When John Carmack got on board with the virtual reality (VR) industry, people began to realise that the technology had a serious shot at actually working this time around. The legendary developer behind the Doom franchise had been creating and then pushing the boundaries for 3D videogames for decades at id Software before moving to Oculus Rift head-mounted display (HMD) creator, Oculus VR, a few years ago as CTO. In recognition of his work, it’s today been announced that Carmack will be getting this year’s BAFTA Fellowship award.
As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, Carmack will be joining the likes of Gabe Newell, Peter Molyneux, Shigeru Miyamoto and Will Wright when he accepts the award on 7th April 2016. His interest in VR can be dated back to 2012, where he demoed the original version of the Oculus Rift, famously made using duct tape. Since joining Oculus VR in 2013, Carmack has helped conceive the latest breakthroughs in VR technology, most recently dedicating himself to bringing the Minecraft series to both the Gear VR and the Oculus Rift.
“Over the course of my career, I’ve remained passionate about the potential for engineering and technology improvements to expand the range of human creativity,” Carmack said in a statement. “Graphics, networking, extendable platforms, and now virtual reality; each has enabled magnificent new things that delight millions of people.
“I am as excited about the future today as I was when I started.”
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