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Racial Representation in Games

Wed, 07 May 2025 22:54:25 GMT

Would expanding the diversity of real world races positively represented in games increase the game playing market?

A 2015 research estimated that Black-American boys are more likely to play video games than other demographics. While video games have become an essential part of global culture, offering immersive experiences and rich narratives, the representation of people of color in gaming remains limited.

This lack of diversity is not just an issue of appearance or aesthetics; it has profound implications for identity, inclusion, and cultural validation in the gaming community. A gamer in Full Sail Armada stated that one of his favorite characters in Halo is Sergeant Johnson because he’s the only African American in the game.

He restarts the game every time Sergeant Johnson dies since he doesn’t want to lose the character representing him. This shows a need for racially diverse games.

A History of Underrepresentation

For decades, videos have mostly displayed white, male protagonists, reflecting the culture and demographics of their creators. Racial representation was given little thought at the beginning since the focus was on heroism, exploration, and competition. In many games, people of color were portrayed through over-the-top or negative stereotypical lenses, if they appeared at all.

For example, early representations of Black characters often cast them as criminals , sidekicks , or villains. Asian characters were sometimes depicted as “exotic,” contributing to a narrow and problematic portrayal of non-white cultures. This pattern created a gaming environment where players of color often saw little or no depiction of themselves and their experience.

The Challenges and Barriers

One of the issues on the path to an increase in racial representation in games is the lack of diverse voices within the development process. Many video game studios are still predominantly white and male, which can result in a narrow perspective on the development of characters, stories, and settings. This lack of diversity in creative teams often results in a misrepresented and overlooked portrayal of people of color in video games.

Another challenge comes with the fear of taking economic risks by implementing a person of color as a complex leading role. Some developers are concerned about losing sales and getting backlash in certain regions since they aren’t used to playing non-white characters.

Finally, there is an issue of tokenism. In some cases, game developers introduce characters of color simply to tick a diversity box. These characters wind up not being fully fleshed out or are a supporting role for the white protagonist’s journey. This undermines the potential for meaningful racial representation.

The Road Ahead

On the bright side, the conversation around racial representation in games has brought attention to the topic. There’s now a demand for a more diverse cast in games that contain characters of color with depth. Independent game developers, who can operate with greater creative freedom, have been at the forefront of challenging the traditional tropes of video game characters.

The growing success of games with racially diverse characters proves there’s a market for more inclusive content. Studios don’t have to worry about the idea of losing sales because they introduce a person of color as a protagonist as much.

Conclusion

Racial representation in video games is not just a matter of equality, it also provides more tools for a richer story. Diverse characters can present different perspectives and make more complex and engaging narratives.

The ongoing issue of the lack of racial representation won’t be fixed in a day. However, progress has been made in this regard, and by purchasing content with people of various races, we can contribute to this cause.

Guest Contributor:

Sun Santamaria

Sun is pursuing a BFA in Creative Writing at Full Sail University and plans to use his newly acquired skills to tell a story on every platform possible. He worked at Muse Literary as an editorial intern, evaluating the narrative of multiple manuscripts. He adores a wide range of writing projects. He can enjoy a call to action in a coupon as much as cleaning a script.

Follow Sun on LinkedIn & Portfolio Site

If you're interested in creating a video game or interactive experiences like the one's referenced in this article, reach out to OMG Labs which can help you produce an amazing experience with our world class technologist members.

OMG Labs can guide you step by step through the entire process from ideation, planning, team building, creative direction, and software delivery.

Music Used as Storytelling in Video Games

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 14:33:09 GMT

Game developers utilize sound and music to create a cohesive game environment.

With only a few notes in the opening soundtrack from your favorite video game, you are immediately transported into their digital world. What may seem like a small detail actually creates an immersive experience for the player.

Songs are created to express emotion, either how the artist is feeling or what they want their audience to feel. This reflects in the production of video games as well. After spending hours on a challenging puzzle or defeating a boss in The Legend of Zelda , a heroic melody plays after the game awards you with a chest. The tune that plays is memorized by the entire fandom, and expands to larger audiences as well. It is often associated with victory or even nostalgia for the gamers who have been playing The Legend of Zelda for several years. This sense of nostalgia has also proven to create a positive mood for listeners.

An Inverse study revealed that nostalgia in music is also created within the 10-15 year old range, this is when the consumption of music in our memories is strongest. When children within this age range listen to the soundtrack of their favorite video game while they are playing, they are developing a powerful connection with that tune for a large portion of their life.

If you haven’t guessed it yet, the Zelda franchise is my family’s favorite so it has a special place in my heart. Especially when I was able to fully comprehend the game and play Breath of the Wild when I was 14.

