In this episode, Don and Ben welcome Arturo Perez from Kluge Interactive, the acclaimed immersive game studio behind Synth Riders, Final Fury, and other hits spanning Apple Vision Pro, Oculus, PSVR, SteamVR, and more. Arturo dives deep into the philosophy and practical challenges of developing cross-platform VR games that are both genre-defining and widely accessible.

They explore the origins and evolution of Synth Riders, Kluge’s unique approach to carving out a niche in the crowded rhythm and fighting game genres, and how the team balances long-term player engagement with the desire to innovate. Arturo also shares lessons learned in adapting games across platforms, designing for different hardware constraints, and the growing importance of mobile-first and multiplayer-friendly VR experiences.

The episode also touches on the future of XR: ethical use of AI in game dev, trends in community-building, and the emerging divide between casual AR experiences and deeply immersive VR worlds.

Whether you're a VR developer, gamer, or just fascinated by the future of interactive entertainment, this episode is packed with insights from the front lines of immersive game design.

~~~Connect With Us!~~~

Don's Links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dkianian/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dkianian/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.dfk 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dkianian 

Website: https://dkianian.com/ 

Ben's Links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-veaner-7643a980/ 

Discord: https://bit.ly/HABITXR 

Website: https://habitxr.net/ 

Arturo's Links

Kluge Interactive Website: https://klugeinteractive.com/

Kluge Games TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@klugegames 

Synth Riders TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@synthridersvr  

Final Fury TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@finalfuryvr 

Chicken Tag: https://horizon.meta.com/world/659765143878855/

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