With the plethora of legitimate streaming options available today, you’d be forgiven for thinking pirated TV shows were a thing of the past. But a new study by the EU’s Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) shows that after a multi-year decline, online piracy is on the up.
The study, based on data from UK piracy tracking firm MUSO, suggests that there was a notable increase in piracy levels over the past two years.
“The main finding is that the declining trend seen in the earlier studies seems to be reversing, with piracy increasing again, mainly due to increases in piracy of TV content and publications,” the report reads.
While current piracy levels are still nowhere near what they were five years ago, a trend reversal is notable and may suggest that we’re at a pivotal point in time, especially as legal streaming services face slowed growth amid increased competition and an economic downturn.
TV piracy is booming
The study found that TV shows are by far the most pirated type of content in the EU, accounting for nearly half (48%) of all piracy. Illegal streaming of live events, such as sports games, is also on the rise, while piracy of software and publications also showed a significant increase in 2022. However, piracy of films and music is still decreasing.
According to the study, streaming has become the most popular method to access illicit TV content, with 58% of piracy in the EU occurring via streaming and 32% through downloading via sites such as Piratebay or Torrentz.
Various countries also differ in the volume and type of content consumed. Piracy is most popular in Estonia and Latvia, while it’s relatively unpopular in Germany and Italy. There are also different preferences for the type of content. In Greece, film piracy makes up 25% of the total piracy volume, for example, while in Poland it’s as low as 5%.
Why is piracy on the rise again?
In the 2000s, I and pretty much everyone I knew was consuming pirated content. It was simply the only way for us cash-strapped high schoolers to access the titles we wanted, when we wanted.
While the online media landscape has changed a lot since then, the EUIPO report shows people are streaming illegal content today for much the same reasons they did 10 or 20 years before — a lack of legal options and high subscription or purchase costs.
The econometric analysis, which is limited to the movie, TV, and music categories, shows that the number of available legal alternatives reduces piracy. This means that the availability of more legal streaming services correlates to lower piracy numbers.
Meanwhile, the income level of a country also has a significant impact on piracy rates. Low per capita income, a high degree of income inequality, and high youth unemployment are all associated with increased consumption of pirated content.
“Understanding the underlying mechanisms of piracy is essential to adopt effective policies and measures that contribute to reducing it,” remarked Christian Archambeau, EUIPO’s executive director.
As the economic crunch affects everyone’s bottom line and streaming services offer declining bang for their buck, consuming pirated content may become increasingly inviting for years to come.
The world’s first self-stabilising walking exoskeleton, Atlante X, has entered a rehabilitation trial in Germany.
The exoskeleton will be provided to patients with hemiparesis, an after-effect of stroke that causes muscle weakness on one side of the body. Atalante X’s efficacy will be compared with standard rehabilitation methods.
The trial, named EarlyExo, will take place at two renowned neurorehabilitation clinics: the Vivantes Klinikum Spandau in Berlin and Schön Klinik Bad Aibling Harthausen near Munich. Both clinics will this month begin recruiting a total of 66 patients.
“Recovery from a stroke and other acute neurological conditions is complex and can take patients, treating therapists, physicians, and carers significant time, effort, and resources,” Professor Jörg Wissel, a neurologist at Vivantes Klinikum Spandau, said in a statement.
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“We look forward to evaluating the potential impact that Atalante X can add in helping patients recover walking ability, trunk stability, balance, weight transfer, and limb function.”
Atalante X enables multitasking via various exercises from an upright position. Credit: Wandercraft
Atalante X was developed by Wandercraft, a healthtech firm based in Paris. Founded in 2012, the company wants to build a better solution for people deprived of walking than a wheelchair. Its opening proposal, Atalante, was launched in 2019. Wandercraft believes it was the first bipedal walking robot to become a full commercial product.
Atalante X is the second iteration of the tool. Using a proprietary self-balancing feature, the exoskeleton provides hands-free and multi-directional locomotion. Therapists can use the device to personalise task-orientated treatments for each patient’s needs.
