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I love my industry but came across a bit of a realization today.
When a new medium is created, it’s exciting and generally ultra inclusive.
Until it isn’t.
/1
When a new medium is created, it’s exciting and generally ultra inclusive.
Until it isn’t.
/1
Early on it’s exciting!
Every opinion is fair game. There are no best practices. Everyone is experimenting. Everyone is included.
There are no Experts.
/2
Every opinion is fair game. There are no best practices. Everyone is experimenting. Everyone is included.
There are no Experts.
/2
I was lucky to be one of the early few in this VR wave. I’ve watched filmmakers try to define the medium. Game devs tried as well.
Architecture folks found their voice too. As did design, and theater.
As did tech.
All super exciting.
This is why XR is so special.
/3
Architecture folks found their voice too. As did design, and theater.
As did tech.
All super exciting.
This is why XR is so special.
/3
Then something changed along the way. Somehow roots were laid down. VR, then AR, now XR - became predominantly a tech thing.
I feel partly responsible. I was, and still am in the real-time game engine, 6 DOF camp. 360 video slunk away, etc.
/4
I feel partly responsible. I was, and still am in the real-time game engine, 6 DOF camp. 360 video slunk away, etc.
/4
Today, the loudest voices are tech folks.
Tech folks are leading the future of XR.
Not the games folks, not really. Definitely not the film folks.
Probably not the theater folks.
/5
Tech folks are leading the future of XR.
Not the games folks, not really. Definitely not the film folks.
Probably not the theater folks.
/5
This isn’t inherently a problem so much as the consolidation of power that unnerves me.
The language and nomenclature has settled. The names and terms, process - and hiring - have solidified.
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The language and nomenclature has settled. The names and terms, process - and hiring - have solidified.
/6
To get a job in XR today you will need to speak the language of tech.
Today it’s all about XR products, not content.
You need to be a UX designer, or a PM, or a TPM, or definitely an engineer. learn your scrum and C#, definitely helps if you can estimate story points.
/7
Today it’s all about XR products, not content.
You need to be a UX designer, or a PM, or a TPM, or definitely an engineer. learn your scrum and C#, definitely helps if you can estimate story points.
/7
Perhaps it’s fine if XR has roots in just tech.
But it doesn’t.
That’s what shits me.
If we’re hiring for -just- a tech stack we are essentially shutting out voices and talent who have so much to contribute to this business.
/8
But it doesn’t.
That’s what shits me.
If we’re hiring for -just- a tech stack we are essentially shutting out voices and talent who have so much to contribute to this business.
/8
I get it that the economics don’t work that way.
You can’t just hire a lighting designer from theater to join a UX team because ... they’re different. they don’t use the same words as your UX team, and probably don’t know much about customer journeys, iterations, etc.
/9
You can’t just hire a lighting designer from theater to join a UX team because ... they’re different. they don’t use the same words as your UX team, and probably don’t know much about customer journeys, iterations, etc.
/9
And so the folks who are building XR worlds - these things we consider potential spaces we’d all eventually cohabit - are more likely to come from tech.
Folks whose resumes have FAANG nomenclature. From schools with famous, privileged names.
And so on.
/10
Folks whose resumes have FAANG nomenclature. From schools with famous, privileged names.
And so on.
/10
But voices persist.
I know a good many talented folk from theater, from film, from architecture, who decided to learn the language of tech.
They went to grad school. They taught themselves Unity and Unreal. They learn how to run agile and scrum.
Hell. I’m one of them.
/11
I know a good many talented folk from theater, from film, from architecture, who decided to learn the language of tech.
They went to grad school. They taught themselves Unity and Unreal. They learn how to run agile and scrum.
Hell. I’m one of them.
/11
But it doesn’t seem to be enough.
I’ve seen in recent months that because the ones who can still afford to invest in XR are tech companies, the hires that are being made prioritize tech workers.
/12
I’ve seen in recent months that because the ones who can still afford to invest in XR are tech companies, the hires that are being made prioritize tech workers.
/12
It doesn’t matter if you know C# or Jira. The Xoogler will likely get a job in XR over the former Broadway stage manager, even if they’ve shipped the same products.
Shipped a game in the 90s? Sorry, we’re hiring the former FB TPM to ‘produce’ this new platform.
/13
Shipped a game in the 90s? Sorry, we’re hiring the former FB TPM to ‘produce’ this new platform.
/13
I know a designer from indie XR dev who’s shipped strong, early VR work get passed for a designer who’s shipped none, from a FAANG company.
Because of course. Tech takes care of their own.
And so it goes.
/13
Because of course. Tech takes care of their own.
And so it goes.
/13
This isn’t a rant about tech btw.
It’s a rant about the consolidation of institutional power.
About how XR deserves to have more voices but the loudest ones are still singing the same familiar tune.
And it shits me.
Because I’ve seen that it could be different.
/end
It’s a rant about the consolidation of institutional power.
About how XR deserves to have more voices but the loudest ones are still singing the same familiar tune.
And it shits me.
Because I’ve seen that it could be different.
/end
