Written By: Michael D. McClellan |
That Bill Issler and Jarom Sidwell have joined forces to launch a new virtual reality game, DvG: Conquering Giants, is totally apropos, given that both men are faith-based and committed to family values. DvG, released on November 25, 2020, and available on a range of VR headsets, is centered on the heroic and timeless biblical tale of David vs. Goliath. Good, clean fun? Check. Educational without being preachy? Check. A cutting-edge journey into old testament scripture? Check. DvG delivers a breath of fresh air in a gaming space dominated by blood and gore.
“There’s a lot of game content out there that’s morally degrading,” Sidwell says. “We wanted DvG to tilt the scales more toward the wholesome and family-friendly.”
Issler, the CEO of Virtuous VR Gaming (VVRG), who got his start in the steel industry before selling his company and shifting gears, couldn’t agree more.
“We wanted to create something to entice young people to read the Bible,” he says. “This game brings the story of David and Goliath to life in a way that is fresh and new. VR opens up a who new world of possibilities.”
While Issler’s business instincts helped get this project off the ground, it was his decision to reach out to Sidwell that proved to be the genius move. Sidwell, the Hollywood visual effects artist who’s worked on blockbuster films such as Transformers, Avatar, The Avengers, The Adventures of Tintin, and Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, came armed with the creative chops needed to make this game a success. The result speaks for itself. DvG dazzles from the moment you slip on the headset.
“Jarom is incredibly talented, and we were lucky to convince him to work on this project,” Issler says. “It was the perfect fit.”
Bill, you’re the CEO and the founder of Virtuous VR Gaming (VVRG). You’re also the driving force behind Industry Lift. How did you bring these worlds together with DvG: Conquering Giants?
The quick story is that my two uncles had an engineering business, and they talked me into joining them to become the heir apparent to the company. After 20 years developing software for them, I left and started my own business in a related field in the steel industry. That’s how I got involved with VR. I eventually sold my company, and I was left with all of this VR and AR equipment. That’s when I decided to give back to the next generation. So, after selling the business and semi-retiring at age 65, I started Industry Lift to help entice young kids into the skilled trades. We created these five-minute VR games to help drive home the point that there are good-paying skilled labor jobs out there. That led me to think about VR gaming. I started researching the Internet with the thought of developing a VR game based on family values, and I came across the work that Jarom had done with the Temple in Jerusalem.
Jarom, you’ve worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood. How did that come about?
After graduating from college I moved to Los Angeles and tried to get into the movie business. I started in the mailroom at United Artists, and on my lunch breaks I would go and interview at visual effects houses. I eventually got a job at Digital Domain, which is James Cameron’s company. Digital Domain had done some big films to that point, one of them being Titanic. They were just getting ready to do Transformers, and, as luck would have it, I got to be on the digital team and help make those robots come to life! I also did Transformers and a few other films, and then went into commercials, working with companies like Energizer and T-Mobile. It was great, because I was able to get my hands dirty in every aspect of creating visual effects.
Those aren’t the only big names on your resume.
Two years later, a job came up in Wellington, New Zealand, and that’s when I got to work with James Cameron on Avatar. It was a chance of a lifetime. I lived down there and worked on that movie for three-and-a-half years. Then I worked with Joss Whedon on The Avengers, Steven Spielberg on The Adventures of Tintin, and Peter Jackson on The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. These men are giants in the industry, so I just tried to glean as much from them as I could – how to tell the story, how to create awesome graphics…and how to do these things both visually and emotionally.
You eventually created Immersive Bible Experience. Tell me about that.
It’s a similar story to meeting Bill. Somebody kept calling me about this virtual reality technology, so I started down the path of creating ancient cities that don’t exist anymore. One of those was Jerusalem. Jerusalem is still there today, but the old Jerusalem from 2000 years ago is about 50-feet underneath the ground. All of these people – rabbis, archaeologists, professors, tour guides, and scholars – gave us a bunch of information, and we rebuilt the entire thing digitally. We made it so that you can wear a headset, and this virtual world becomes a living museum. You can walk into the temple and see the priest lighting the menorah. That’s about the time when Bill called me.
What was his pitch?
He asked me what I wanted to do beyond that. I said that I’d love to take people and put them into a virtual reality world as a character in a biblical story. That’s when we started looking at the simulation together. We took one of our characters and scaled it up to be about 15 feet tall. As soon as we put that headset on and the character started chucking spears, right away that this would be perfect for the David versus Goliath story. That’s what spawned DvG: Conquering Giants.
Bill, tell me a little about the publishing and marketing side of putting this together.
I was involved in putting this whole team of professionals together, most who have backgrounds and expertise in video production. Their talent gave me the confidence to move forward with making DvG. I quickly learned that there are a lot of companies that put money into the game development, but don’t put sufficient money into the marketing, which can mean the difference between success and failure. At that point I got in touch with some people who are very good at both branding and marketing. We were able to give Jarom full funding on the production side, without sacrificing the resources the marketing team needed to focus on that side of the project. I’m very proud that we were able to bring together a team of people that hadn’t worked together before, and create a very close, friendly atmosphere. I think it has made for a really good team.