Regulators have shown growing faith in the system. In January, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared Atalante for use in stroke rehabilitation. Investors have also provided strong support, ploughing a total of around $67mn (€63mn) into Wandercraft.
The trial in Germany provides another opportunity to develop the product.
“This launch in one of Europe’s largest markets reinforces the position of Wandercraft as a global leader in the field of self-stabilizing, assisted locomotion,” said Matthieu Masselin, CEO of Wandercraft.
“It helps provide us with the opportunity to extend the reach of our assistive technology to greater patient populations for treatment and rehabilitation.”
The German launch expands Wandercraft’s strong commercial presence in Europe, which also includes footholds in France and Spain. The company is now targeting the biggest market of them all: the USA.
Fast Travel Games announced it’s partnering with MoonHood, a new game studio founded by the creators of Lost in Random (2021) and VR game Ghost Giant (2019). MoonHood is creating a VR-supported game that aims to replicate the look and feel of claymation.
Based in Gothenburg, Sweden, MoonHood aims to “immerse players in strange worlds handcrafted in actual clay, cardboard and what have you,” studio says on its new website.
MoonHood says it’s hired a team of sculptors and miniature painters to create physical objects as the basis of their first project, which is currently unnamed. The sculptures are then 3D scanned and presumably animated in Blender and other engines. The game is slated to target consoles, PC, and VR headsets—no word on exact platforms for now.
In the partnership announcement seen below, MoonHood says it’s partnering with Fast Travel’s publishing wing, but also a second unnamed partner. The studio says on its website that the project is being funded by “one of the biggest platforms,” which, considering the VR landscape right now, basically means Meta. The studio hasn’t confirmed this, as the video conveniently teases the name as a part of a redaction.
As a publisher, Fast Travel Games has brought a number of VR games to life, including third-party titles Virtuoso, EVERSLAUGHT Invasion, and Ghost Signal: A Stellaris Game. It’s also developed a number of well-recieved VR games including upcoming single-player RPG Vampire: The Masquerade – Justiceand asymmetric multiplayer Mannequin.
Varjo, the Finland-based creator of high-end XR headsets, announced their businesses and prosumer-focused SteamVR headset Aero is now permanently 50% off its original $2,000 price tag.
Aero is essentially a pared down version of the company’s strictly enterprise headsets, offering industry-leading fidelity and advanced features such as eye-tracking.
Released in October 2021, Aero was (and still is) the company’s least expensive headset; it’s now priced at $990 (€990), bringing the Helsinki, Finland-based company into a new price segment which its hoping will appeal to at-home simulator fans.
Photo by Road to VR
Ther news was revealed during the company’s hour-long ‘Aeroversity’ livestream celebrating the device’s two years since launch. Besides the price drop reveal, Varjo focused heavily on the headset’s use in both driving and flight sims.
When we reviewed Varjo Aero in late 2021, we called it the “dream headset for VR simmers who aren’t afraid to trade cash for immersion,” as it offered some pretty stunning clarity (35 PPD) that’s beaten only by the company’s more expensive headsets.
Notably, the $990 package doesn’t include SteamVR base stations and motion controllers, making it appeal mostly to users already in the SteamVR tracking ecosystem. What’s in the box: Varjo Aero headset, VR adapter, power supply unit with 6 x power plugs (EURO, UK, US, AUS, KOR, CHN), in-ear headphones with microphone, user guide, cleaning cloth.
The price drop looks to be, in part, a response to the growing number of new PC VR headsets offering higher resolution micro displays, notably with the Bigscreen Beyond leading the charge at $1,000 for just the headset, which includes 2,560 × 2,560 (6.5MP) per-eye resolution microOLEDs clocked at 75/90Hz.
Hoxton Farms, a London-based biotech startup, has opened today the UK’s first pilot production facility for cultivated animal fat.
Launched in 2020, the company combines cell biology and mathematical modelling to produce cultivated fat from pig and cow stem cells as an ingredient for plant-based meat. Its targets food ingredient suppliers, distributors, and manufacturers of meat alternatives.
According to the startup, optimised taste isn’t its sole advantage. Cultivated fat also requires less water, less land, and less energy than intensive agriculture — all without harming animals.