These sounds can also be more subtle to elevate gameplay, such as the sound of echoing rocks when exploring a new cave. This heightens the player’s senses and can create a sense of suspense, depending on the game developer’s goal. In these suspenseful soundtracks, there is a low wave-length frequency which creates suspense as it is associated with tension. While on the other hand, high wave-length frequency in audio can be used to generate a more eager environment.

There is a part of the brain called the Amygdala , connecting music to emotions. Specifically, the right-side controls a more positive outlook while the left-side is negative. When a frantic tune is playing as you are racing to beat the slowly ticking timer the left-side of your Amygdala is activated. This creates the anxiety you experience while listening to the background music of an intense video game, which is what creates such an exhilarating game.

Amygdala Quick Facts:

Plays a role in addiction
Almond-shaped
Located in the Temporal Lobe
(bottom middle of the brain, behind the temples)

Not only is music within the soundtrack but also in special effects as you're exploring a digital world. Curating these sound effects require immense amounts of creativity and take many attempts to get a realistic recreation. However, their efforts are worth it when you are able to be fully invested into the world in front of you as your senses are interrupted by audio playing to make you feel a certain way. Such as a dramatic fight scene when the sword makes a bloody sound while creating a devastating wound, when in reality it is the removal of the inside of a pumpkin .

Next time you pick up the controller, listen carefully to the tasteful collection of sound effects and music that is grouped to enhance your experience. Many video games utilize audio to do a large portion of the story telling.

Guest Contributor:

Josalyn Wirbel

Intern for OMG Labs and aspires to pursue Digital Sciences and Arts in the future.

OMG Labs can guide you step by step through the entire process from ideation, planning, team building, creative direction, and software delivery.

How Video Games are Changing the Medical Field

isabella@e4c.tech (Isabella Johnston) — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 14:22:43 GMT

Imagine loading up your favorite puzzle game only to find that every level has been replaced by emergency surgeries. To someone inexperienced, this might seem like a nightmare, but to a med student, this could be their new reality. Using video games in the medical field may seem unlikely at first but it’s getting more common each day. Learn how video games are being used to develop healthcare for both the patients and the doctors.

Games for Patients

Rehabilitation can be a complicated process for people recovering from injuries but most of the time it’s done through physical therapy (PT). Although research has shown that PT is very effective in treating many injuries, the pain and focus it takes to get through the exercises can make the experience very taxing on the patient’s mind.

According to Webpt, only about 35% of PT patients can get through their whole treatment plan, the rest quit early because of the difficult process.

Exercise already takes a lot of resilience to stay consistent; and this is even more true if that exercise is painful like in PT. It can be hard for patients to commit to their rehabilitation when the process is boring and painful. That’s why some researchers have been trying to bring more life into the recovery process by using video games!

Although most games don’t require much movement, some do encourage physical exercise. Games like Just Dance or Beat Saber require that the player moves around and gets some exercise to score well and progress. One study in the Games for Health Journal wanted to try using an active game by seeing if the classic, Wii Fit, could help elderly patients with their balance. The results showed that a whopping 89% of the patients planned to continue playing Wii Fit and 73% liked the game more than traditional physical therapy!

Another study from the European Stroke Journal uses computer games to treat stroke victims and shows how non-active video games can also have benefits. This research found that having patients play various computer games was an effective way to help them recover motor skills. Adding video games to the rehabilitation process is a great way to add variety to a patient’s treatment. It can also easily be customized to suit their specific medical needs, making it potentially one of the most versatile methods of treatment!

Studies like these show how video games can be used in a medical setting because they can boost patient morale while still being an effective treatment. That’s why some clinics have already taken the opportunity to start implementing this technique with more of their patients. Sheba Medical Center is one group that has begun using Virtual Reality games as part of their rehabilitation treatment for all kinds of different injuries. The gaming aspect of the treatment motivates their patients to continue working hard on recovery more than if they were just doing the same old boring exercises. Now that’s innovation!

Games for Patients

Video games are not only helping patients but also their future doctors as well! Although there has been debate on the use of video games as an effective learning tool, it does seem to be working for a number of medical students. Simulations are especially popular as they allow the students to get more “hands-on” experiences without actually going out in the field. This can help them apply their knowledge and feel more prepared for the real thing!

According to a study from Cureus , 80% of medical students reported that simulation learning allowed them to retain more information and apply their skills.

That’s a majority of this group saying that playing an educational game helped them learn! In fact, many universities are already taking advantage of this and putting their students through simulated learning games. Whether it’s studying to be a dentist, doctor, or even a vet, simulation learning games can help along the way!

If a university doesn’t offer its own simulated learning, this technology is currently available to the public online so anyone can benefit from it. For example, Full Code Medical is currently ahead of the scene by adding AI patient conversations to their game levels. This allows students to get a realistic feel for how a conversation with a patient would go. It also adds to some of the tension and pressure they would be dealing with in a real hospital. These realistic simulations are an amazing way for someone to practice their skills in a zero-risk environment and build up their confidence in their field.

