Kuju enters VR and AR market with new services

Kuju has announced it will be adding new virtual and augmented reality services to the company, as well as ramping up its work-for-hire division.

Under the leadership of former SIEE London Studio producer Brynley Gibson, Kuju will be expanding its VR and AR projects to help brands and enterprises beyond the traditional games industry to create immersive experiences. It’s already delivered products for the Samsung Gear VR and Google Cardboard, but Kuju’s London team is also working on an unannounced VR music experience for Sony’s PlayStation VR.

The move comes after the arrival of new management and a restructuring of the business within its parent organisation, The Catalis Group, who also acquired UK developer and publisher Curve Digital last year.

Kuju will also be implementing a new model for its work-for-hire division, a step the studio says was inspired by the movie industry.

In short, we are refocusing Kuju as ‘the work for hire developer’ – a one stop shop for solving development issues for others, whatever they may be,” said Gibson.

Where we have found great success has been using our broad skillset to pick up a wide range of work, helping others achieve their goals. Where publishers and developers alike come to us with a need, we can fulfill that in an efficient and competitive manner.”

Under the new model, Kuju says its work-for-hire development support services will include maintaining game services, product extension and DLC production, supplementary mini development teams to help complete titles and features for developers and publishers, and ports and conversions to current generation hardware.

Kuju says it will also be offering its services to an increasing number of brands and licensors looking to move into the interactive entertainment space.

Kuju currently has two studios in the UK, the London-based Headstrong Games, who was most recently behind the Art Academy series of DS and 3DS titles, and the Brighton-based Zoe Mode, the studio behind the Zumba franchise.The company was acquired by The Catalis Group in 2007.