Survios, the developer behind the HTC Vive first-person shooter Raw Data, has announced that the game is the first VR title to reach US$1 million in sales within a single month period. In an interview with Fast Company, Survios CEO Nathan Burba says that at least 20% of all HTC Vive owners have purchased Raw Data on Steam, and that the game is one of the first VR-exclusive titles to enter the digital storefront’s top sellers list.
Burba attributes Raw Data’s success to its high price point of US$40, relative to other VR titles:
"We saw a need in the market for a triple-A title. It’s more expensive than anything for the Vive, and more people wanted that ... By putting more money in [and] having a higher price point, we’re signalling to users that this is a triple-A title."
Raw Data launched into Steam Early Access in July this year. The game is a co-operative, wave-based survival first-person shooter, in which players work together to take down robotic enemies using a combination of firearms and melee weapons. The game touts what Survios calls an “active VR” system, whereby players much use the HTC Vive’s motion controllers to perform actions like reloading or switching weapons.
Survios has hinted that it is working on new titles, in addition to improving Raw Data over its Early Access period. However, the developer would not elaborate on what those titles might be, only to say that they are in “different categories” to Raw Data.