How Gorilla Tag is weathering the VR winter
Summary
Despite widespread layoffs and "VR winter" fears across the virtual reality industry, the game "Gorilla Tag" by Another Axiom is experiencing significant growth. The game achieved a new concurrent player record of 119,000 during its five-year anniversary event, which its chief marketing officer Jake Zim claims is a world record for concurrent VR players. "Gorilla Tag" consistently attracts up to a million daily VR users, primarily Gen Alpha, who engage in arm-swinging locomotion tag games. The free-to-play title frequently tops Meta Quest store bestseller charts and has generated nearly $10 million in merchandise sales, indicating a robust and expanding fandom beyond just VR users.
Key takeaway
For entrepreneurs developing VR games, you should prioritize creating highly engaging, accessible experiences with unique mechanics, like "Gorilla Tag"'s arm-swinging locomotion. Focusing on a free-to-play model can significantly boost user adoption, especially among younger demographics. Additionally, consider expanding your intellectual property into merchandise to build a broader fandom and diversify revenue streams beyond in-game purchases.
Key insights
Engaging, free-to-play VR experiences with unique mechanics can thrive even during industry downturns.
Principles
- Free-to-play models drive user acquisition.
- Unique locomotion enhances VR immersion.
- Merchandise extends game fandom and revenue.
In practice
- Consider free-to-play for VR game launches.
- Develop unique, intuitive VR locomotion.
- Explore physical merchandise for popular in-game characters.
Topics
- VR Industry Downturn
- Gorilla Tag
- Meta Quest Platform
- Concurrent VR Players
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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by The Verge.