“It’s no secret that the traditional meat industry is broken, but consumers are disappointed when they seek quality alternatives,” said Max Jamilly, co-founder of Hoxton Farms. “But as people turn away from meat because of concerns over health, environmental impact, or animal welfare, flexitarianism is booming.”
Cultivated animal fat is “the missing ingredient,” Jamilly added, both in terms of taste and of environmental and ethical impact.
The pilot facility key to scaling up
Hoxton Farms’ London facility will enable it to advance research, develop prototypes with customers, and scale up production. Specifically, the team expects to increase production capacity to 10 tonnes of cultivated fat each year, on track to achieve cost-parity with plant oils at commercial scale.
The facility also includes a hardware workshop, where Hoxton Farms will manufacture its own bioreactors, designed to enhance fat cell growth with lower capital. Meanwhile, the additional space can help realise employee growth from 40 to 100 people.
“By bringing cellular agriculture to the city on a wider scale, rather than a remote business park, we are in the best place possible to find the customers, partners, investors, and talent that we need, and to raise awareness of cultivated fat in a market that has shown it is ready for meat alternatives,” said co-founder Ed Steele.
The pilot facility follows a £20mm Series A funding round in October 2022, led by Collaborative Fund and Fine Structure Ventures, and represents a significant step for Hoxton Farms as it seeks regulatory approval for its ingredient.
The European Investment Fund (EIF) announced today it would invest €40mn with Blume Equity. Based out of London, the VC was founded by three women in 2020, and invests into European high-growth climate tech scaleups.
Blume Equity backs companies focusing on decarbonisation as well as broader environmental sustainability. These include carbon accounting platform Normative, sustainable femtech startup Elvie, Matsmart Motatos that looks to combat food waste, and IoT industrial SME data support provider Sensorfact.
The €40mn comes from the InvestEU program as part of the EIF’s mission to support high-growth and innovative SMEs across Europe, along with a regional mandate from the Dutch Future Fund. EIF joins other Blume Equity investors, including Swedish pension fund AP4 and Visa Foundation.
“By supporting Blume with one of the largest investments EIF has made to a first time fund, the European Union highlights its commitment both to the environment and to supporting the growth-stage ecosystem in Europe,” said Clare Murray, one of Blume Equity’s co-founders and partners. “This partnership will help us continue our profit with purpose mission to support entrepreneurs tackling the climate emergency.”
Cutting-edge technology to play a major role in EU green transition
Climate tech investment pace has suffered along with other funding over the past year. However, there is reason for optimism for the sector — ironically, much due to the all-too immediate urgency of tangible climate events, such as the wildfires and floods of the summer.
According to a report published by the Economist last week, VC investment in climate tech has surged over the past decade. Meanwhile, the recent slowing down highlights the need for a diversification of funding sources. This includes government agencies and alternative pools of capital, such as pension funds.
“The green transition must be accelerated to meet our current climate and environmental challenges,” EIF Chief Executive Marjut Falkstedt commented. “Innovation in all sectors of our economy and cutting-edge technology will play a major role in achieving it. With the backing of the InvestEU programme and the Dutch Future Fund, we are very happy to invest in the female-led Blume Equity Fund to support disruptive businesses with a positive impact on people and planet.”
More money for climate tech to grow
Meanwhile, London-based HSBC also announced today it would make $1bn (€940mn) in funding available to climate tech startups globally. The banking and financial services company said it expected the funds to go toward EV charging, battery storage, carbon removal technologies, and sustainable food and agriculture. Indeed, the Economist study identified food and agriculture technology as a sector that is receiving disproportionately little funding compared to its contribution to global carbon dioxide emissions.
Furthermore, HSBC also launched a new climate-tech venture capital strategy, and will invest $100mn (€94mn) in Breakthrough Energy Catalyst, a separate platform that supports cleaner energy source technologies.
“Access to finance is critical for early-stage climate tech companies to create and scale real-world solutions,” said Barry O’Byrne, CEO of global commercial banking at HSBC. They also need ample support in making the jump from early to late stage — a funding gap that is gaining more and more attention.
