Once you consider survival television reveals, you’d be forgiven for fascinated by the likes of Man vs Wild or Bare And Afraid, however the grandfather of these reveals, and others like them, is Survivorman.
Les Stroud, higher often known as the one and solely “Survivorman” began a brand new period of nature television and survival reveals when the primary episode aired in April 2005, and he’s getting down to begin one other new period in media, although this time in video games.
VR video games, particularly, as he’s teamed up with Cream Productions to carry Survivorman VR: The Descent to life, a PlayStation VR2 title that virtually places you within the starring position of an episode of Survivorman.
PSU obtained to sit down down with Stroud to speak about this coming title, and what he hopes Survivorman VR: The Descent will do for individuals who dive into the expertise.
This dialog has been barely edited for readability.
Interview – Les Stroud Talks About Bringing Survival To Your Dwelling Room As soon as Once more With Survivorman VR: The Descent
PSU: Firstly, thanks a lot for taking the time to speak right now, I really feel inclined to start by saying that I’m a giant fan. I obtained flashbacks to watching your present as a child once I was first studying about Survivorman VR: The Descent. Now I’ve been re-watching episodes, watching others for the primary time, and it’s been actually cool to look again on the present.
Stroud:
Properly you already know, your story is turning into fairly widespread, and splendidly so. There’s so many individuals I meet which can be in all probability roughly round your age and you already know, additionally some who at the moment are having youngsters of their very own and will probably be saying ‘I watch it with my 5 12 months previous son or daughter.’
And it’s a thrill actually, as a result of I imply, I used to be doing new episodes for 18 years, and there’s an entire era there of people like your self, and it’s nice. I stumble upon folks on a regular basis that can say, ‘Man I grew up watching your present and it was my solely connection to my Dad’ or this and that. Find it irresistible. I completely like it.
PSU: Talking of previous episodes, I re-watched the pilot episode and the unique documentary it was primarily based on. Thanks for having all of them up on YouTube, it was nice to look at them and to be fascinated by Survivorman VR now on its means. How did the thought for Survivorman VR: The Descent come about? Or simply Survivorman VR? With a title like that it sounds to me like there’s going to be extra coming sooner or later.
Stroud:
Initially, it’s been a thrill to place all my stuff up on YouTube and simply make it free for everyone with all the pieces I’ve ever achieved from Survivorman, Survivorman: Bigfoot, Past Survival, the brand new Wild Harvest sequence that’s on PBS stations within the States and it’s additionally on my YouTube channel.
There’s a lot of stuff – oh and my music, the brand new music I’m doing. I like placing stuff up on YouTube and simply making it free for everyone. However you’re so proper, that connection between the VR and the present, some persons are gonna return and marvel if he’s obtained any episodes after which they discover it on YouTube and there’s an entire channel filled with them. It’s fairly cool.
So far as the VR goes, through the years it might make sense, you suppose ‘Why don’t you do a online game?’ you already know, that got here up time and again.
It might be all the pieces from ‘Properly, right here’s a extremely low cost and ugly approach to do it, or attempt to do it one other means it’s like a $35 million funds.’ It simply by no means actually clicked, it simply didn’t appear potential.
I can’t launch crap, I can’t launch stuff that isn’t as much as snuff, isn’t as much as high quality. And alongside comes an previous manufacturing accomplice of mine who was initially there at first days of Survivorman, a gentleman by the title of David Brady who has an organization known as Cream Productions.
We had stayed in contact, at all times speaking about this or that, we’re at all times hatching little mini plans on what we must always do. He mentioned ‘I’ve obtained this complete wing of Cream Productions that had been actually focusing in on VR.’
And so they’ve achieved it, they’ve achieved some forays into it in another initiatives. And I mentioned ‘Properly, Survivorman is ideal for VR.’ And forgive me however I don’t actually have a look at it like gaming a lot as I have a look at it prefer it’s a simulator in the identical means that helicopter pilots learn to fly a helicopter with a simulator at first, and once we positioned it that means I assumed ‘All proper, I can have enjoyable with this, let’s see the place we will go together with this.’
However I used to be very hesitant in that, ‘Properly let’s simply see the place it goes’ you already know, this might fall flat on its face. Possibly the manufacturing group isn’t going to do their factor or the know-how isn’t going to work.
