I’m less than a month away from my departure for Madrid. I’ve been mentally trying to prepare since I’ve been in a completely different head space than a school and business oriented one.
Because of that I’ve been trying to find things within that realm that excite me to pull me back in. Today, I found an easy one relating to VR, gaming, venture capital, and a whole lot more.
Andrew Chen is someone I follow on Twitter and he happens to work at Andreessen Horowitz. (check out his 2018 essay collection)
A16Z is invested in a company called Sandbox VR. After reading a bit about it, I was interested so I watched a review online and then found this amazing video reviewing their pitch with Andrew. It was one of those times you feel yourself getting sucked into a topic and then two of the dots connect.
Besides the obvious reason for interest, namely that I’d love to play these type of games, getting to see inside the investment/pitching process is a good warm-up for B school.
Specific to Sandbox, my initial reaction to a VR retail experience is buy-in. As a kid I remember one time trying a VR experience with terrible graphics where you walked on a treadmill and shot shapes. They brand themselves as The Holodeck Company which is exactly what I’d like to experience. For those of you who have read Ready Player One, you know exactly how the far reaches of this technology could go, for the rest of you…. Seriously though, go read the book but here’s a brief summary. You can physically control your character/avatar in endless virtual worlds and even experience and feel them as if you’re there. Think the Matrix, although it’s voluntary and there is no reality delusion. Or if you’re familiar with anime, you’ll know there is a whole sub-genre called Isekai which revolves around characters being transported to another world, many of which exist digitally or in seemingly digital worlds. (ex. Sword Art Online, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, Shield Hero)
Public gaming hasn’t really been big since arcades dwindled after the console revolution. With mobile gaming on the rise, people aren’t necessarily glued to their living room to play and with the meteoric rise of competitive gaming and e-sports, the cooperation, competition, and social aspects are more important than ever.
With a generation that allegedly goes out and hooks up less than our generational predecessors, gaming meetups seem like a great opportunity. Not to mention, by adding the physical component could negate our characteristic loneliness and obesity.
I’m very optimistic about the growth of gaming and am super excited to see where it goes. Truthfully, since many gaming companies are cutting edge, I would be very excited to work with one after my graduation. We’ll just have to wait and see!