The original “Peer to Peer” offered a virtual reality journey that unpacks the complexities of social influence on human actions, whereas the current version does this for regular screens. The game stands out by not dictating morality but by immersing players in real-world social dynamics, literally reflecting their choices back to them. The player can explore the nuances of peer pressure, the temptation of risky behaviours, and the intricacies of navigating social hierarchies. The game is designed to make one think critically about their decisions and understand the balance between fitting in and maintaining personal integrity.

 

The ultimate goal of “Peer to Peer” is to enlighten players about the constructive and destructive sides of peer pressure. It encourages resisting negative influences, but does not punish following them. By celebrating self-awareness, critical thinking, and personal growth, “Peer to Peer” empowers you, the player, to navigate complex social situations, making informed, authentic decisions that resonate with your core values and beliefs.

Inspirations include:

 

- The Milgram Experiment

- George Orwell

- The Stanley Parable

- The Asch Experiment

- The Beginners Guide

- Jean-Paul Sartre

- The Stanford Prison Experiment

After writing the thesis "If One Sheep Leaps Over The Ditch" and doing extensive research on social behaviour and survival instinct in humans while keeping a more classical storytelling format in mind, it was time to take a next step and to put words into worlds. To read the Thesis, please contact me.

 

Initially "Peer to Peer" was written as a Nordic LARP [Live Action Roleplay: a way of 'living' a theatre piece / game instead of watching it], but after developing the story, it became clear the LARP would have to be too extensive to perform with the means available.

 

The first VR version of "Peer to Peer" was made for Samsungs Gear VR in 2018.

 

The game was developed for a single player sitting in a chair which can spin an infinite amount of degrees, with a wireless charger for the VR goggles on a pedestal. The player would be able to 'walk' through the world with a simple controller. The chair had a backrest to ground the player and reduce a feeling of nausea as much as possible.

 

The second, improved version of Peer to Peer was made after 2 years the original project was made, and worked on over the past years. Almost every bit of the game has been improved or even completely overhauled since then. It is now to be enjoyed on Windows, to be able to showcase the game better, but also because of VR hardware development acceleration making it difficult to develop such a project, and to receive a larger audience. In its original VR form Peer To Peer suits its purpose the best, however there is currently no revamped VR version, and there are no plans for it.