On Wednesday, the UK’s Home Secretary Suella Braverman unveiled a new campaign against Meta, urging the tech giant to rethink its plan to roll out end-to-end encryption (E2EE) on Facebook Messenger and Instagram.
The company aims to finalise the encryption rollout later this year, but the British government is worried that the move will hinder the detection of child sexual abuse.
According to the Home Office, 800 predators are currently arrested per month and up to 1,200 children are protected from sexual abuse following the information provided by social media companies. If Meta’s encryption moves forward, the National Crime Agency (NCA) estimated that 92% of Messenger and 85% Instagram direct referrals could be lost.
Based on these risks, Braverman is asking Meta to implement “robust safety measures” that ensure minor protection, or halt the encryption rollout altogether.
“The use of strong encryption for online users remains a vital part of our digital world and I support it, so does the government, but it cannot come at a cost to our children’s safety,” Braveman said in a statement.
The Home Secretary first outlined her concerns in a letter to Meta thispast July. But the company “has failed to provide assurances” ensuring protection from “sickening abusers,” she now noted, adding that “appropriate safeguards” are an essential requirement for its end-to-end encryptionplans.
In response (or even anticipation) of the government’s attack, Meta published yesterday an updated report on its safety policy for the messaging platforms.
“We are committed to our continued engagement with law enforcement and online safety, digital security, and human rights experts to keep people safe,” the company writes in the report — which includes measures such as restricting adults from messaging teens they’re not connected to on Messenger.
Nevertheless, the tech giant stresses its commitment to delivering end-to-end encryption as standard for Messenger and Instagram.
“We strongly believe that E2EE is critical to protecting people’s security. Breaking the promise of E2EE — whether through backdoors or scanning of messages without the user’s consent and control — directly impacts user safety,” argues the report.
But the UK government may be holding the upper hand in the dispute, now armed with the Online Safety Bill, passed by the parliament on Tuesday.
The legislation sets sweeping content rules for social media, even empowering Britain’s comms regulator, Ofcom, to force tech companies to monitor messaging services for child sexual abuse content — a provision that has, reasonably, sparked controversy.
Apple is having a rough time of it in France as of late. As if mandated updates to the iPhone 12 due to radiation concerns weren’t enough, Apple customers in the country may now struggle to get their mitts on the latest model when it’s released.
French Apple store workers have voted to strike at the end of the week — coinciding with the launch of the iPhone 15. Apple unions including CGT, Unsa, CFDT and Cidre-CFTC, are asking for better pay and working conditions, or their members will walk out this Friday and Saturday.
Among the demands is a 7% increase in wages to make up for inflation (Apple is offering 4.5%). Furthermore, the negotiators are requesting that Apple put an end to a month-long hiring freeze.
“Since the management has decided to ignore our demands and concerns despite their perfect legitimacy, the 4 unions of Apple Retail France are calling for a strike on the 22nd and 23rd September,” the CGT Apple Retail said in a statement posted to X, formerly known as Twitter.
“We remind management that it is not these movements that harm the company, but rather its denial in the face of the discomfort of its employees,” it continued (translated from the French original text).
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For context, during the announcement of the company’s Q3 financial results last month, Apple CEO Tim Cook said he was happy to report an all-time revenue record in Services, driven by over one billion paid subscriptions, and “continued strength” in emerging markets thanks to robust sales of the iPhone. Last year, Apple reported a revenue of $394.33bn.
According to a union spokesperson, workers can mobilise in three quarters of the country’s Apple stores. They will not prevent customers from shopping, however buyers will “need to be patient.” Union officials do not rule out more strike actions the following weekends if Apple’s management does not budge from its position.
The iPhone 15 will feature the EU mandated shift to USB-C charging — which some of our reporters are more than happy about. Other than that, it is far from revolutionary and more of a slightly updated phone — although it does feature the brand new A17 Pro chip. Among the more notable upgrades are a customisable action button, a titanium body for the pro range, and a next-generation automatic portrait mode for the camera.
