Readyverse Studios, the tech and content studio co-founded by Ernest Cline, author of Ready Player One, has unveiled a collaboration with Oscar-winning special effects and prop company Wētā Workshop. The partnership marks the debut of the first visuals for their forthcoming "multi-genre" battle royale game, Open. Renowned for its work on The Lord of the Rings and Avatar franchises, Wētā Workshop will help Readyverse shape the visual and narrative framework of Open.
Readyverse has also joined forces with Neo Tokyo to integrate its IP characters, known as Citizens, into the game. As previously disclosed, Open is inspired by Ready Player One, offering a virtual world populated with recognizable IPs. Partners already on board include DeLorean, Reebok, and Cool Cats.
In a joint statement, Readyverse co-founders Aaron McDonald, Shara Senderoff, Dan Farh, and Ernest Cline expressed their excitement about the collaboration with Wētā, stating it allows them to create gaming content never seen before. Wētā's Richard Taylor echoed this sentiment, highlighting the opportunity to explore a visually stunning and immersive world.
Open is currently in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. This third-person battle royale game draws inspiration from nostalgic media and offers both competitive and cooperative play modes. It aims to be a defining metaverse game, incorporating web3 technology for asset interoperability and digital ownership.
While no gameplay footage has been released yet, stay tuned to GameSpot for the latest updates. Open is being developed at Walker Labs in partnership with Readyverse, with talent from studios like Epic, DICE, Microsoft, PlayStation, Remedy, EA, Ubisoft, and Lucasfilm.
Ernest Cline, speaking at SXSW this year, described his vision of a future internet and video games merging into a new frontier. Readyverse is not alone in its metaverse ambitions; Epic Games has been pioneering this space through Fortnite, featuring diverse licensed content. Disney's recent $1.5 billion investment in Epic underscores the growing interest in creating virtual worlds.
