My first experience with Virtual Reality dates back to 1992. I was really young, naive, technologically curious and totally open to new techno-experiences. VR reminded me of something that my father brought me from New York in the ’80s: a 3D View Master with 3D pictures of “Thriller” (Michael Jackson’s video).
IIn 1992, Maurizio Gigante, owner of HS, allowed me to participate in the event HSVR project as a graphic supervisor. This is when I first heard of Virtual Reality and a viewer called Virtuality. The application I tried first was called “Labyrinth”.
I thought the graphics didn’t reflect the technology. So I told Bix (Maurizio) that the graphics were terrible. He explained that this technology was going to change our present, and asked what I would suggest to make it better. His exact words were, “So what is your advice, Jacky2703?” (my nickname for many years to come). I told Maurizio that I had been playing video games for a while, and thanks to Amiga and Macintosh, I knew the world of computer graphics pretty well.
There was no future for a video game without awesome graphics! “You have to change something, Bix” I said. “Yeah, maybe we can install a chip in our brain with this technology…. Who knows?” he replied. I thought he was crazy and told him so. Sure enough, 7 years later Hollywood produced “The Matrix”, a film set in a dystopian future where machines subdue the human population.
While I write this article I listen to”Expresso Love” by the Dire Straits – an added suggestion Bix made when he mentioned a 1984 3D video by the Dire Straits called “Money for Nothing”, the first of its kind. His words were, “One day you and I will work together while listening to the Dire Straits.”
Sometime later the project HRVR revealed itself to be too expensive and Bix decided to abandon it. That was when we created a new company called “Maden.”
I was right in thinking that Virtual Reality was too advanced for the 90s, and Bix was right in his vision of of a future for VR. Now that future is finally here. VR is our present!
Today, Apple, Google, Samsung, Facebook and many other companies use VR. Billions of dollars are being invested, and this is only the start. Bix saw this coming VR is changing our everyday lives.
If you need an app in VR please contact me.
Marta Leo 