Shooter is the most popular VR gaming genre. Even if a game is rated T (suitable for teens), it will still have violence, obscene language, and gore. Are we happy that VR gaming content created today is predominantly violent?
VR should convey universal human values: family leisure, healthy competition, active lifestyle. There’s a clear demand for VR experiences that would equally engage family members of all ages and physical abilities.
Killer Tennis is a non-violent & family-friendly sports game for all audiences. It combines the most engaging mechanics of tennis and dodgeball. 2-4 players practice their aiming and strategic skills, while trying to ‘knock out’ as many opponents as they can. They use tennis rackets and balls. Also, there are bonuses that alter the gameplay.
Killer Tennis fits the concept “easy-to-learn and hard-to-master”. Despite the short playing sessions, players are motivated to invent and practice their winning strategies. It keeps them coming back for more. The game requires zero learning curve – just take your friends, put on headsets, choose avatars – and you’re in.
Real-life tennis is not an easy game, but the players shouldn’t worry about lacking professional aiming skills. JetStyle’s task was to find the balance between the challenge and quick wins. On the one hand, we didn’t want the aiming mechanics to do all the work for players – they needed to stay motivated and keep trying to reach their targets. On the other hand, failing too much can be discouraging. We researched the mechanics of movement in VR, experimented with tennis techniques, and developed a system of smart automatic aiming. It assists the playing process but does not kill the thrill. This feature is one element of the inclusivity of Killer Tennis: it does not matter what physical abilities you have, you can still compete with your friends and family members, and choose one of the 3 levels of complexity.
