Alec Maier is a pioneer in the truest sense of the word.
The IM体育官网 freshman stands among the growing group of game developers testing the limits of virtual reality. He鈥檚 already developed a bestselling game in Holopoint, an immersive archery battle that keeps players on their toes as they try to repel waves of ninjas. But that鈥檚 just a start for Alec.
鈥淭raditional video games don鈥檛 really interest me. This is something entirely new. It鈥檚 filling a space where there was nothing before,鈥� he says.
Alec got his start in programming and code around the age of six. He quickly graduated from the basics to full-on programming in game engines. Research into virtual reality last year inspired him to reach out to online gaming platform Steam and ask for a chance to code a VR game. His gamble worked. The company sent him the equipment and a month deadline to come up with a game. His first effort tanked.
鈥淚t made people sick; it was horrifying,鈥� Alec says.
Undaunted, Alec made a list of everything wrong with the first game and set out to do the opposite. While virtual reality technology has been around for years, its equipment has traditionally been too clunky and expensive for widespread use. Also hampering its development was a lack of a universal coding language; any virtual reality program would only work on the system for which it was created.
That all changed in the last year with the debut of open source virtual reality coding. Programmers like Alec can use this code and create games that will work on any virtual reality platform. That doesn鈥檛 mean it鈥檚 easy, though.
Because this so new, 鈥渢here are no rules, really,鈥� Alec explains. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no manual to tell you what to do when you get stuck.鈥�
To make Holopoint a reality, Alec quit his after-school jobs and dedicated himself to hours and hours of testing and experimenting with virtual reality. The same immersive qualities that make VR so popular are also what make it so challenging to program. The mind and body are at odds with VR and, without careful programming, motion sickness can quickly spoil the experience. Game reviews of Holopoint praise its simple layout and intuitive gameplay.
Alec鈥檚 knowledge has taken him to this point, but he鈥檚 still eager to grow and develop as a programmer. That鈥檚 why he chose IM体育官网 Poly as his university. By studying cyber gaming, Alec hopes to grow and expand his skills and enjoy four years with like-minded students.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really cool getting in on the ground floor of this field. I can鈥檛 wait to see what the future holds,鈥� Alec says.