What I have done for my Internship and some brief information on TimeFireVR

Hello again, this week I thought I would go over what I have already done at my internship.Unlike most students doing the senior research project I started my internship in November. I thought it would be a good idea to give some background on the company and what I have done so far.

Initially when I started working at TimeFireVR. I was working exclusively on the in game engine, Unreal engine 4. Video game engines are what video game developers use to create the game, the engine provides tools to create levels and environments. Unreal engine is unique because it has the blueprint system, if you are familiar with coding, it is like a visual representation of coding. There is functions and you connect them with wires. You use these functions to change the level.

This work was a bit tedious, and it is a bit off track of what my project is really about; however, it was helpful in understanding how a videogame is really made. It is extremely tedious. Most of what I did was for my own understanding, nothing I created was put in the game, unfortunately.

Alongside that I worked in Blender, which is a 3D modeling program. I don’t have much to say about it honestly. I only worked in it 3 or 4 times. Keep in mind the learning curve for both Unreal Engine 4 and Blender is incredibly high. Understanding how to fully use each program would take years.

But what I mostly did while I was there was work on building their online presence, via social media platforms. I typically go through Tumblr, twitter, and Pinterest, and follow, like, and create whatever they ask me too. I went through websites like Wikipedia and put the TimeFireVR name into lists like “Upcoming VR games in 2016. On top of this I worked on writing and art as well. They really have had me do a variety of things during my time there. Sometimes they even give me an option of what to do, and I am really grateful for them giving me this opportunity.

I thought I would mention some insight about the company. This company is unique in one critical way. Most independent development companies do not have a publisher, or any funding besides what they can raise themselves. TimeFireVR is an independent company, but they received funding from a recognized company Smith and Wesson; however, most people would associate them with producing guns. Interestingly they requested the company to create a game that does not include any violence or guns.

Thank you for reading!

Introduction

Hello everyone, my name is Griffin Saggau.

I am a senior at BASIS Scottsdale. At the end of our senior year each student is allowed the option to pursue a Senior Research Project. This is my blog documenting the progress of my senior research project. My project, Virtual Reality: A Game Changer, involves comparing the newly emerging virtual reality products from a business standpoint. For my full proposal click on my projects title.

To assist with my project, I currently intern at TimeFireVR. TimeFireVR is an independent game development company, currently developing their video game Hypatia. They are outfitted with nearly every competing virtual headset available, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Cardboard, the Sony Morpheus, and more. Despite these products not being for sale to the public, as virtual reality developers they are given access to these products. Personally I have already used several of these products. I am hoping for an in depth comparison between each product.

Considering that I had the option to choose any research project I wanted, why did I choose this? Well I have been an avid gamer since the 2nd grade; ever since I got my first Xbox. For the last eight years I have spent plenty of time playing video games, now I will spend these next few months understanding a little bit more about them. Which will lead me to the hopeful conclusion of how each product operates for the company and for the consumer.

Another influence for my interest in this product, is that I have always considered myself a creative person. With this overwhelming new technology landing, it is a huge break through. This technology elevates gaming to the next level. People who may have never considered them selves "gamers", may take interest in such a revolutionary facet of gaming. Depicted below is a former Disney Artist, Glenn Keane, creating a 3D drawing of his own creation, Ariel from The Little Mermaid in virtual reality. 
Source: Gizmodo.com

Furthermore, for the future I plan to attend Barrett's Honors College for Business. This influences me to understand the product from all perspectives, the consumer, the developer, and the producer. I will take a close look at how these companies present their products to the public. If virtual reality fails all together, maybe it was a mistake caused by the presentation of the product by the companies, or maybe the product was doomed from the start.

Finally, my project is really about understanding how this new technology turns itself into a business. And how this impacts you and me, the consumers. With this information I hope to inform you which product you should consider buying, if you are considering it at all. I look forward to keeping you updated about my project and virtual reality.

Griffin Saggau