Jarom, tell me about the creative side of this project.
We had a few pillars when we started out developing DvG, and making this a family-friendly game was at the top of the list. We wanted to avoid the gore and the violence that are prevalent some other games. We wanted to make it so that a family could sit around and watch someone play this, and then have it be something that they could talk about later. The storyline follows David from his time as a shepherd boy, where he protects the sheep from wolves and lions and bears…and, of course, giants. So, your character is learning about the importance of protecting your sheep, that the flock is your family, and the family is your flock. I think we really hit a home run with that. There are some good values that are taught in this game. DvG can launch discussions within a family, in a classroom, or even in a church group.
As far as the gameplay, we wanted this to be a very active game. The awesome part about VR is that it’s not just a console game where you’re touching buttons. In VR – especially in DvG: Conquering Giants – you have a differently interactive experience than sitting in front of a TV with a controller in your hand. You’re pumping your hands to run, you’re sliding your hands around to dodge…we also have a sling mechanic built into this game, which is really unique. You’ve got to wind up and throw those rocks. The wolves and the lions can get your heart racing.
In designing the game, did you ever get to the point where it became too realistic?
Absolutely. When we were making the game, we created a rough, white box version. In the beginning, our wolves were just cubes with little spheres for heads. Our sheep were little white cubes. We brought in 150 students ranging between 10-to-15 years old, and some of them got scared playing the prototype. The wolves surrounding them became a little intimidating to some of that younger audience, so instead of going the realism route and making it look like something out of Avatar or The Avengers, we pivoted and said, “Let’s make this a little bit more family friendly.” We switched everything over to a Looney Tunes effect. When you hit the wolf, there is a comical response to the pain. So, it’s been toned down a lot since the early prototype. I think we’ve found that balance. The feedback that we’ve gotten now is that the kids absolutely love it.
Bill, you’re something of a visionary and an early adopter of VR.
In the construction industry, I was introduced to a game called Ritchie’s Plank Experience, where you get on an elevator, the door opens on a high floor, and there’s a plank that you’re supposed to walk on. Right away I thought that this would help people understand what it would be like to be an ironworker working in very difficult situations. You would never be able to get the OSHA requirements to allow somebody to go to such a dangerous place in the real world – these are people are often working in very high places, very hot places, and in very difficult environments. VR is a safe way to bring these places to someone who wants to experience it.
It seems like VR has been on the verge of taking off for the past few years.
I think the medium of VR is just so potent. Having games like DvG will continue to build the audience. Facebook has come out with the new Oculus Quest 2, which is a headset at a lower price point. Having a headset under $300 makes it affordable for families. And, with the coronavirus pandemic and people quarantined at home, it really is a technology that’s starting to take off.
Jarom, tell me about the role your faith has played in creating this game.
It has been a really interesting experience. I was in a Bible study group about five years ago, and we were learning about Jesus cleansing the temple. I thought it was fascinating. We were learning about things like the economics at the time and all of this other biblical history, and I was like, “Wow, this is awesome.” I mean, this was the stuff that never really sank in when I was a kid. Then I look around the room, and everybody has tuned out. I had to ask myself: “Why are everybody’s eyes glossed over?” Right then I heard this little inner voice that said, “Because they can’t see it. You’ve made worlds for James Cameron and Steven Spielberg, make this world for me.” That’s what launched us down the path of creating Immersive Bible Experience. It’s been absolutely amazing to put on the headset and visualize the stories that I’d heard as a kid.
Bill, how has your faith influenced DvG?
I grew up in a Christian home. My parents always instilled in me the values that are in the Bible. Just as I’d used VR to entice young people to learn more about a skilled trade, I wanted to entice young people to put on a VR headset and learn about the Bible.
Jarom, give me an example of technical challenge you had to overcome in making this game.
The sling mechanic is really unique. As we were building this game, we knew that we were releasing it on PlayStation VR, Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift, and VIVE. Each headset is a little bit different. So, as we were building the sling mechanic, we had to fine tune it to each headset and each platform. That was a big challenge, because it had to work smoothly on each headset. The fun part about being in this space is that you’re always riding that wave. You’re right on the cusp of the latest technology. DvG is right there. It’s got some exciting gameplay that is tuned for these new headsets, which makes it really fun.
Bill, what did you find most challenging about this project?
In the software business, our customers were always pushing us towards getting the newest release out as soon as possible. This was a little bit different, because we were more interested in getting a good product out. We didn’t really have any deadlines. I’m just really excited about the vision that Jarom and his team had in putting this game together.
Bill, last question: If you had one piece of advice for others, what would that be?
It’s not too late to have new dreams. If you’ve got vision, if you’ve got abilities, and if you’ve got connections with people, then go forward. DvG is a great example of that.
Jarom, if you had one piece of advice for other creatives, what would that be?
One of the quotes that my dad had on his desk was, “It’s not the years in the life, it’s the life in the years.” Working with Bill and his team on DvG has been has been so much fun. I love creating things that I feel passionate about, things that make a difference. I feel so incredibly blessed and grateful to be able to do that here with DvG.