Ramen VR Forges a New Path with Zenith: The Last City, a Groundbreaking Intersection of MMOs and VR

Creating and maintaining a massively multiplayer online game is a daunting task for any studio, and the challenge increases exponentially when the game is also a virtual reality experience, as is the case with Ramen VR's Zenith: The Last City. This VR game is a constant balancing act, both technically and logistically. Ramen VR's chief technical officer and co-founder, Lauren Frazier, shares with GamesIndustry.biz how the studio overcame these hurdles and brought the Final Fantasy XIV-inspired RPG to various platforms, including a successful launch as a PlayStation VR 2 title. The idea for Zenith originated from Frazier's shared interest in anime with studio co-founder and CEO Andy Tsen, drawing inspiration from shows like .Hack and Sword Art Online. Frazier notes that her experience in the VR gaming space, coupled with her desire to create an MMO VR title, drove the development of Zenith. Despite the potential overwhelm of playing a VR game with the scale of a traditional MMORPG, Frazier reports that the studio has not received complaints about the game's complexity. Instead, the social aspect of traditional MMORPGs is mirrored in Zenith, with features like global voice chat, allowing players to interact and communicate seamlessly. Frazier believes that these social interactions are crucial in helping players understand the game's unique experiences and find their way through quests and other content. Pitching Zenith to investors was a challenging task, given the perceived risks associated with both VR and MMOs. However, Frazier's persistence and the studio's vision ultimately secured $35 million in funding. Launching the game across multiple platforms presented its own set of hurdles, with each platform having its own set of approval requirements and standards for frame rates and bug acceptance. Frazier views this process as beneficial, as it ensures that the game meets a high standard of quality. The decision to launch Zenith on multiple platforms, including the PlayStation VR 2, was driven by the need to reach a broader audience and create a sustainable player base. Frazier highlights that the game's technical design allows for seamless play across different devices, with all users playing on the same servers and experiencing the same content. The studio's approach to community engagement, including player-controlled tests and surveys, has been instrumental in shaping the game's development and ensuring that player feedback is incorporated into the game. As CTO, Frazier's role is often misunderstood, with many assuming that she is the most skilled engineer on the team. Instead, her focus is on enabling the engineers and team members to do their work effectively, much like a sports team coach. Frazier takes pride in the game's performance, particularly the absence of loading screens, and is committed to continuing to work with the community to shape the game's future.