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Mitchell Massey
Production
A Process for Evaluating Virtual Reality Systems for Games and Enterprise Projects
My thesis provides an eight-step System Review Process for game studios entering VR development , guiding producers and team leads through research and prototyping during the project exploration phase before pre-production . The goal was to help teams determine a fitting VR system and game engine software pairing , considering business , development , and VR design concerns . The process also included a second format which provides extra information for enterprise companies which are less familiar with performance constraints , VR best design practices , and game development software .
After designing the eight steps , I tested the VR System Review Process with an example VR game project to demonstrate documents and artifacts for each of the eight steps . This test project provided studios with a foundation on which to create their own documentation .
I chose this project to demonstrate mastery in VR production processes . I was inspired by the challenges facing VR developers , such as a lack of design standards , a low install base due to premium system costs , monetization risks , a competitive hardware market , and constant updates to engine software and hardware drivers . My thesis ensures a “ timeless ” solution , agnostic to the current ecosystem of available devices , and provides a starting foundation for companies entering VR development for the first time , helping them to assess options and risks .
This project allowed me to develop proficiency in VR production processes , pre-production cost and schedule analysis , and leading component testing during system reviews . Also , it gave me an opportunity to democratize a system review process , which is typically proprietary information in the industry .
54 PRODUCTION