Welcome to our weekly feature where we ask some of the industry’s leading developers and personalities 20 questions.

This week we feature Sergio Hidalgo the developer of the Dreadhalls.

1. State Your Name:

Sergio Hidalgo

2. What is your current Job / Role ?

“Game developer”, which includes a bit of everything, but mostly design, programming, and project managing.

3. What are you most famous for ?

Scaring people!

4. What is currently on the desk in front of you ?

Two monitors (double productivity!), an Oculus Rift, a Razer Hydra, a can of coke, my phone and tablet, and a couple of stress balls. Under the desk I also have three XBox 360 controlles (of which I only use one), some notebooks packed with indecipherable ramblings, and some undone paperwork.

5. What was your first VR experience ?

The Tuscany demo. Back when I was working at my old company, a coworker brought his Rift to the office and we all got to play some of the most popular demos. Some of them were more spectacular, but that first glimpse of “another world” beyond ours is something I’ll always associate with the Tuscany one.

6. Did you feel any sim sickness or do you ever feel any sim sickness ?

Yes, at first turning around using a mouse or gamepad was very difficult to me, I’d get sick and disoriented really fast. I remember feeling specially bad after playing HL2 in the Rift for just a few minutes. Right now I have my “VR legs” and it feels much better, though some of the most extreme demo’s still get to me.

7. What’s the longest amount of time you have spent in VR in one play session ?

I guess somewhere between 1 to 2 hours, possibly on either Minecraft or Eurotruck Simulator 2. I’ve had sessions last for a bit longer than that, but playing several different games / demos a few minutes each, so I don’t know if those count.

8. What’s the strangest experience you have had with VR ?

Frequency Domain was a bit strange and trippy, but also quite fun. In terms of pure strangeness, though, I think Dumpy is the winner.

9. What’s the funniest experience you have had with VR ?

There are many that are very fun. I specially remember Flying in Dreams, since it didn’t have much content or gameplay, but I still had a blast just flying around!

10. What game or hardware device are you currently working on ?

I’m working on making the new version of Dreadhalls.

11. Do you have a release date in mind for your project ?

I want to release it by the same time CV1 hits the market.

12. What is the biggest surprise you have had since you started to work in VR ?

Realizing that you don’t need to have as many gameplay mechanics to keep the player engaged as you’d need in a traditional game. Just visiting and exploring a virtual environment is interesting on its own, and in fact too many gameplay elements can get in the way of that enjoyment, preventing you to explore the world at your own pace. I believe we’ll be seeing quite a few succesful “notgames” in VR.

13. If you could only choose one game from your childhood to be remade for VR what would it be ?

Outcast

14. Besides games what do you think will be the most useful application for VR ?

I’m very excited about both social applications and education. Just seeing someone else’s avatar in VR is an unique experience, and I’m really looking forward to see what kind of interactions will emerge based on it. And in terms of education, VR can make almost any topic interesting by placing you actually inside it.

15. What advice would you give to people on how to get into VR development ?

Just get started! The barrier of entry is very low, you can just grab the tools right now and start playing with them and doing interesting things. Don’t try to make the game from your dreams at first, though. Start small and you’ll learn faster and get visible results earlier.

16. What is your favorite VR related movie ?

eXistenZ

17. If you had a crystal ball and could see 10 years into the future what developments in VR do you think will have happened?

I’d expect more comfortable devices, and solutions to current problems such as having a better input system that allows player to freely move in the environment and interact with it in more natural ways. Currently experimental technologies such as galvanic vestibular stimulation or retinal projection might also be available by then.

18. Outside of VR what do you do to relax ?

I like to go walking, but also reading, playing games, watching TV shows (lately Game of Thrones, House of Cards…). I often play Chivalry, I find it way more satisfactory than the usual online shooters!

19. What’s your current favorite VR experience that you have not developed your self ?

I don’t have a favourite, too many great ones out there! One of the latest I’ve played that I really liked was Senza Peso.

20. Sum up how you feel about Virtual Reality in 6 words or less ?

We can create dreams… and nightmares! 😉

More info and a demo of Dreadhalls can be found by clicking here

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