So we began there, and that was in all probability virtually three years in the past. Now I imply, this stuff aren’t in a single day builds you already know, they take a very long time, quite a lot of studying alongside the way in which. In order that’s the place we began.
PSU: What would you like folks to remove from the expertise of Survivorman VR? Would you like folks to remove precise survival abilities? Do you see this as each an interactive expertise folks can have but in addition as an academic software?
Stroud:
Completely. I’m the idealist within the background, proper? It’s my face and title and model, all that’s high quality, that’s no matter. However ultimately, I solely ever did Survivorman to attach folks to nature and train survival abilities.
I solely ever did quite a lot of the opposite issues I’ve achieved for a similar reasoning, identical factor for Survivorman VR. As a result of, you already know I’d go right down to the manufacturing group and they might say ‘Oh we need to do that’ and ‘We need to do this.’
There have been a lot of instances the place I’d simply say ‘Properly you may’t do this, that might by no means occur in survival.’ And so they had been so fantastic to work with as a result of they by no means pushed again.
If Les says you may’t do this in survival, we’re not placing it within the recreation. So sure, completely I think about it instructional, however it’s additionally part of the gaming group too, so it’s obtained all that happening.
PSU: Do you consider this as a step in the direction of a future the place survival abilities and being extra linked with nature turns into extra prevalent for folks?
Stroud:
It’s a little bit of a paradox, isn’t it? I do know it’s a stretch for any, say, tree-hugger. It’s like ‘You’re not going to catch me enjoying a recreation’ kind of factor, however they’re lacking the purpose right here.
Let me return a bit. My entry to nature rising up was watching tv, proper? I’ve watched Jacques Cousteau, I watched Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, and a few Disney reveals. That was it.
But that instilled with me, remains to be inside me, a robust love of nature, that finally I used to be in a position to get out in nature myself. So I have a look at it the identical means, I believe that if there’s a connectedness to nature available, should you’re enjoying Survivorman VR: The Descent, I can think about that even when only one particular person is doing that, they usually end and go ‘You realize what, I don’t know why I simply obtained to go exterior.’
I believe that what’ll occurred, even when they don’t know why, it’s that they’ve been on this factor, studying these abilities, and perhaps I’m being slightly bit naïve or altruistic, I’m unsure, however I believe sure, sure is the quick reply.
I believe it positively opens up a potential portal, irrespective of how skinny it may be for folks to recollect nature. How about that?
PSU: What was behind the selection to make it an Arctic-based recreation, to do the Arctic first?
Stroud:
Properly that was all Andrew, the designer Andrew Macdonald. I sort of let…I’d have gone otherwise, however I’m not the one doing the 12 hours a day in entrance of some mega computer systems.
So it’s like, ‘Properly what do you need to do?’ proper, and that’s the place he began so I simply didn’t push again. ‘Okay, you’re going to go proper to the Arctic space. Can’t we simply begin in you already know, Higher New York State can be high quality?’ Nope, proper to the Arctic.
In order that was actually extra Andrew, that was the place they [Cream Productions] wished to go. So then I turned all of it on their heads and go ‘Okay, however should you’re gonna go there,’ after which I begin correcting and correcting and fixing and holding their toes to the hearth for authenticity.
And I’ll pre-empt one in every of your questions which I’m positive will come on the finish about ‘are there different places?’ oh man there are 1000 different places.
PSU: Would beginning in upstate New York have been your first selection if it was as much as you?
Stroud:
Yeah in all probability. I’m nonetheless an teacher in a means, I’ll by no means not be, I nonetheless geek out on that stuff. If I am going for a hike or snowshoe hike with my spouse I would go ‘Hey, the place would you make a shelter should you needed to?’ and it’s not like I’m doing survival alone now, you already know, I don’t have to.
However I’m nonetheless a geek about it. I like beginning small and you already know, begin easy, temperate forest within the summertime or one thing like that. However I believe you already know, I imply Andrew [Macdonald] had some good factors with it.
I imply for one factor, it’s a recreation too, so it’s obtained to be thrilling. Look, suspension of disbelief can also be an exquisite factor. You realize, I don’t go full bore, I don’t do actuality tv and I don’t imagine in mendacity to my viewers.
