Great success of three boys from Prague. Facebook buys the Czech VR game Beat Saber
The most successful game for virtual reality, Beat Saber, in which you chop incoming boxes to the beat of music with a lightsaber, changes owners. It was bought by the American company Oculus Studios, which belongs to the Facebook empire, from the three founders – Ján Ilavský, Vlad Hrinčár and Jaroslav Beck.
Neither party wants to comment on the sale price. Forbes has spoken to several insiders from the gaming industry and their estimates range from $ 50 million to $ 100 million. But it can be even more – it depends on what signal Facebook wants to send the world with this purchase, how much it believes in the future of virtual reality.
“The Beat Games are joining us on the path to bringing VR to as many people around the world as possible,” says Oculus. Beat Games is a company that covers the released game and related activities.
“Not much is changing for us. We remain in a company focused on the same as before, of course not as owners, “says Jaroslav Beck, who is in charge of music and has also agreed on several partnerships with global companies. Among other things, for example with Facebook – for VR Oculus, Beat Saber was the number one game. “We will still be an independent studio based in Prague. I think we managed it really well. “
Ilavský and Hrinčár are programs from Slovakia, but they have lived and worked in Prague or its surroundings for a long time. Beck, a native of Strakonice, has alternated the Czech capital with Los Angeles in recent years.
According to him, Facebook or Oculus will help make Beat Saber the “best possible game” thanks to its infrastructure and capital capabilities. “Only now will it be a mess,” Beck adds.
“So far, the boys have only lightly touched on the possibilities that Beat Saber offers in the field of social interactions, new game modes, music and more. We are excited to be able to join forces with such a talented team, “said Oculus, signed by Mike Verdu, the studio’s content director.