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[@MUWANdo]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/916717037/nuren-the-new-renaissance

So, you all know virt, right? Jake Kaufman, the guy who did the music for Shovel Knight, Ducktales Remastered, Double Dragon Neon, Contra 4, the Shantae series and a whole bunch else?

Well, he recently quit his in-house job at WayForward Technologies to go 100% freelance, and he's looking to fund and co-direct a "cyberpunk virtual reality rock opera" called [NUREN] The New Renaissance.

Here's a trailer (but not the pitch video, which isn't on YT for some reason: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhlR_YbXrfY

You can download an early build here: http://d2wlj2wjfsfbsy.cloudfront.net/Nuren_Kickstarter_Preview_R507.exe

A description for those who don't or can't watch the trailers or play the demo:

[NUREN] is a collection of music videos forming a feature-length story, presented in virtual reality. Unlike a traditional 3D movie, [NUREN] is rendered in real-time on your computer, so you can look in any direction, and see things happening all around you. Each segment has its own unique artistic style, set to a gorgeous vocal music track, with voice-acted interludes tying them all together. Join the android twins, RIX and QGK, as they go from fugitives to heroes!

[NUREN] combines influences from sources including Fantasia, Space Channel 5, TRON, Ghost in the Shell, Pink Floyd's "The Wall", the Animatrix, and the technically and artistically brilliant PC demo scene. Dancing robot girls, synchronized light shows, vast panoramas, and starry skies await you.

I guess I could just cut/paste the copy from the KS but that's probably verboten, so here's the tl;dr:

--Co-directed by virt and Jessie Seely (WF character animator and vocalist on DD Neon and Bloodrayne Betrayal) with assistance from Justin Moravets of VR studio Zero Transform, among others

--Will include musical contributions from Chris Huelsbeck (Turrican series, Great Giana Sisters) and Vince DiCola (Transformers: The Movie, Rocky IV)

--Targeting Windows/Mac/Linux. Runs on Unreal Engine 4 and supports Oculus Rift; Epic Games recently chose [NUREN] as one of the first three recipients of the Unreal Dev Grant

--Shuhei Yoshida seems to like it!
https://twitter.com/yosp/status/570735884561068032
https://twitter.com/yosp/status/573694300157968385

The base backer price for the game is $10; you can get the game + OST for $15, the game + OST + over a dozen virt albums for $50, and a whole lot of other reward tiers besides.

I'm not usually one to spruik projects like this but I was shocked at how little coverage this campaign is getting, even here. The campaign's winding down and they're a little over halfway funded (the goal is $70k), so if you're interested in seeing this project come to life, you'll want to pledge ASAP.

 

[@MUWANdo]

Wow, nothing? I guess the VR angle really doomed this project, huh? I should point out that it'll be playable entirely in 2D using a standard monitor, if that's putting people off.

 

[androvsky]

Looks awesome, I'm a total sucker for those aesthetics, and that kind of thing could be great for VR. Don't know why no one responded, might be bad timing for non-interactive stuff, but being VR should have helped.

 

[Liberty4all]

Looks awesome.

 

[gus-gus]

Might go in on it. I'm tired now I'll check it out again tomorrow.

 

[Game4life]

The music is so awesome!

 

[jblank83]

Virt's amazing.

Give him money.

 

[Aku-Audi]

3 days left and at 60k out of 70k, very possible it'll make its goal!

 

[Tye The Czar]

I hope it doesn't end up like the Standard Rock Opera Plot where something somehow leads to a tragic ending because Rock Opera.

 

[thesuperfunk]

Love the art style from the trailer!

 

[@MUWANdo]

3 days left and at 60k out of 70k, very possible it'll make its goal!

I really hope so. I'm honestly shocked that they're struggling to make their goal--I mean, I get that the project is a double-whammy of "not a gaaaaame!" and heavily dependent on VR which understandably turns a lot of people off, but I'd have thought that virt had amassed enough attention and goodwill to carry the campaign from day one.

Either way, I suppose he has an obligation to follow through, seeing as Epic just dumped a bunch of cash in his lap.

 

[bj00rn_]

I've personally kinda stopped flinging out money on Kickstarter projects, but I do hope this gets funded, the preview demo was very nice when I tried it with a DK2.

 

[@MUWANdo]

...and it's funded. Congrats, virt and co.

 

[Seanspeed]

Awesome. Didn't contribute, but glad it made it.

 

[jett]

What the hell happened to this thing? Last update was November. I didn't expect virt of all people to leave his backers hanging out to dry.

 

[jett]

Seems this project isn't happening? Reading the comments section, apparently Virt acts flippant on twitter when people bring up the project (if he addresses them at all), calls backers entitled for wanting an update. A backer asked for a refund three months ago and was ignored.

I think this forum doesn't care about this project one way or another, but as a longtime fan of virt I'm disappointed with this situation.