The ‘spotlight’ insights series invites winners from the 6th International VR Awards to discuss their achievements, and revisit the journeys that earned them the honour of raising one of our prestigious trophies aloft on stage at de Doelen, Rotterdam. First up we are joined by our Accenture VR Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Dr. Jacquelyn Ford Morie.
I am positively honored to be a recipient of the Accenture VR Lifetime Achievement Award. It truly came as a huge surprise! Sometimes you are not even aware of how much you have done over many years, until something like this lets you know that you really have made a difference. And then you look back, and the years of work coalesce into something meaningful and special.
Being acknowledged with an award such as this serves to confirm that the journey you believed in has indeed been appreciated. When I started my explorations some 30 years ago, little did I know where they would lead, or that this path would become my life’s work. I just followed my passion to make the virtual more meaningful. While others wanted computers to be reliable, logical, and rational I could see a potential for these new devices to reflect the essence of human nature—joys, emotions, and deep feelings.
“I just followed my passion to make the virtual more meaningful.”
It was also remarkable to be part of a world class awards ceremony in Rotterdam. That made receiving the award even more special. Coming out of years of the pandemic, it was awe-inspiring to physically be with other creators of amazing works, and for us all to be sharing our energy in celebrating each other as well as the best of immersive technology.
We are all building the future of this new medium, sharing ideas, learning from each other, and making the incremental discoveries that will form the next innovative chapter in this field. The best thing is having so many hearts, minds, and imaginations focused on the joy of creating immersive experiences. The excitement is palpable, especially when we come together. It is wonderful to see everyone sharing in successes rather than competing.
It is the creators who will steer the evolution of tomorrow’s immersive world, and I wish for each of them that their journeys lead down the same types of marvelous paths I was able to traverse, because it truly is about the journey more than the goal (especially if you are inventing that as you go along).
I truly hope this spirit—this joy of forging a new medium together—continues. We need to build meaningful spaces, places, and experiences. The metaverse must fulfill deep seated human goals, needs, dreams, and desires if it is to find a place in humanity’s future. If it becomes about winning, or making tons of money, or exclusivity, then it will never be a success. Each person must feel ownership and have purposeful reasons to inhabit and create emerging virtual worlds—alongside, and not instead of—our intrinsic physical one.
“The metaverse must fulfill deep seated human goals, needs, dreams, and desires if it is to find a place in humanity’s future.”
I plan to continue to find ways to enhance the immersive experiences we have in virtual spaces. I hope to produce more experiences that can provide that frisson of awe—experiences that can make us love, laugh, cry—experiences that cause us to feel deeply, as befits our true human nature.
We will return to de Doelen, Rotterdam for the second time as the 7th International VR Awards ceremony takes place 30 November 2023. Be a part of the celebration and grab tickets here. For all the latest awards news, including nominations, register interest here.
