At Psychoactive Studios, we specialise in transforming gaming concepts into immersive digital experiences using cutting-edge technologies such as Webflow, Unity, and advanced AI-driven tools. Starting as a fledgling agency working with local indie studios in New Zealand, we have grown into a reputable supporting service provider for the gaming industry, collaborating with international giants. Our commitment to innovation, deep technical expertise, and an unwavering commitment to excellence have set us apart, making us a preferred partner for creating engaging, dynamic websites that resonate deeply with global audiences.
Crafting Bespoke Digital Experiences: Our Portfolio
Our initial projects with Wildboy Studios and Balancing Monkey Games in New Zealand were pivotal, setting the stage for a broader, more ambitious global outreach. These early successes showcased our ability to understand and deliver on the unique digital needs of the gaming community, paving the way for subsequent projects that would leverage more complex and sophisticated web technologies.
The collaboration with VR Adventure Zone in Canada marked our first major international venture in the gaming industry, offering us a higher budget, and a greater opportunity to explore more creative and dynamic web animation / interactions. This project was not only about building a website but creating a digital portal that mirrored the exhilarating, immersive experiences of their VR games. The success of this project significantly boosted our profile and solidified our reputation as a reliable partner for building interactive web experiences.
With Good Shepherd Entertainment, we embarked on a series of projects beginning with the The Monster Train website, which further expanded to include several other titles such as Eternal Cylinder, Hard West 1 & 2, and Show Gunners, and Killer Klowns from Outer Space. One of the most impressive IPs we are proud to have worked on is Hellboy. We had the honour of collaborating through Good Shepherd Entertainment with Dark Horse Comics and Mike Mignola, the American comic book artist and writer behind Hellboy. After all of those awesome games, we also developed the website for Good Shepherd Entertainment’s studio too!
Our collaboration with Good Shepherd opened doors to partnerships with other innovative players in the gaming industry. We have since worked with Digital Eclipse, renowned for revitalising classic games, and Synty Studios, the world's leading creator of polygon asset packages. Our work with Beyond Studio, a trailblazer in VR venture studios, and Beyond Reality Media, which crafts immersive comic book worlds for game and movie licences, highlights our versatility and capacity to work with a range of different game related companies.
In 2024, we are celebrating our second year of collaboration with Summer Game Fest, an event that has rapidly become a cornerstone in the gaming community. Organised and hosted by renowned game journalist Geoff Keighley, Summer Game Fest is a pivotal event that previews upcoming video games through a free digital and livestream experience accessible globally. Our involvement in such a high-profile event has not only solidified our reputation in the gaming industry but also surprised and impressed many game companies we work with,
Each of these projects was crafted using Webflow, which allowed for the integration of intricate design elements and multimedia that brought each game’s unique aesthetic and narrative to the forefront of the digital experience.
Leveraging Webflow for Game-Changing Web Development
As a Webflow Enterprise Partner, we harness the full capabilities of this platform to deliver custom, scalable, and secure websites. Webflow is not merely a tool but a cornerstone of our development process, enabling us to create visually stunning and technically robust websites tailored to the specific needs of the gaming industry.
- Scalability: Webflow’s scalable infrastructure is crucial for supporting game launches and live events like Summer Game fest, which often attract large volumes of traffic and require robust performance under pressure.
- Security: With its enterprise-grade security features, Webflow ensures that all user data remains secure — an essential for game websites, which often handle sensitive player interactions.
- Speed and Flexibility: The platform’s flexibility allows for rapid prototyping and quick updates, key in an industry where timing and trend responsiveness are critical.
- SEO and Accessibility: Enhanced SEO capabilities ensure that our game websites rank well on search engines, significantly boosting visibility and player engagement. Additionally, Webflow’s commitment to accessibility standards means that these websites are inclusive and usable by a broad audience.
Enhancing Web Experiences with Advanced AI Technologies
Building on our robust use of Webflow, we are exploring how advanced AI technologies can be integrated to further enhance our web development offerings. Generative AI and AI-driven personalization are transforming how we create and manage content, making interactions within games and on game-related websites more realistic and engaging. These AI tools allow us to develop dynamic, personalised web experiences that respond to user behaviours and preferences, significantly boosting engagement and satisfaction. By integrating these capabilities, we can not only streamline workflows but also enhance the interactivity and immersion of game websites, setting new standards in user experience and aligning with the latest industry trends.
Creating Games Websites Using Gaming Technology
The integration of Unity into our projects marks a significant advancement in our capabilities, allowing us to create more complex and interactive 2D and 3D environments that can be experienced directly in the web browser. This move towards more immersive experiences is driven by our understanding that modern web users expect dynamic, engaging content that leverages the latest in web technology.
For instance, our work on the digital experience for the 2023 All Blacks Rugby World Cup Jersey Launch (Password: Legacy Continues), exemplifies our ability to merge real-world events with digital innovation. Using WebGL & React, we crafted an immersive journey that begins in a virtual stadium tunnel, leading users through a narrative-rich exploration of the All Blacks' legacy. This environment, equipped with atmospheric sounds and lighting, transitions into a digital gallery where users can interact with the new jersey designs and delve into the players' stories. The experience culminates in a virtual locker room, offering a hands-on exploration of the jerseys and providing media kits and other downloadable content, making it a globally accessible and engaging experience.
Additionally, our own venture into game development with Strings of Elysium allowed us to apply our web development expertise in a new context. Utilising Unity and C#, we developed this game from a basic concept inspired by popular mechanics seen in games like Flappy Bird, evolving it into a unique game that teaches the fundamentals of music through interactive gameplay. The game integrates real-time physics and user input handling to create a responsive and enjoyable learning environment. This project not only broadened our capabilities but also served as a proof of concept for how gaming technologies can be adapted for educational and engaging web experiences.
Unity’s robust suite of development tools enables us to build detailed, interactive scenes that enhance narrative engagement and provide users with a unique insight into the game environment before they even start playing. These tools allow us to push the boundaries of traditional web development, creating experiences that are not only visually engaging but also deeply interactive.
Our Vision for Future Collaborations
Our goal at Psychoactive Studios is not only to continue our successful partnerships but also to expand our horizons to include working with gaming behemoths like Blizzard, Capcom, and Activision. Our proven track record with Webflow and our deep understanding of the gaming market position us uniquely to manage large-scale, complex projects required by these top-tier studios.
Building on this foundation, we aim to revolutionise how games are marketed on the web by leveraging real-time game engines like Unity. This approach allows us to take snippets of compatible games and render them directly in the browser, giving users a taste of the best parts of the game itself rather than a traditional 2D brochure. This method not only enhances the user experience but also serves as a powerful marketing tool, providing a real-time, interactive preview of the game.
Furthermore, we plan to continue utilising WebGL to render 3D game assets directly in the browser as we did for Soul Aether. Tools like Spline are making this option easier, even on platforms like Webflow. This enhances visual fidelity and interaction, ensuring that potential players can experience a game’s environment and mechanics firsthand, thereby increasing engagement and excitement around new releases.
Why Choose Psychoactive Studios?
Opting for Psychoactive Studios means choosing a partner who is deeply embedded in the gaming industry. Our team is composed of passionate gamers and seasoned developers who understand both the technical and narrative aspects of gaming. This dual expertise allows us to create websites that are not just functional but are true extensions of the game’s world.
Our collaborative approach ensures that we work closely with game developers and publishers to embody the vision and passion that goes into each game. This results in digital experiences that resonate with players and enhance their connection to the game.