New iPhones always arrive with upgrades, but this year’s crop will feature one improvement that Apple didn’t want to make.
As a result of new EU rules, the US tech giant is set to ditch its Lightning charging cable for a USB-C wire. The entire range of iPhone 15s is expected to make the transition. Full details will be revealed at Apple’s Wonderlust event, which begins at 19: 00 CEST today.
The move will satisfy EU requirements to standardise mobile chargers. From 28 December 2024, every new phone sold in the bloc must have USB Type-C port. The law will also cover other portable electronic devices, including tablets, digital cameras, and headphones. In spring 2026, the obligation will be extended to laptops.
Lightning lovers and EU critics have slammed the rules as another case of government overreach. They accuse the bloc of sacrificing innovation at the altar of regulation.
When applied to other European tech directives, those arguments may have validity. In this case, however, the EU rules could genuinely make the world a better place.
The legislation aims to improve sustainability, reduce electronic trash, and make consumer lives easier. Unused and discarded chargers create an estimated 11,000 tonnes of e-waste a year. According to the EU, the new law will increase their reuse and help consumers save up to €250mn a year on unnecessary cable purchases.
Apple, however, has been resistant to the changes. The US tech giant spent years lobbying against the switch before finally conceding defeat.
In 2019, Apple commissioned a study that claimed the regulation would cost consumers €1.5bn. The company also warned the move would consign millions of cables and adaptors to the scrapheap. Curiously, the firm didn’t raise such concerns when it switched to the pricey Lightning connector in 2012.
Industry experts predict that Apple will soon change its tune. Thomas Husson, a principal analyst at research firm Forrester, expects a different tone now that the move to USB-C is happening.
“The likely shift from iPhone’s charging port shifting from Lightning to USB-C will be marketed as a key consumer benefit, which is a paradox after Apple pushed back on this standard for many years,” he said.
USB-C is so useful that tech experts want its inventor to get a Nobel Prize. “Which tech experts?” I hear you ask. Why, TNW’s of course.
Cynics also note that Apple’s corporate activism has ulterior motives (well, duh). The company is notorious for pushing proprietary components over open standards — an approach that’s proven lucrative.
Sales of in-house cables, licensing fees from third-party manufacturers, and restrictions on compatibility with rival vendors generate vast revenues. The EU’s intervention will bite a chunk out of those earnings.
Inevitably, there will be some backlash from iPhone users who have amassed numerous Lightning accessories. On the plus side, their USB-C wire can charge almost all their other electronic devices. Even iPads and Macbooks now use Type-C.
The switch should also expand interoperability. In the EU, people own an average of three chargers and use two regularly. Nonetheless, 38% of them have had problems powering their phones because they couldn’t find the right charger.
That incompatibility comes at a cost. Consumers spend around €2.4bn a year on standalone chargers that don’t come with their devices.
Apple’s switch to USB-C should reduce both the financial and environmental impacts. It will also make this Android user’s trips to Apple houses less stressful — although, obviously, I would never have ulterior motives of my own.
Today, the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford, along with early-stage VC OpenOcean, released what they call “the world’s most accurate open access startup insights platform” — the O3.
The platform is the result of three years of research from Oxford Saïd and 13 years of experience of data economy investing from OpenOcean. It leverages public and private data sources and is meant to help improve decision making across the UK tech ecosystem, through “granular data on startups and their technology stack, solutions, and go-to-market strategies.”
“In my time in venture capital, far too often the choice of which startups receive funding has come down to instinct and opportunistic use of data, rather than accurate definition and comparison of startups,” said Ekaterina Almasque, General Partner at OpenOcean. “We wanted to change that, creating a platform that cuts through the noise, and removes bias from decision-making.”
The O3 platform has already screened 16,913 UK startups according to a unique taxonomy developed by Oxford Saïd. For an initial analysis, it has looked specifically at high-growth startups that use or facilitate AI (close to 1,300), and has come up with some interesting findings about the sector.
AI startups a small portion of UK tech ecosystem
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The UK government has asserted that it is going to make the country an AI powerhouse. However, thus far, the number of UK startups with a pronounced AI focus make up less than 10% of the ecosystem.
