Video games are a form of communication. Similar to film, music, or any artistic medium, the

purpose of a game is to express an idea or a collection of ideas in a way that keeps the user

engaged and entertained from beginning to end. A timeless masterpiece is considered great

not because of the canvas it’s painted on or the hardware it runs on, but rather by the message

it conveys and the emotions it invokes: its substance.

However, it goes without saying ~

medium cannot be ignored. A virtual reality game is not merely a video game that runs on

a virtual reality system, just as a talkie is not a silent film recorded with sound. Without

attention to the medium a virtual reality experience will lack its sense of reality. As the rebirth

of a truly revolutionary platform dawns these are the questions that must be addressed. The

answers hide in plain sight: among the successes and failures of prior media. Those who

believe console games or mobile games can simply be ported to virtual reality ~ such as the

silent thespians who simply lacked the voice ~ will be phased out by the consumer demand for

real VR titles.

Mars Wong
LA|NY

Junior VR Game Developer at the Technicolor Experience Center

Worked with New Reality Co, The Mill,  the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MediaLab), and Artix Entertainment.

Graduated from Saint Ann's High School, Brooklyn Heights

Studied at USC's School of Cinematic Arts (Interactive Media & Games Devision)