However by the identical token, making it thrilling issues. That’s why as Survivorman, I finally went to the Arctic and to the jungles and deserts. So it’s sort of only a very thrilling approach to kick issues off.
PSU: You talked about how the thought to make a online game had been tossed your means earlier than, however that it by no means appeared to make sense. Now that it has with Survivorman VR, was there ever a second alongside the way in which the place you checked in on manufacturing or tried one thing new within the recreation and had been actually shocked by the know-how concerned?
Stroud:
Oh sure, completely. In good methods and unhealthy methods. It took me some time to recover from the truth that I used to be residing in a dream world, I although it might simply be excellent. You realize, I’d look excellent, and it might be, you already know. However I used to be residing in a world the place I’m evaluating it to, you already know, the budgets of Marvel Studios.
It’s like, ‘Properly, if they’ll make a cartoon look precisely like Robert Downey Jr., why can’t my VR seem like that,’ however I used to be being unrealistic. So it took me awhile to step again and go, ‘Okay, that is nonetheless a piece in progress.’
However Andrew and the group at Cream, they don’t seem to be simply utilizing platforms that exist and making Survivorman VR. They’re inventing platforms and inventing the method as they go and are bettering it always. And I noticed that.
At first I used to be, ‘You realize, hey, why doesn’t that look higher?’ You realize, after which the subsequent time round, it did. ‘Oh, okay.’ And the subsequent time after that it appeared even higher. So I noticed progress. The place is it going? The skies the restrict now.
Now, as you would possibly know, quite a lot of issues come right down to funds, and we’re simply getting going with this. I’ll hope that at some point we now have that sort of limitless, you already know, Marvel Studios-size funds, however for now we’re positively pushing the envelope large with the budgets we now have, and making what I believe is one thing that’s actually highly effective.
The realism in it, so, clearly once more they’re suspending some disbelief, I pop up on display screen. So it’s me, not solely is it me talking the voice, however once we would report these, any scripting they’d do I’d throw out and say I’m gonna do it my means. So that you’re additionally getting my character, not simply me studying the script that the VR builders suppose I ought to say for that specific second whenever you come over to the hilltop.
I’m saying, ‘Properly, I wouldn’t even say that. However right here’s what I’d say.’ I like that. I believe we’re bringing the realism in effectively with my very own character shining via as a result of I’m establishing that, ensuring it does. And I can go advert nauseum into the small print of the survival facet of it and the methods I’d push the builders to do it appropriately.
It’s a good distance round answering your query, however I’m very pleasantly stunned. I went from excessive expectations that I had, introduced right down to actuality after which they’ve gone proper again up once more.
PSU: Once I was trying again at previous Survivorman episodes, I used to be caught by one thing you mentioned within the unique documentary that grew to become the pilot episode. Regardless of how troublesome it may be to outlive in nature, you known as the expertise “soul-filling” to be so distant from the “trappings of society.” So then the place do you sq. the VR recreation with the soul-filling expertise? Do you continue to suppose that ‘soul-filling’ high quality is part of Survivorman VR: The Descent?
Stroud:
It’s an incredible query as a result of it might be very easy simply to maintain it hardcore. You realize, it’s nearly survival abilities. And actually, it was Andrew who – I imply, I pity the fellows, Andrew and the group as a result of I don’t know what number of episodes of Survivorman they’ve needed to watch or how usually they’ve needed to watch the identical episode to see the sorts of issues I do to carry that into the VR.
However by the identical token, they picked up on the truth that I do precisely what you’re speaking about. So sure, that’s really a part of the expertise. There’s a second in there, the place I come to the sting of the mountain and we glance out throughout the mountain, and that’s what we discuss. How stunning it’s.
So sure, we positively squared that up, and it wasn’t even my concept, that was simply Andrew who mentioned ‘Hey, I used to be fascinated by doing this, what do you suppose?’ and I mentioned ‘Properly I wouldn’t have even thought that we’d have wished to place that in there.’ At the same time as a lot as I’d have wished to place it in, and I’m so glad they did. And we’ll proceed with that, completely.
Since you’re proper, it’s fulfilling to be out in nature like that. I wrote a kids’s e book known as Wild Outdoors, it was directed in the direction of 7-12’s, it was simply to get them again out in nature once more, me giving them concepts and issues they’ll do, and it may be within the yard.
