April 1st, 2014 — Gaslamp Games, Inc., independant game developers and makers of the critically acclaimed Dungeons of Dredmor, formerly deep in production on Clockwork Empires, are pleased to announce an exciting new direction for the studio. “The future of gaming is here,” said Gaslamp Games Technical Director Nicholas Vining, pausing a moment to pull a slug of whiskey. “We’re going to build VR the indie way.”

Look into the face of the FUTURE OF GAMING. Do you see it yet? Keep looking! KEEP LOOKING UNTIL YOU SEE IT.

Fully embracing cross-platform compatibility, the GASLAMP VR development prototype rig is carefully constructed from three iPhones and an Android. “The Busted Up Old iPad Taped To Your Arm peripheral is a feature we’ve been exploring for the so-called ‘power-users’ I’ve been hearing so much about on the ‘information superhighway’ ” explained Gaslamp Games CEO / Studio Director Daniel “Burning Hand” Jacobsen as he stroked a perfectly white Persian cat. “We decided that market disruption required a radical pivot to synergizing our core competencies with partners in cloud space,” he continued, addressing a corner of the office filled with stacks of shipping foam and a sad-looking umbrella.

“It’s like me and Diggle are right there for real, right there in the shit!” slurred CTO Nicholas Vining while demonstrating GASLAMP VR.

The First Launch Title for GASLAMP VR

“It turns out that people just hate cogs, they really hate cogs, so the whole steampunk thing had to go,” says Gaslamp Games Art Director David “Mad Dog” Baumgart, pausing for effect so long that it took an uncomfortable cough to prompt him to continue, “But our research shows that people love realistic geology simulations.”

Gaslamp Games is proud to announce that it has switched gears (as it were) toward developing the exclusive GASLAMP VR launch title Hematite Empires, Malachite Dreams: Chthonic Descent.

Hematite Empires, Malachite Dreams: Chthonic Descent will be the premier first-person roguelike VR action-adventure-geology simulator.

Art Director David Baumgart explains further: “We’re working on what we think will be the breakthrough in procedural volcanogenic massive sulfide ore deposit generation that Indie Gaming has been striving for all these years, but we can’t quite get the subvolcanic granite intrusions right. It’s a really exciting time to be a game developer.”

A gallery of pre-alpha screenshots has been released to the press, but it should be noted that the lighting engine hasn’t been coded yet. Nonetheless Gaslamp is confident of pushing the bleeding edge with the most realistic rendering of the experience of giddily exploring the underground wonders of the Earth.

Procedurally animated marine sedimentary deposit talus with the expected chert or flint nodules.

A detailed cross-section of a hypabyssal intrusive igneous formation utilizing pre-generated normal-maps.

“I think Gaslamp Games is really about bringing imagination to life.” said Technical Director Nicholas Vining from the floor of the Gaslamp Games Vancouver Studio, “Meet me afterward in the washroom and I’ll tell you about this weird dream I had at GDC.”

“Nicholas, the press event has been over for several hours.” chided Gaslamp Games CEO Daniel Jacobsen. “You have to go home so the cleaning staff can do their job.”

“And you, stop writing in that little book and get out of here before I call the cops.” he concluded.