POP: ONE or POPULATION: ONE has been one of the top-performing VR games on the Oculus platform since it launched in 2020 and has generated $10 million in sales within a few months. Facebook and Oculus will focus on BigBox to accelerate its vision for VR games.
“We continue to invest in content that fosters social connection, and we believe POP: ONE delivers this experience to the VR community in spades within a super fun gaming experience.” – Mike Verdu, VP – Content, Facebook Reality Labs.
BigBox VR is Facebook’s third acquisition in Seattle. The two others are Atlas Solutions and Rel8tion, which were acquired in 2013 and 2011, respectively.
BigBox, founded in 2016, is led by co-founders Gabe Brown and Chia Chin Lee, both game industry experts.
POPULATION: ONE uses mechanics from famous battle games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds or Fortnite that have been popular among console gamers in the last few years. The game is designed for VR, allowing players to fly, climb, and shoot.
BigBox plans to maintain support for non-Oculus platforms also like SteamVR headsets such as Valve Index and HTC Vive.
“BigBox VR may be small, but they are a mighty, nimble team of game industry vets who seamlessly nail the game development duality of craft and data-driven live service.” – Mike Verdu.
The company raised $5 million in seed funding three years ago, which was led by Shasta Ventures along with PSL Ventures and GSR Ventures.
“We made an early bet on two incredible founders in Chia Chin and Gabe who were attacking a space where they had a big vision and a lot of domain experience. They built an experience in Population: ONE that knocks your socks off from moment one. This sale was an exceptional outcome for the team, investors and everyone involved.” – Greg Gottesman, MD, PSL Ventures.
BigBox’s first game was Smashbox Arena, an action VR game that was labeled as a “Counter-Strike meets Mario Kart” experience.
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