Fred Field
Carter’s artwork has been featured in a variety of art and animation media over the past 30 years.
May 30, 2019
Ellsworth video game developer to launch virtual reality game
Courtesy / Eagre Games
After three years of development, an “immersive” virtual reality game, named ZED and created by Ellsworth video game developer Chuck Carter, will be released next year.
After three years of development, a start-up video game developer in Ellsworth will release his first “immersive” virtual reality game next week.
Chuck Carter started his business Eagre Games at the Union River Center for Innovation, a business incubator facility in Ellsworth. Video game publisher Cyan Ventures is releasing Carter’s game, named ZED, in a coordinated online release scheduled for 10 a.m. on June 4. Cyan Ventures is the publishing arm of Mead, Wash.-based Cyan Inc. According to a news release, Cyan created its publishing arm specifically for ZED and expects the game to be the first in a series of artisan indie titles.
National Geo illustrator
Carter previously worked in the science and entertainment industries for more than 30 years, according to his bio. His non-game work includes illustrations for National Geographic, Scientific American, the BBC, Wired Magazine and the Department of Defense, among others. He’s also designed digital matte paintings and animations for TV shows like Mortal Kombat as well as animation for motion rides, including Disney's Mission to Mars. In 2006, he was co-author of the McGraw-Hill college textbook “Exploring Geology,” where he contributed nearly 900 illustrations.
In the early 1990s, he worked on a popular video game named Myst. He has worked on more than two dozen other video games in a variety of art, animation and management roles such as computer graphics supervisor, art director and art group manager.
ZED is the story of an artist suffering from dementia and trying to reconnect fragmented memories, according to the release. The player explores the dreams of the artist’s crumbling mind in hopes of helping him assemble enough meaningful images to leave behind a legacy for his granddaughter. The game is designed to blend adventure, narrative, sentiment and fanciful world exploration.
“This game is very personal to me.” Carter said in the release. “I had a dear friend and mentor pass a few years back. He suffered from dementia in those final years and my visits to him became the inspiration for ZED. This is not his story, but a broader cautionary tale of not waiting till the end to examine your life.”
The release will be for both two-dimensional computer play and three-dimensional virtual reality play, Carter told Mainebiz.
“We put you into this world and we tell a story,” Carter explained of the game’s narrative aspect. “We designed the world to be immersive.”
Shoestring budget
Carter developed the narrative and most of the artwork.
The game has been heavily tested throughout its development, he explained.
Financing has been through small family-and-friend investment, a couple of large investments of $20,000 or more, and a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised $58,000. Plus, he said, “I sold everything I own and poured every penny I make into the company.” Total investment has amounted to about $130,000. “We run by the seat of our pants,” he added.
Carter developed ZED in association with Skymap Games of Manchester, N.H., and co-wrote it with Joe Fielder and David Chen. The game features voice-over work. Carter said he’s been splitting his time over the past eight months between Ellsworth and Manchester. Skymap has been handling the game’s engineering while Carter handles art and design.
Courtesy / Eagre Games
The virtual reality game Zed, with a still seen here, was developed on a shoestring budget of $130,000.
“We’ve been working hand-in-hand since last summer,” he said.
It was with Cyan that Carter developed Myst, which became a best-selling game, he said. He maintained a relationship with Cyan, which resulted in the agreement last summer to publish ZED.
The rollout starts with the 10 a.m. trigger that allows online video game stores to sell the game. It’s expected the game will gain publicity through online “streamers” – people who live-stream their video game play.
“Our marketing spans a huge number of online streamers and game events,” he said.
He plans to further promote the game through online interviews and interviews with conventional publications.
The sale of 10,000 copies will allow Carter and his partners to break even, he said.
“Hopefully, we’ll sell a lot more,” he said, adding. “It’s hit or miss. It’s a weird market. It’s flooded now with indie games, and it’s hard to rise above the chaff.”
He’s already working on a pitch deck and concept art for a new video game that he said has attracted the attention of a couple of publishers. This time, though, “We’re looking for money up front,” he said. “I don’t want to go through this again, struggling and living out of my office.”
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