Virtual Heroes

Virtual Heroes, Inc.
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Video game development, Serious games
Founded	2004; 22 years ago
Founder	Jerry Heneghan
Headquarters	Raleigh, North Carolina, United States
Area served	Primarily government clients
Key people	Randy Brown (CTO)
Products	Serious games, 3D computer simulations, training software
Number of employees	40
Parent	Applied Research Associates (ARA)

Virtual Heroes, Inc. is a video game developer based in Raleigh, North Carolina that specializes in creating serious games. Established in 2004 by Jerry Heneghan, an experienced entrepreneur with a background at Red Storm Entertainment and Research Triangle Institute, the company initially focused on producing technology and content for the U.S. Army's title America's Army.

Since its inception, Virtual Heroes has broadened its scope to encompass serious games, 3D computer simulations, and training software. Utilizing the Unreal Engine via the Unreal Government Network, the firm caters primarily to government clients. The workforce consists of approximately 40 professionals, and the company functions as a subsidiary of Applied Research Associates (ARA), a scientific engineering organization headquartered in New Mexico.

Organization

Applied Research Associates acquired Virtual Heroes in 2009, and by 2012 it was fully integrated as the Virtual Heroes Division. Leadership is provided by Randy Brown, whose extensive career includes roles at Amoco, Digital Equipment Corporation, SAS Institute, and SouthPeak Games. His guidance has been instrumental in expanding Virtual Heroes’ presence in serious game development and government contracting sectors.

As Virtual Heroes, Inc.

Founded in 2004 by CEO Jerry Heneghan—formerly affiliated with Tom Clancy's Red Storm Entertainment and Research Triangle Institute (RTI)—Virtual Heroes also benefited from CTO Randy Brown’s expertise gained at companies such as Amoco, Digital Equipment Corporation, Data General, SAS Institute, SouthPeak Games, and RTI.

Among its initial projects was the serious game Virtual Peace, which received a McArthur Fellowship Grant and was designed to train NGOs in humanitarian aid. In 2007, Virtual Heroes produced 3D educational modules for the Discovery Channel Canada’s sci-fi mini-series Race to Mars.

In 2008, they developed Hilton Ultimate Team Play, a training application for employees of Hilton Garden Inn delivered on the Sony PSP platform; only 500 copies were made, making it a rare release for the PSP. That same year, Virtual Heroes created Pamoja Mtaani, a multiplayer game commissioned by Warner Bros. aimed at preventing HIV among Kenyan youth.

As a Division of Applied Research Associates, Inc.

After its acquisition by New Mexico-based scientific engineering firm Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) in 2009, Virtual Heroes operated as ARA’s Virtual Heroes Division under CTO Randy Brown starting in 2012.

Within ARA’s framework, Virtual Heroes concentrated on serious gaming solutions for medical and scientific training purposes. A notable release was Zero Hour: America's Medic in 2009, developed with funding from a $4.8 million Department of Homeland Security grant alongside George Washington University’s Office of Homeland Security. This game prepares first responders for emergencies including natural disasters and terrorist incidents.

In 2010, in partnership with the Army Game Studio and NASA Learning Technologies, Virtual Heroes launched Moonbase Alpha on Steam. This free technology demonstration simulated lunar missions using NASA equipment to encourage student interest in space exploration.

By 2014, they had produced Combat Medic for the U.S. Army's Simulation and Training Technology Center. This training tool uses materials from the US Army Medical Department to educate medics on battlefield injury treatment and is utilized across all branches of the U.S. military.

In 2018, Virtual Heroes secured a $2.6 million contract from the US Army to create a 3D simulator focused on burn injury treatment training for military medics.

Serious Games

Virtual Heroes stands as a prominent entity within the serious games sector. Its division based in Raleigh, North Carolina encompasses a comprehensive game development studio staffed by artists, designers, and programmers dedicated to producing educational and training games with significant impact.

Terrain Generation

Following the integration of ARA’s Central Florida Division located in Orlando, Florida, Virtual Heroes broadened its expertise to include modeling and simulation software tailored for the Department of Defense. A notable offering is the Rapid Unified Generation of Urban Databases (RUGUD), which the Army utilizes to create 3D terrain databases that enhance training exercises.

Virtual Reality

In 2019, Virtual Heroes was awarded a contract by the DoD to create the Virtual Tactical Assault Kit (VTAK), a virtual reality application designed to improve mission planning, rehearsal, and situational awareness. As part of the TAK product line, VTAK strengthens the company’s foothold in defense-related VR technologies.

