobile gaming enterprise that was successfully acquired — in 2015, Mavenhut parted with a considerable portion of its game portfolio to RockYou. 

The MixRift crew mainly consists of former Mavenhut staff, with six out of seven members having prior affiliation with the company. Voicu noted that in late 2023, a previous Mavenhut colleague encouraged him to investigate wearable technology, especially the Meta Quest 3. Initially, I was hesitant due to past experiences with VR-induced motion sickness. However, I found that the hardware has improved significantly.

The potential for wearables and MR

Voicu believes that, as wearables are not just gaming devices but also computing devices, mixed reality will attract a broader audience.

The most widely used gaming devices globally are not strictly gaming machines. . It’s the smartphone followed by the PC. They serve as computing platforms.

Users engage with them for various purposes and then enjoy gaming on them. And in my viewpoint, we are on the verge of the third computing device. This being mixed reality glasses. The headset acts as a transitional tool, but we’re heading towards widespread adoption of these gadgets when they take that form.

There exists a significant opportunity for a gaming enterprise, particularly a nimble and quick indie developer, to dominate this domain. 

“We’re crafting games for a software platform at the forefront of technology. It is consistently evolving. If you consider a smartphone, it’s like developing games for phones three years before the iPhone set the industry norm.

We’re developing games for a perpetually advancing software platform, similar to constructing for smartphones prior to the iPhone standardizing the market.”

Nonetheless, the swift pace of technological evolution within this sector presents persistent challenges. New features and enhancements arrive frequently, compelling developers to adapt their methodologies and address unexpected obstacles continually.

However, being an early entrant in a developing market offers significant advantages. Voicu emphasizes:

 “While the demand for MR experiences continues to surge, primarily driven by technologygiants such as Meta and Apple, there’s an evident deficiency of high-caliber MR games available. 

We’re ideally positioned to address this issue since we’re exceeding limits to develop new forms of interactive encounters.”

A nimble methodology for prototyping fueled by user insights

MixRift is a small decentralized organization. To uncover promising titles, the company adopts a nimble approach. 

It swiftly prototypes game concepts and launches minimal viable products (MVPs) within weeks. This enables it to collect early player feedback and iterate rapidly.

Voicu mentioned: 

For instance, we developed a basic competitive mechanic and, despite its simple design (basically just shooting at targets), it attracted thousands of organic players within two months.

This stands in stark contrast to the conventional console development cycle, which frequently entails years of concealed development. We advocate for transparency and learning from player feedback early in the process, allowing us to swiftly discern what resonates with players and refine our game designs rapidly.”

Voicu asserts that gaming isn’t a zero-sum scenario. “If someone engages with my game, that doesn’t imply they won’t try anything else.”

Gamers generally possess either the time or the financial resources to devote to games. 

“In our game, players can earn in-game currency, often by carrying out tasks like defeating foes.

While committed players can accumulate these coins through gameplay, others with limited availability (e.g., those balancing busy schedules after work and family duties) might be more inclined to invest money to progress faster.”

A conversion rate of 3-5 percent of users making in-game purchases is regarded as healthy for most free-to-play games. This illustrates the considerable potential for monetization, even with a relatively minor segment of players actively spending.

Success narratives in indie VR/AR gaming with acquisitions

Major gaming firms typically approach mobile gaming with caution. For instance, Ubisoft’s ‘Assassin’s Creed Nexus,‘ a VR-exclusive title, experienced disappointing success, prompting them to declare a pause from VR development for the next 3-5 years. This hesitation originates from the perceived limited market size, presenting a significant opportunity for smaller, more focused companies like ours.

Rather than investing heavily in in-house VR development, historically these giants often opt to acquire indie game studios instead of creating internally. For example, Activision purchased the UK-Stockholm gaming company King, renowned for Candy Crush, for $5.9 billion — Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard in October 2023 for a whopping $69 billion.

Indie game developers continue to carve out a niche for themselves in the VR/AR arena, attracting audiences. For instance, Gorilla Tag, a multiplayer VR title developed by Another Axiom in 2021 has generated over $100 million in revenue.

In its initial phases, MixRift raised £1.6 million in August 2024, primarily aimed at propelling its game development initiatives. 

Voicu believes that successful VR/AR gaming relies on experiences that are uniquely achievable in immersive and MR settings. 

“For instance, games like Gorilla Tag illustrate this through locomotion, accentuating physical movement and spatial awareness – ‘native‘ mechanics unattainable on traditional platforms. He acknowledges, “The first time I attempted it I fell flat on my face.”

However, beyond that, regarding MR, smart glasses possess the capability to seamlessly merge the digital and physical realms, revolutionizing gaming into an immersive and interactive experience that integrates with our reality.

The company’s other games are accessible on Apple Vision Pro and the Meta Quest. In-app purchases such as upgrades and additional ‘lives‘ are available to enhance the gaming session, yet players can also earn these by engaging with the game for longer durations.