Videogames industry legend Jane Whittaker has joined the board and executive team of new virtual reality (VR) specialist studio, XR Games, it was announced today. In a 34year career which includes work on the likes of GoldenEye 007 (Nintendo 64), Alien vs. Predator (Atari Jaguar), The Sims, HR Giger’s Darkseed and major contributions to Microsoft Flight Simulator, Whittaker has led teams across both product and corporate business development.
Whittaker has held senior management and board roles at Atari, MGM, and Electronic Arts. At XR Games, Jane’s title will be Chief Hopping Officer, a title initially coined initially by Microsoft founder Bill Gates to spotlight Whittaker’s wideranging expertise and ability to simultaneously hop between roles in a corporate environment, operating creatively, technically and leading business development.
XR Games’ CEO Bobby Thandi said that “Jane brings a wealth of experience that’s unparalleled in the games sector, and invaluable as we launch into the emerging VR market. Jane delivers concept, code, and corporate vision to our board, and I’m super excited that Jane has chosen to join XR Games.”
Jane has a long history in VR, including managing the VR team at Atari, developing titles such as the unreleased VR version of Alien Vs. Predator for the Atari Jaguar.
“I firmly believe as the technology matures, virtual reality is going to be a tidal wave that sweeps through the entertainment industry. XR Games is positioning itself to ride the crest of that wave with incredibly innovative products and approaches set to revolutionise VR. It’s an exciting time to be a member of the XR team,” enthused Jane.
Jane is also the subject of a BBC series about Jane’s life story, for major worldwide TV release in 2018. It features industry giants such as Bing Gordon, Sam Tramiel, Wild Bill Stealey, and others. Jane’s unique story as the only Siamese twin in the entertainment industry can be found at GamesIndustry.biz.
XR Games has received funding from the GM Media Ventures Fund (GMMV). Adam Schoff, GMMV Chief Investment Officer, commented “Pairing our board advisor Jane with Bobby will help spearhead the development and growth of XR Games. As a fund, we choose to invest where we believe we can add the most strategic advantage. We are confident that having Jane lead our investment in XR Games will be of great benefit to XR and investors alike.”
No titles have yet been announced by XR Games, however we’re likely to hear more in the near future. VRFocus will of course keep you updated with all the latest details.
via Mint VR