COVID-19

During 2020, Virtual Heroes launched Mission Biotech and Human Sim: Sedation and Airway to aid education and training efforts related to COVID-19. Mission Biotech, developed in collaboration with the University of Florida and supported by the National Science Foundation, aims to encourage careers in biotechnology while educating users on virus detection during pandemics.

Human Sim: Sedation and Airway is a 3D medical simulation tool funded by the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (United States Army). It assists medics in learning emergency anesthesia administration through the Biogears real-time physiology engine.

3Di Teams

3DiTeams, created in partnership with Duke University Medical Center, serves as a virtual training platform for medical education and team coordination. It addresses healthcare teams across various clinical skill levels, emphasizing trauma patient care and effective communication. The program supports initiatives from the United States Department of Defense Patient Safety Program as well as the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's TeamSTEPPS curriculum.

In 2006, the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC), under the United States Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, provided $249,530 for the "3DiTeams: Gaming Environment for Training Healthcare Team Coordination Skills" research project. Furthermore, a two-year grant totaling $291,248 from the NIH Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality funded comparative studies between virtual healthcare environments and conventional interactive team training methods.

Virtual Peace

The company was a co-recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship Grant to develop Virtual Peace, a serious game aimed at preparing Non-governmental organizations for humanitarian aid missions.

Zero Hour: America's Medic

Zero Hour: America's Medic, developed alongside George Washington University's Office of Homeland Security, secured a $4.8 million grant from the Department of Homeland Security. Wired Magazine recognized it as an effective training resource for first responders managing natural disasters and terrorist incidents.

Moonbase Alpha

Moonbase Alpha, developed collaboratively by the Army Game Studio and Virtual Heroes, Inc. alongside NASA Learning Technologies, offers a simulation of lunar missions featuring authentic NASA equipment from the Constellation Program. Launched as a free title on Steam in 2010, it functioned as a technological preview for NASA’s forthcoming MMO, Astronaut: Moon, Mars and Beyond, with the objective of inspiring student interest in space exploration. The game received the highest distinction in the government category at the 2010 Serious Game Showcase & Challenge.

Human Sim: Sedation and Airway

Virtual Heroes created Human Sim: Sedation and Airway, a 3D training application for medics addressing airway trauma management, supported financially by the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (United States Army). This simulation incorporates the Biogears real-time physiological engine to enhance realism.

Race to Mars

In 2007, Discovery Channel Canada launched the science fiction mini-series Race to Mars, accompanied by a website featuring 3D educational game modules developed in partnership with Virtual Heroes and other collaborators.

Combat Medic

The serious game Combat Medic educates military medics on treating prevalent battlefield injuries, integrating content from the US Army Medical Department’s 68W Advanced Field Craft Combat Medic Skills manual. Sponsored by the U.S. Army's Simulation and Training Technology Center, it is utilized across all branches of the military. This title was a finalist at the 2014 Serious Games Showcase and Challenge and secured Gold at the International Serious Play Competition.

Heuristica

Supported by the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), Heuristica is designed as a serious game to improve players’ critical thinking and decision-making abilities.

RUGUD

The Rapid Unified Generation of Urban Databases (RUGUD) software produces geo-referenced terrain databases tailored for Army training simulations. Created for the Army's Simulation and Training Technology Center, RUGUD facilitates highly realistic training scenarios.

Mission Biotech

Mission Biotech, funded by the National Science Foundation and overseen by the University of Florida, encourages careers in biotechnology through an educational game format. Virtual Heroes made this title available as a free download in 2015.

Virtual Smashmouth

For the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show, Virtual Heroes developed Virtual Smashmouth, demonstrating motion capture technology that enabled members of the band Smash Mouth to perform their hit "All Star" virtually while located separately. The immersive 3D environment was built using Epic Games’ Unreal Engine, with Organic Motion providing real-time motion capture, showcasing advanced capabilities in virtual experience creation.

Hilton Ultimate Team Play

Designed for the Sony PSP, Hilton Ultimate Team Play served as a training tool for employees of Hilton Garden Inn. With only 500 copies produced, it is considered among the rarest PSP titles. David Kervella from Hilton Hotels Corporation presented this project at the 2009 Game Developers Conference, emphasizing interactive media’s role in corporate training initiatives.

Pamoja Mtaani

Pamoja Mtaani is a multiplayer title developed for Warner Bros. in collaboration with the PEPFAR, targeting HIV prevention efforts among young people in Kenya and East Africa. This initiative highlights Virtual Heroes’ commitment to contributing to global health through socially responsible projects.

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