I wouldn't dismiss how impactful a publisher oriented toward AI tooling at a platform level might impact all games... both old and new.

... and it will be interesting to see their next moves with Asha.

She might see this so clearly we could enter a new development paradigm almost overnight where new tools sit on top of traditional design.

(cont)

This was until Microsoft reoriented toward the main goal of an AI focused big tech business...

1. Xbox has to get you playing because Microsoft needs the player data.

2. Wasting this edge is losing great data

3. Leveraging it is winning the best data

(cont)

Google showing off world models or Nvidia expressing what is essentially a post processing AI overlay with DLSS5 has underlined how short sighted leadership has been regarding gaming. These are clear moats being missed by Microsoft and reflects a danger. (cont)

People might wonder why Microsoft would pivot from something that felt like "Xbox needs to die" to it becoming crucial to their plans...

the answer I believe is that gaming itself is a fountain of AI data ripe for training needs and a market perfect for AI product exploration use cases... (cont)

If you think Meta's redesign is driven by Quest platform itself... you might be missing the bigger picture.

Why redesign so much more toward the Apple Vision Pro's OS at all?

Perhaps that style fits a light form factor?

Does eye tracking impact this approach?

What about controllerless design?

😎

Years and years of doing a robust backup process with nothing ever going wrong feels sort of pointless until that key drive fails at a crucial moment.

And today was that day. 😅

I'm generating LODs on a few roughly 8 million tri models in Unreal and I can't believe it doesn't crash

They come out great too. Witchcraft!

My new podcast is live with its first episode!

Time to look at making this publishing and editing process easier, and improving audio quality.

I know a lot of people are readers rather than listeners, so the page includes an edited transcript with key ideas from my guest bolded.

I've noticed a dynamic with my kids where I can start a game for myself...

then the minute they show interest it becomes more satisfying letting them play.

In fact their playing through gives me the same completion feel as if I had played through it myself.

Very interesting.

“Make bad game? Fired. Make good game? Fired. Make incredibly successful game? Believe it or not, also fired.” Original source of meme is from Parks and Recreation.

the video game industry is a mess

Commentary On Meta's New VR Strategy Separating Quest From Horizon Worlds Editor’s Note: I am undecided in how to use the inboxes of my paid subscribers but I know you are all either reading this document today or will be reading this for the first time with my email.

I’ve added commentary paragraph by paragraph to the new and vague strategy document Meta released explaining that they’ve separated Quest from Horizon Worlds.

For paid subscribers. open.substack.com/pub/goodvr/p...

Wow so nice to get rid of the swyft prompt on my Vision Pro builds and get fixed foveated.

You can see it in the video at the edges of the video easily on the spheres and cubes.

Huge shout out @polyarcgames.com really appreciated. Can't wait to incorporate the fixes. 🙏

On spotty hotel Wifi with VPN into my office just to get the @polyarcgames.com Apple Vision Pro project up.

Been two years of hoping on Epic to expand support...

Polyarc didn't have to share their fixes so massive thank you to the whole team!

I'm not going into mobile apps or building for a generative AI platform.

I'm here to create what only games can.

I want people to experience worlds.

Anyone who knows me well will understand how hard this decision was.

But as an avid PC/PCVR gamer, I'm going to my gaming roots first.

I don't see a path for me with glasses tech being pushed everywhere.

Can't lie to myself and fake enthusiasm for emerging tech I'm not that interested in.

So instead of putting all the eggs in one basket like launching first on Quest platform or even try to shift as a Steam Frame exclusive, I'll instead build traditional flat with "VR as a feature"

This all puts me at my current decision- I will adjust my efforts and shift to XR being a great feature of my games, not the focus, and this will also reflect in my posting which will evolve toward more traditional gaming.

However, this isn't a box for my own passion. I can't pretend it is. I love VR. I love gaming.

AI glasses do not excite me.

Even traditional gaming is a better fit for me than glasses tech.

If I were to continue the "emerging tech" race here in XR I would go hard into AR AI design for incoming mixed reality devices. And I think they will do very well in mainstream. I would urge people interested to explore it.

I tried the DK1 and could not stop talking about the potential of VR to the frustration of my traditional gaming peers.

This crunch life I've now spent nearly 20 years in, while it has given me many gifts, has taken quite a lot of my time.

My advice to hedge for new young XR devs-

My framing:

First I quit college and entered gamedev in 2007 to make games. It's all I ever wanted to do.

Then I quit AAA and entered VR in 2013 to make the VR medium I believed in succeed.

"Only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s been swimming naked."

Well get ready to see some birthday suits out there.

Many studios are already retreating.

Some will go under.

So I need to be honest with myself...

I never understood it when I was young but you really do change once you have kids and really go through it.

So I'm exhausted caring so much while watching apologists dismiss and sugarcoat how major this tide going out really is.

As if AI glasses will save VR!

Everything since that 2020 year has slowly but surely recalibrated me. Those years added even more complex pressure as my grandparents passed away in the lockdown.

Anyone from the game industry knows the challenge of living any nornal family life. And XR as an emerging technology frankly made that dynamic even tougher.

It's been 13 years now in "VR only" and I've done a lot, worked on many titles, and certainly hit some dreams...

And 6 years ago I started a family right into the whole 2020 turmoil.

It all conflicts with promising myself in 2013 when I left AAA for VR it would be my only focus. VR became my requirement for opportunity.

Period.

I put VR first.

I refused all work not VR related.

So when Meta pulled the 1st party plug I said watch 3rd party- we've already seen major shake ups.

Now wait until the entire year runs it's course.

This is especially so now with Steam Frame delayed and component prices rising rapidly.

But this was very consequential to the entire VR gaming industry. While there are always paths to raise capital, traditional gaming is already struggling and VR focused gaming is even worse now.

It's a bloodbath.

For everyone.