And that has at all times been my mission, with Survivorman, and even the VR, it’s actually what I’m doing is facilitating abilities. A talent set which may simply make you a bit extra snug the subsequent time you go on a hike in Algonquin Park, the subsequent time you go on a path in your neighborhood.
So yea, that’s positively a part of it. I imply, the talents are simply that, there abilities they usually’re enjoyable. However ultimately, you understand ‘Oh, I do know what to do now, on this scenario.,’ due to Survivorman and Survivorman VR, which I believe is fairly cool.
Earlier than you go on to your subsequent query I simply need to make it identified, I’m additionally thrilled at this, you already know I cherry choose what to do with my profession lately, and I’m doing an terrible lot of music, scored movies, scored all my very own theme songs for my reveals and I’m at all times performing and I’m releasing three albums this 12 months beginning February 16, 2024.
So I used to be thrilled once I realized – and we didn’t even give it some thought till midway via – that ‘Why am I not scoring the music for this?’ So I don’t do all of the music on the VR, however I’ve achieved a bunch of that and the subsequent one round I’ll simply do all of the music. In order that’s one other thrill.
I carry all of my very own creative intent into this by having the ability to herald my music, it’s enjoyable.
PSU: Are you able to give me an instance of one thing you bought them so as to add to the sport that wouldn’t have made it in in any other case?
Stroud:
Oh yeah, it’s sort of infinite, as a result of, and to their credit score, they had been doing the very best they may however they haven’t gone out and really achieved these items. Even should you watched my stuff from tv, it’s exhausting to get it. So I labored loads with Andrew on how you can get a hearth going utilizing charred fabric.
We had been backwards and forwards and backwards and forwards and ‘No, it wouldn’t be a flame Andrew, it might be an ember, it’s not a flame at this stage it’s simply an ember’ after which Andrew would come again and I’d say ‘That’s an enormous quantity of embers, it might solely be a tiny one.’
So we’d be going backwards and forwards on the high quality particulars. That’s me geeking out now on how you can do charred fabric. Identical factor occurred with snaring a rabbit to get some meals. So how do you snare a Snowshoe Hare? And once more, they watched the present and all the pieces, and it’s not proper.
So I’m like ‘Properly we will do it within the Arctic, however it’s difficult. So we now have to do it a special means you then’re doing it. The way in which you’re doing it’s as if it had been in a forest, however we’re not in a forest we’re within the Arctic tundra, so it’s important to design it this fashion.’
To their credit score, motor abilities and hand manipulation in VR is tough, that’s actually troublesome to point out. So I’ve to compromise. We’ve got a factor the place there’s an element whenever you repel off a cliff, and I used to be like ‘Properly that is simply all unsuitable,’ you already know?
And the opposite factor we do in areas the place there are better consultants than I, like, positive, you need survival? Don’t look previous me. Nonetheless on the subject of mountaineering, I imply I’ve achieved slightly bit, I obtained a number of abilities and stuff. I believe I obtained them involved with Will Gaddd, an skilled in mountaineering to ensure, ‘would it not be a prusik loop? Which carabiner can be used, how tight would that be?’
However then we will’t present these high quality motor abilities, so right here comes suspension of disbelief, you simply contact on it and it’s tied. And with making snowshoes, you can also make a snow shoe the way in which we present it within the recreation, however by the identical token we will’t present these motor abilities, so it must be what it’s.
However it’s getting higher and higher and we’re in a position to present increasingly more on a regular basis.
PSU: So do you suppose that at some point Survivorman VR might be the very best lifelike survival simulation expertise?
Stroud:
It already is.
I’ll let you know the reality although, you made me consider one thing. I don’t know what’s on the market, and I don’t care. Once I make tv, I don’t know what the opposite networks are exhibiting. I don’t care, I make what I make. I do what I do, and I do it to the very best of my means and I would like it to be at a excessive customary, a top quality bar.
So you already know I don’t know what else is on the market, I don’t know what we’re up in opposition to as a result of I’m not up in opposition to something. You realize once I did Survivorman after which different reveals got here alongside and had been copying and doing sure issues, and you already know folks say ‘Properly why don’t you do that’ I don’t care what they’re doing.
I don’t even want to look at them, as a result of I do what I do. Our new sequence Wild Harvest on PBS, we had been the primary on air with a foraging present, and now they’re all over the place. So I get one other little declare, however the actuality is that we had been the primary foraging present on tv and I don’t have a look at what any of the opposite reveals are doing.