Mari Sako, Professor of Management Studies at Oxford Saïd, believes that the O3 will enable policymakers, researchers, founders, and investors to clearly identify gaps and opportunities in the AI ecosystem. “We believe this platform has immense potential to aid innovators in making informed decisions based on sound data, and to boost research on AI,” Sako said.
UK fintech is generally a top investment destination in Europe, but when it comes to AI, the health tech startup segment receives more funding (£2.6bn vs. £3.4bn, respectively).
Startups using AI for recognition tasks, including but not exclusive to facial recognition, have collectively raised the most funding (£6bn). Meanwhile, among the least funded are those focusing on privacy protection (£1.2bn).
The analysis has also uncovered, perhaps unsurprisingly, a significant bias towards London for startup fundraising. However, there is also notable support in Bristol, Oxford, and Cambridge.
According to the originators of the platform, the UK is only the beginning. “We want to see it expand to cover more markets and geographies,” Almasque continued. “It is a community driven project, built on open access, where the more stakeholders participate, the more powerful is the common knowledge.”
A Swiss startup has unveiled a solution to the global shortage of security guards: an autonomous patrol robot.
Named the Ascento Guard, the two-wheeled sentinel is equipped with thermal and infrared cameras, speakers, a microphone, and GPS tracking. The bidepal design promises all-terrain mobility, fall recovery from any position, and top speeds of 5km/h.
Using these features, the Ascento Guard can spot trespassers, monitor parking lots, and record property lights. It can also identify floods and fires, as well as check that doors and windows are closed.
When an incident is detected, an alarm is sent to an operator. Only then is a human security guard sent onsite to take action.
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The bot is the brainchild of Ascento, a Zurich-based developer of bipedal security robots. Alessandro Morra, the startup’s CEO, told TNW that Ascento Guard is designed for large outdoor premises.
“Instead of installing many fixed cameras or sending human guards in harsh weather conditions and at night for patrol, Ascento Guard can secure the assets,” he said.
Ascento co-founders (left to right) Dominik-Mannhart, Alessandro-Morra, Ciro Salzmann, and Miguel de la Iglesia Valls. Credit: Ascento
Ascento’s founding team combines experience as security guards with robotics expertise honed at ETH Zurich, a renowned research university.
Their inventions have been deployed at large outdoor warehouses, industrial manufacturing sites, and pharma campuses. Since the start of this year, the robots have secured over 3,000 km of outdoor premises.
The Ascento Guard is the latest addition to the portfolio. According to its creators, the bot can be installed and deployed within a few hours.
Just like a human security officer, the Ascento Guard can be hired by the hour. Autonomous charging will then keep the device running at speeds of up to 5km/h.
Operators can monitor the surveillance in a web interface. Credit: Ascento
A companion app extends the robot’s capabilities. The app integrates with existing video management systems, offers end-to-end encrypted two-way communication, and generates security reports.
Morra is particularly excited about the system’s AI analytics. He envisions them identifying suspicious patterns, such as specific locations and times of incidents, or cars that consistently park in distinctive places.
“This robot design is just the beginning,” Morra said. “We are seeing multiple opportunities for how we can complement our robot to offer an indoor, aerial application integration of our technology.”
The web interface also provides a live view of footage from the cameras. Credit: Ascento
Alongside the new robot launch, Ascento today announced that it’s received another $4.3mn in funding. The pre-seed round was led by VC firms Wingman Ventures and Playfair Capital.
You can review their investment for yourself by watching the video below:
Understand this is a work-in-progress. We’ve built a talented team, but this game won’t ship until late next year at the earliest.
Early access will give you a behind-the-scenes peek on how game development is made, gray block-out environments, programmer assets, all while the final look of the game hasn’t been established. You’ll see level layouts that will never ship, mechanics that are too OP, design explorations, lots of bugs and fun things in between.
This is not a beta … this is early access.
However, this is the fun part of game development and we are excited to bring you in.
