VR Internship

During my third year in the Creative Media and Game Technology program, I had the opportunity to intern at OCDLab, where I worked on two exciting projects that significantly contributed to my technical and professional development.

Project 1: Multiplayer VR Experience in Unity with Photon

The first project I worked on was a multiplayer virtual reality (VR) experience developed in Unity using the Photon networking framework. This project aimed to create an immersive and interactive VR environment where multiple users could interact with each other in real-time. I focused on implementing networked interactions, player synchronization, and optimizing the experience for VR hardware.

This project taught me valuable technical skills, including:

• Photon Networking: Gaining proficiency in setting up and managing multiplayer sessions in a VR environment, ensuring smooth interactions between players.
• Unity Development: Deepening my understanding of Unity's physics, rendering, and asset management in a VR context.
• Optimization for VR: Understanding how to ensure the VR experience was seamless and responsive, while maintaining high performance.

Through this project, I also became familiar with the challenges of balancing a multiplayer experience where every user's interaction needs to be accurately synchronized, especially in a VR environment.

Project 2: Handtracking Game for Rehabilitation

The second project was a handtracking game designed to assist with the rehabilitation of individuals with disabilities. This project was particularly rewarding because it involved both technical development and social impact. I used hand tracking technology to create a game where users could perform therapeutic exercises by interacting with virtual objects through hand gestures.

In developing this game, I initially focused on creating a Halloween-themed graveyard environment. However, I quickly learned an important lesson about the significance of understanding the target audience before diving into development. When I tested the first prototype with the actual users—individuals with various disabilities—I received feedback that many of them had experienced traumatic events related to Halloween imagery, making the graveyard setting uncomfortable or even distressing for them.

After scheduling with a handicap center to come and run a playtest. I showed them my video and we went on a call to discuss the game. During the meeting I learned more about my target audience. Most of them had a traumatic experience and because of that the graveyard might be a trigger for them. After the meeting I went and changed the environment completely. I turned it into a winter wonderland. Now you won't shoot zombies but a snowman.

This feedback was a turning point. I realized that, as a developer, understanding the psychological and emotional context of the audience is just as crucial as the technical aspects of the game. In response to this feedback, I reworked the environment into a peaceful snow wonderland, which received overwhelmingly positive responses from the users. The soothing environment not only avoided triggering negative memories but also enhanced the overall experience of the game, improving user engagement and effectiveness in rehabilitation.

Key Learnings

1. Technical Skills: Throughout these projects, I honed my abilities in Unity development, VR design, and multiplayer networking with Photon. I learned to create immersive experiences while ensuring technical precision and optimizing performance, especially for VR applications.
2. Target Audience Understanding: Perhaps the most important lesson I learned during my internship was the significance of understanding the target audience. My initial lack of insight into the emotional needs of the rehabilitation users led to a less-than-ideal first prototype. However, after listening to their feedback, I was able to adapt the game and create a more thoughtful and impactful experience. This taught me the importance of empathy and user-centered design in creating effective and meaningful interactive experiences.

In conclusion, my internship at OCDLab was an invaluable experience that taught me both technical skills and the importance of aligning design decisions with the needs of the users. The ability to adapt based on feedback and to understand the audience's perspective is crucial in any creative media and game technology project, and this experience has undoubtedly influenced how I approach future projects.