Even if realistic simulations aren’t already amazing on their own, games like Microbe Invader , an old-school Pokémon-style game, approach video game learning in a completely different way. In this game, the player gets to learn about bacteria by diagnosing patients and treating them through an incredible battle sequence! The game even offers notes to the player so they can study before they tackle the boss. Who knew studying medicine could be this fun?

Final Thoughts

At first glance, video games and medicine may seem like two completely different worlds, but when you look at the overlap it’s hard to deny the incredible outcome they get when working together. Video games have developed the medical field for both students and their patients by offering some fun in a usually serious world. Whether it’s using video games to study for a test, or using them to recover from an accident, you might just find that their application can be endlessly helpful.

Guest Contributor:

Kade Velez

An aspiring Game Developer who hopes to make a difference with their work. Kade is dedicated to using technology to make a difference in their community, especially when it comes to education.

If you're interested in creating healthcare experiences like the one's you've seen in this article. Reach out to OMG Labs which can help you produce a game changing experience with our world class technologist members.

OMG Labs can guide you step by step through the entire process from ideation, planning, team setup and software delivery.

Smart Car Revolution is Coming

kunal@omglabs.pro (Kunal Patel) — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 14:46:37 GMT

Back in the olden days (AKA the 1980’s) people looked to the 2020s and imagined a future of flying cars, and they weren’t too far off with their postulations!

In this article we’ll break down just how far we’ve come with smart car technology, and the future of tech in the industry!

Rideshare and Taxis

In today’s high tech driven world, unless you’re in New York City, a genuine taxi is as elusive as a nocturnal creature. However, you’re almost guaranteed to see an Uber sticker plastered on a windshield during your daily commute, or perhaps you’re even considering Uber Eats to save you a trip to the grocery store. It’s undeniable that the rideshare lifestyle is more deeply ingrained in modern society every day.

And how did that happen?

It’s not surprising that in a society that prioritizes convenience, an idea like Uber dominates. But there was a time when a private ride wasn’t just a click away.

Originally founded in 2009 as a ploy to reduce the cost of black car transportation, Uber didn’t become the widely accessible service we know today until 2013. Of course there are many alternative rideshare companies, (Lyft, Ola Cabs, Via, Gett, and many more) but we’ll be focusing on the global impact of Uber for simplicity's sake.

Available in 72 countries, with over 7.6 billion trips carried out, Uber hasn’t just changed the transportation industry, it’s also changing lives! With one being able to secure a job with Uber as long as their car meets a certain standard and they pass a background check, it enables entrepreneurial individuals to pursue an incredibly flexible side hustle.

And as the Super Bowl commercial explained, UberEats now has a LOT more to offer! In a collaboration with Staples, you can get school and office supplies delivered in a snap.

And Uber shall only continue its domination, with plans of expansion including: Autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles, and partnerships with public transportation agencies.

Entertainment for Cars

Just as modern society craves convenience, it also longs for constant stimulation. And while I recall watching movies during long road trips in my family van, or listening to audiobook CDs to pass the time on a long drive, in-car entertainment has come a long way, and it’s only continuing to advance!

Let’s start with a walk down memory lane:

With the first car radio dating back to the 1930’s, it's been a great almost 100 years of audio being the main form of in-car entertainment. With a less successful attempt at an in-car phonograph, then a more successful attempt with the 4-track and 8-track record, the 60’s were a swingin’ time for automobile audio entertainment! Fast forward to the 70’s when, although already popular for a number of years, it took the Sony Walkman to cement cassettes as the standard media of choice, and they were introduced to cars, as well as multi-speaker systems with amplifiers. And finally, the CD. An instant hit, the first CD player for the car came in 1984, with the CDX-1. Soon enough, manufacturers began selling vehicles with built-in CD players, and by the time the 90’s rolled around, one could even purchase multi-CD systems that allowed one to switch between multiple CDs without having to swap them manually. The turn of the century brought with it the MP3 player, which one could store thousands of songs on, and even connect to their car via hard drive! Now we’ve just about caught up to the present, where the cellphone reigns supreme and Bluetooth makes connecting to your car as easy as ever!

And now that we’ve covered what’s been, let’s talk about what’s to come:

With Smartphones being people’s most readily-available source of entertainment, it only makes sense to integrate that technology into our cars, where we lack such easily accessible entertainment. You’ve probably already seen cars with Android Automotive OS and Apple CarPlay, with the next steps in smartphone integration showing up in the form of popular entertainment platforms like Prime Video and YouTube being available in an increasing amount of vehicles!