Echo VR Evolved
But this isn’t just an Echo VR remake. Another Axiom has an ambitious plan to make ‘Project A2’ a much more social VR experience by incorporating and expanding some of Gorilla Tag’s underappreciated innovations.
Yes, GorillaTag has a novel locomotion and capitalizes on the seemingly innate human experience of ‘tag’, but the game’s seamless social structure—where game lobbies are ‘places’ and changing game modes is as natural as walking between rooms—is another key element to its success.
In the message on the studio’s Discord server, the developers explain the game’s structure.
Stations: Travel through a fleet of stations to find your community. Once arrived, float or take one of the many high speed systems to different casual game modes. However, if larger arena sport games are more your style, then find your way to one of the many stadiums. Hang out in the bleachers with your friends to cheer on your favorite players, commentate from the casters’ booth, or float through the locker rooms to join in on the action.
The studio plans to give ‘Project A2’ a seamless social structure, where game maps and modes are realized as ‘stations’ that players can navigate between by traveling through the game world. Don’t like how the people are playing in one station? Wander off and find a new group of players down the hall.
This social structure can lead to the kind of happenstance networking that delights us in the real world; maybe you’re wandering down the hall, peek into a station, and hear a funny conversation that has nothing to do with the itself game, but you decide to pop in and join the group for some laughs.
In essence it sounds like the studio wants to structure the game as its own sort of mini-metaverse—a ‘miniverse’, perhaps? It’s not terribly different from something like Rec Room or VR Chat, except there’s a greater emphasis on making navigation between ‘places’ more natural.
Your Domain
The studio also plans to give players wide-reaching control over ‘Project A2’, allowing them to create their own stations that they can adjust as they see fit.
“[…] players can run their own servers, control their own stations, host their own rule sets, moderate and customize the look and feel of, activities, posters, game modes and more,” the studio wrote. Not to mention plans for a level editor, allowing people to build interesting new maps to attract players to their specific station.
Full Circle
Image courtesy Another Axiom
‘Project A2’ is a full-circle moment for the studio. It’s co-founder, Kerestell Smith, has said that Echo VR—before it was shut down—was his original inspiration for Gorilla Tag.
“[…] Echo VR was the first game that really made me certain VR was going to be transformative. I got so into it that I started competing, which I had never done before, and my team, Eclipse, ended up winning the first two championships,” Smith has said. It’s unique zero-G arm-based locomotion was one of the key inspirations for Gorilla Tag’s movement system.
Another of the studio’s co-founders, David Neubelt worked at Ready at Dawn as one of the leads on Echo VR, and has since gone on to join Another Axiom.
Now that the game has been shuttered, Smith, Neubelt, and the rest of the studio actually have a shot at resurrecting a spiritual successor to the game they loved—for themselves and the community that was left behind when Echo VR was shut down.
New & Improved?
While ‘Project A2’ could revive the essence of Echo VR, it will be interesting to see how players of the original game and those of Gorilla Tag receive Another Axiom’s spin on zero-G locomotion.
Fundamentally the studio appears to be building on the foundation of Gorilla Tag’s movement (which, as we mentioned, was inspired by Echo VR’s movement!); but ‘Project A2’ will make some key tweaks, the studio writes:
Learn more about our new approach to zero-g movement. We’re targeting human scale speeds with more physicality, hand-based collision, sliding, and paddle-based momentum mechanics, all while using very few controller inputs. We have removed the ability to grab flat walls, only allowing grabbing on bars and handles that your fingers could wrap around. We hope this model will follow people’s expectations of how hands work in real life, while adding depth and a high skill ceiling by layering multiple physical mechanics together.
In a way, this system sounds like a fusion of both Echo VR’s movement (where players could grab and push off of any wall) and Gorilla Tag’s movement (where players can’t grab onto any wall, any have to move themselves purely with momentum).
– – — – –
With the success of Gorilla Tag, Another Axiom has set a very high bar for themselves. Can ‘Project A2’ achieve similar levels of success, or will Gorilla Tag remain the studio’s flagship game? Only time will tell, as the studio says it doesn’t plan to ship ‘Project A2’ until late 2024 “at the earliest.”