As a result of I do need to do what I do, from my stage, my customary, keep the place I’m at and be an artist about it as a lot as potential.
PSU: That brings me to a different query I had, do you play any survival video games, have you ever tried anything that’s on the market?
Stroud:
So I’m gonna break everybody’s hearts, I’m not a gamer. I used to be a gamer with my son, with Name Of Obligation 24/7, however after we each drifted away from that I haven’t been a gamer since. So I really feel like I’ve to be slightly apologetic to the gamer group that I’m not a gamer, however I get it.
I used to be a Name Of Obligation addict for some time, and different video games as effectively. However I personally, I’m too busy writing songs and mountaineering within the woods.
PSU: I get that, can’t precisely take the controller with you on these hikes. You say you’re taking your harmonica with you all over the place in Survivorman, is your harmonica in Survivorman VR: The Descent?
Stroud:
Brief reply: sure.
PSU: Nice.
Stroud:
And, there’s an Easter Egg in there as effectively, should you occur to be on the lookout for a giant, bushy strolling creature within the woods, that may be an Easter Egg. But it surely’s not apparent.
PSU: A big-footed creature?
Stroud:
Precisely, some sort of creature with huge toes, that may be one in every of our Easter Eggs. I imply Easter Eggs are clearly sort of a factor lately, however they’re enjoyable, I like them.
PSU: Properly I’m glad to have that confirmed. What would you want folks to remove from this recreation? Do you suppose it might be nice if somebody performed this after which had the urge to go tenting?
Stroud:
I do, and that’s why I choose to name it a simulation. Since you’re not chilly, you’re not moist, you’re in your home, you’re not even drained. However but you’re making an attempt to mentally determine all this stuff out, get it proper and do that. And I believe it simply naturally makes the connection.
It might be exhausting to realize a half a dozen abilities or extra from enjoying one thing like this and never bear in mind them whenever you’re exterior. That connection will certainly occur. Clearly that doesn’t occur with all the pieces in Survivorman VR, however for lots of it, it does.
I’m not even sure how you can articulate why or the way it occurs, however simply affiliation, I assume.
It’s actually fantastic, to really create one thing that results folks personally, extra than simply leisure. I like entertaining, don’t get me unsuitable, however that further layer, that further stage is vital, and I like that.
PSU: Whereas the true factor might by no means examine to the expertise in Survivorman VR, and you’ll’t precisely get folks within the mindset that one thing is ‘reside or die,’ do you suppose Survivorman VR is ready to obtain placing gamers in these tense conditions and mindsets?
Stroud:
Properly yeah, quite a lot of that comes right down to the fantastic design of Andrew and the group. You may die on this recreation loads, and also you don’t die by surviving appropriately, you die by not surviving, by not doing the best issues.
We’ve obtained movie footage of individuals enjoying it, saying ‘Oh I’m getting too chilly, I’m getting too chilly!’ after they’re sitting in a chair inside. However they’ll really feel that rigidity. With the watch that we now have, I neglect the title of it however there’s a watch that you simply put on, and it’s exhibiting you your stage of fireside, and that it’s going out.
So that you don’t simply get a hearth going and stroll away, that fireplace goes to exit should you don’t take note of it. All this stuff occur in a succession that’s precise, within the area, and since they occur in that succession it’s important to take note of them. So yeah, there’s a rigidity and an pleasure, to the entire recreation when you’re enjoying it, to the entire simulation I ought to say.
That I believe was actually sort of the purpose, and Andrew and the group had been actually good at bringing in some issues that I wouldn’t know how you can carry them into the gameplay, however they do. You may’t really feel that you simply’re getting chilly, however your watch goes to let you know that you simply’re getting chilly.
Once you die, you begin to see this haze that takes over your eyes, and it’s like crystals and stuff coming in since you’re dying of hypothermia, you’re freezing to loss of life. So sure is the quick reply.
PSU: Mr. Stroud, I can’t thanks sufficient to your time right now, it’s been a pleasure and a privilege getting to speak to you about Survivoman and Survivorman VR: The Descent.
Survivorman VR: The Descent is now out there on PS5 and PS VR2, you may try our assessment right here.