Fresh off the heels of his QuakeCon 2013 keynote speeches, “John Carmack Oculus Rift” is now far more than a fun “whatcha think?” conversation, but a full-time job. Carmack has quit id Software and joined Oculus as Chief Technology Officer. Carmack, now a full-time employee at Oculus VR, will devote his time to working on the Oculus Rift out of Oculus’ new office in Dallas. Carmack was one of the co-founders of id Software, which is now owned by Bethesda Softworks.
The Oculus Rift is a virtual reality headset that allows users to step into the game. It provides an immersive, stereoscopic 3D experience with a huge field of view—110 degrees diagonally—and overcomes latency challenges. Development kits for the Oculus Rift, which game developers can use to create Oculus ready applications and interactive content, began shipping in March 2013. No date has been announced yet for the consumer version.
“The dream of VR has been simmering in the background for decades, but now, the people and technologies are finally aligning to allow it to reach the potential we imagined,” Carmack said in a statement. “I’m extremely excited to make a mark in what I truly believe will be a transformative technology.”
“To build the best virtual reality experience, we’re putting together a team of the brightest minds, and John Carmack is at the top of the list. It’s a true honor,” said Brendan Iribe, cofounder and CEO, Oculus. “A pioneer of 2D, 3D, and now VR, John continues to define the future of computer graphics and gaming. We share John’s commitment to providing the world with open platforms that inspire innovation and creation.”
Oculus VR is currently looking for talented developers and programmers to join Carmack either in Oculus’ Dallas office or their office in Irvine, California.
An advocate of open source software, Carmack is a world renowned luminary who has altered the landscape of multiple industries. From programming several of the most groundbreaking video games, to trailblazing 3D engine licensing, Carmack’s work has been leveraged in industry defining franchises such as Wolfenstein, Doom, Quake, Half-Life, Call of Duty® and Medal of Honor. He has pioneered adoption of many of the techniques used in real time computer graphics today, including light mapping, megatexturing, raycasting, and binary space partitioning.
Carmack was inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences’ Hall of Fame in 2001, awarded two Emmy awards for his work in graphics technology in 2006 and 2007, and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the GDC in 2010.