Arvore's Path to Becoming a Prestigious Emmy-Winning VR Developer

The history of Brazilian game development dates back to the 1980s, and similarly, the country's creative minds have been at the forefront of virtual reality since its inception. Rodrigo Terra, president of the Brazilian games trade body Abragames and co-founder of the VR studio Arvore Immersive Entertainment, has been working with VR technology since 2014, beginning with experiments using the Oculus Rift DK1. Terra's fascination with VR stems from its ability to transport users into immersive experiences, rather than just viewing a screen. "When VR first emerged, I was amazed by its potential to drop the screen and live in a world, experiencing life in a completely new way," he explains. However, the current market for virtual reality in Brazil is relatively small, which hasn't deterred major players from attempting to establish a presence in the region. According to Terra, large companies are trying to market VR headsets as productivity tools, but they have not yet reached their full potential. "Apple is making progress in this area, and Meta is investing in a different direction, which is the right approach to drive growth," he notes. "However, here, adoption will take time, and access is crucial." The lack of public policy supporting the manufacture of VR headsets in Brazil has hindered their adoption, unlike smartphones, which became popular after a policy change made them more affordable. Despite these challenges, the VR community in Brazil is growing, with determined developers finding ways to import headsets into the country. Terra emphasizes that Arvore is focusing on the global market, rather than just the Brazilian market, as the local market will take time to develop. "If Meta, Google, and Apple start selling their products officially in Brazil and invest in the region, I'm confident that we can change the momentum, and adoption will increase significantly," he says. Terra highlights that Brazilian people have a strong affinity for technology, being among the first to adopt new digital trends, such as WhatsApp, Discord, and TikTok. "We're a highly digitized population, so it's just a matter of access. If you bring a product to Brazil at an affordable price, you'll see an explosion in adoption," he explains. Arvore was founded seven years ago by Terra and his university friend, Ricardo Justus, who were running a television production company at the time. They began exploring the potential of virtual reality in 2015, despite the lack of consumer headsets in the market. The duo bootstrapped their company, spending a year pitching their vision to investors and eventually securing seed funding. They drew on gaming talent and professionals from other technology and creative industries, such as film and TV, to build their team. In 2017, Arvore Immersive Entertainment was officially established, focusing on both B2B and B2C projects, as well as physical and location-based installations. "We saw immersive experiences as the future of entertainment, and we still do," Terra says. "We believed it was a good idea to start this venture in Brazil, given the country's talent, access to funding, and international market potential. However, we knew we had to develop a unique and diverse team to create projects that could stand out among the bigger players." Arvore's first commercially released VR game was Pixel Ripped 1989, a first-person perspective game that paid homage to retro video games. The studio's third game, The Line, a 20-minute interactive love story directed by Ricardo Laganaro, won the prize for best VR immersive experience at the 2019 Venice International Film Festival and the 2020 Primetime Emmy for outstanding innovation in interactive programming. Terra notes that these awards marked a significant milestone for Arvore, demonstrating that the studio's work could be recognized and loved by global audiences. "We tell universal stories and create games that everyone can understand and love, but we always add a Brazilian touch," he explains. The conversation turns to the challenges virtual reality faces in becoming a mainstream technology. Terra acknowledges that he's been hearing predictions of VR's imminent takeoff for years but believes it's only a matter of time before it becomes mainstream. "I don't know exactly when it will happen, but it's going to be mainstream. We won't need to use phones and computers in ten or 15 years. Why use those gadgets if you can have something immersive? It's a matter of time," he says. Terra sees virtual reality as a niche that can be survived in currently, with adults with disposable income and an interest in new technologies being the primary market. However, as more children adopt VR, a new generation of players will emerge, and immersive technologies will become a standard part of their entertainment mix. "It's still a niche today, but it's a niche that is starting to be understood. It's not an experiment anymore; it's an industry that's growing, and it will get there. If I knew whether it would take five or ten years, I'd be a multibillionaire," Terra concludes.