Apache

Factsheet

Developer:
Apache
Based in St Albans, United Kingdom

Founding date:
May 28, 1991

Website:
apache.co.uk

Press / Business contact:
hello@apache.co.uk

Social:
twitter.com/ApacheInt
facebook.com/ApacheInt

Releases:
Bardo

Address:
Popefield Farm, Hatfield Road
Smallford, St Albans
AL4 0HW, United Kingdom

Phone:
+44 (0)1707 274903

Description

Apache is an indie game developer and immersive content studio operating out of St Albans, UK. When not busy building bundles of video game joy for the outside world, Apache help brands like Disney, Marvel, Warner Bros., and 20th Century Fox reimagine their big-name IP like The Avengers and X-Men in new and exciting Augmented and Virtual Reality worlds.

History

Early History

Since its inception in 1991, Apache has always remained at the forefront of technological innovation, but the world looked quite different back then. With the common thread all these years being an artisanal approach to bespoke sofware, Apache's early days involved some weird and wonderful custom solutions for companies all over the world, including thermal-transfer barcode printers and electronic cow milkers.

The Early Days of the Web

Apache began offering custom web design and handcrafted web development services in the early 2000s. Having just dodged the bursting of the .com bubble, Apache rode the wave of the web through to its full maturity, all the while maintaining a focus on custom, lovingly handcrafted code.

With the advent of tools like WordPress and other WYSIWYG website creators, a whole generation of people became empowered to develop their own (admittedly not so great) websites, and it became more and more difficult to remain competitive when Apache's core offering was so time- and labour-intensive. Rather than contradict its principles, Apache began seeking alternative, more innovative bespoke software offerings.

Enter Augmented Reality

Apache's first foray into Augmented Reality (AR) began as early as 2008, making the company one of the longest-standing and most consistently viable players in the space. The first big commercial project came in 2011 working with Ubisoft on an AR driving game set in the world of Driver: San Francisco, due to release later that year for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.

In 2013, Disney commissioned Apache to create an Augmented Reality game and Digital Out-Of-Home marketing campaign for the upcoming release of Iron Man 3. The result was Become Iron Man, which won a Unity Award later that year and found its way onto five continents by the end of 2014.

In 2014, Apache won the Qualcomm Vuforia Vision Award for Best Shopping AR App. The Sea Ray 650 Fly Interactive Tour enabled potential customers to navigate around the interior 650 Fly yacht to preview the luxury living quarters, and it was the first of its kind to leverage AR and VR for such a purpose. The application went on to become ultimately responsible for $6M+ in revenue.

In 2015, Microsoft approached Apache to help realise the vision of a fully interactive synthetic human embedded within a crowded shopfront. The campaign won a BAFTA for Digital Creativity.

Into Virtual Reality

Apache's first induction into the annals of Virtual Reality came in 2014 when Samsung and Qualcomm invited Apache to engage in explority software and game development for "Project Moonlight", the then-unannounced and codenamed pre-release version of Samsung Gear VR. Partnering with Mercedes-Benz, and featuring the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Apache built the world's first mobile Virtual Reality car configurator.

In 2015, Apache partnered with United Nations to help produce a ground-breaking VR film called "Growing a World Wonder". The 360° VR film explored an epic, African-led project to grow 8,000km of plants and trees across the entire African continent. The film premièred to presidents, prime ministers, and other world leaders at the COP21 climate change event in Paris, encouraging a new round of support for the project amongst the leaders who are best placed to affect real change in the world.

In 2017, Apache cofounded VRX Networks, a location-based VR company and distribution platform focused on bringing Hollywood IP to VR. Apache initially developed exclusive VR experiences for VRX, including for Sony's The Emoji Movie and Lionsgate's Jigsaw. VRX booths have appeared in 35+ shopping centre and cinema locations across four continents, and currently feature big-name IP such as Planet of the Apes and Pacific Rim.

Present Day

With recent developments on the mobile Augmented Reality front, Apache refuses to focus exclusively on either VR or AR, preferring to call itself an immersive content studio and leveraging both Virtual and Augmented Reality where the technology serves to most elegantly solve the problem at hand.

In 2017, Apache made the bold decision to begin building its own Virtual Reality game in addition to serving its clients' immersive AR/VR content needs. BARDO was born: a fast-paced VR action archery game set in a mysterious world inspired by the Buddhist monasteries of Tibet and the stunning vistas of the Himalays. BARDO is available now for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive on Steam and Oculus Store.

Projects

• Bardo

Team & Repeating Collaborator

Adam Vahed
CEO

David Foster
CTO, Lead Developer

Nick Gregory
Senior Producer

Andrew Humbles
Sound Designer, Lead UI/UX Developer

Tim Mehmet
Lead 3D Artist

Jade Williams
Producer

Matthew Bulleyment
Developer

Andrew Foster
Developer

Damien Stadden
Senior 3D Artist

Becky Scott
3D Artist

Lorchan Trapp
3D Artist

Contact

Enquiries
hello@apache.co.uk

Twitter
twitter.com/bardo_game

Facebook
facebook.com/bardogame

Web
bardo-vr.com