And beyond streaming, Tesla already offers a variety of games to play when you’re parked and charging, such as Chess and Solitaire, and BMW is working with AirConsole to bring gaming to its cars.

Of course safety is of the utmost concern when increasing the types of in-car entertainment that is available to the public, but there is certainly much to be gained by transforming countless hours of travel time into a personalized entertainment session!

Evolution of Car Design

We’ve come a long way from the “Patent Benz Motor Car” in 1886. Both people and car designs have evolved, leading us to a future that is prioritizing style and sustainability in our cars!

A trend you can look forward to in 2024 car design is a focus on not only efficiency, but artistic expression through style and technology. You’ll also see aerodynamic designs that reduce carbon emissions, as well as electric and hybrid cars taking center stage.

The” intelligent car” is also something you can expect to see a lot of, with the integration of virtual assistants, advanced safety systems, and varying levels of autonomy in cars being seen in more and more models, across a wider range of manufacturers.

And yes folks, the flying car is on its way. With multiple companies developing their own spin on the idea, (such as, the Alef Model A Flying Car, the ASKA A5, and the Samson Sky Switchblade). News of these vehicles that once existed only in science fiction is now being spread far and wide, with models supposedly being available as early as 2026!

Guest Contributor:

Evangeline Merritt

Friend of OMG Labs and classically trained student of ballet, hiphop and modern contemporary styles for over 10 years. Evangeline is interested in the intersection of technology and the arts and is always prepared to dance battle if crossed.

If you're interested in creating experiences like the one's you've seen in this article. Including 3D Scanning an artistic dance performance reach out to OMG Labs which can help you produce an amazing experience with our world class technologist members.

See more amazing examples of artistic expressions and dance, executed with 3D Volumetric Capture. OMG Labs can guide you step by step through the entire process from capture, stylization, creative direction, and software delivery.

AI Tech Guide - Art Edition

kunal@omglabs.pro (Kunal Patel) — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 18:09:13 GMT

That’s right, AI isn’t just for help with your homework or answering your most profound questions about the universe, it can make art too! And although the creation of AI generated art comes with a degree of controversy, the result is undeniable.

1) Midjourney:

Midjourney describes itself as “an independent research lab exploring new mediums of thought and expanding the imaginative powers of the human species.”

One can use the Midjourney bot to generate images from simple text prompts in seconds! And it’s about as easy as it sounds, as the website states: “Work directly in Discord. No specialized hardware is required.”

2) Stable Diffusion:

“This technology has tremendous potential to transform the way we communicate and we look forward to building a happier, more communicative, and creative future.”

Stable Diffusion 2.1 is the latest text-to-image model from StabilityAI.It offers additional programs like guided image synthesis, a process where one can incorporate new elements into existing images. It also supports the use of prompts to partially alter an image using both inpainting and outpainting.

3) DALL-E:

A neural network that “creates images from text captions for a wide range of concepts expressible in natural language.”

DALL-E possesses the ability to modify several of an object's attributes, as well as the number of times it appears. It also allows for control over the viewpoint of a scene and the 3D style in which a scene is rendered.

DALL-E has also commented on the nuanced complications that come with the creation of such a program, and states: “We recognize that work involving generative models has the potential for significant, broad societal impacts. In the future, we plan to analyze how models like DALL-E relate to societal issues like economic impact on certain work processes and professions, the potential for bias in the model outputs, and the longer term ethical challenges implied by this technology.”

Guest Contributor:

Evangeline Merritt

2023 Industry Lookback

kunal@omglabs.pro (Kunal Patel) — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 15:37:29 GMT

The Rise of AI & The Decent of Madness ....nah, madness remains.

At OMG Labs, we're made up of several developers and teams that utilize frontier technologies to build solutions for our partners, clients and even our own products & services. We're supposed to know and understand what's next, though that's kind of an impossible thing to be totally right on 100%. We can't predict the future on where certain technologies will settle in their best use cases or what sticks and what doesn't, but we sure as hell are neck deep in the things that should be in the running.

Lets talk about the 3 buzzword technologies that we've primarily worked on in 2023.

1) XR (Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Mixed Reality, Extended Reality, All the damn realities)

Its super cool, looks cool, feels cool, but its hard to get right. It takes a lot of work to get right for professional use cases, and for entertainment use cases we can get to usefulness or 80% pretty quickly. Lots have said this is dead, those people are uneducated and informed. Instead consider it takes a long time to make something great, and this will continue to evolve, and will become reliant on AI to help solve the challenge of having enough content. We're very strong on this medium, and we believe how we experience data, entertainment, and productivity will continue to evolve to XR interfaces.

2) AI (Artificial Intelligence)

We'll expand upon this below so we'll keep it brief. This is the next new feature that everyone will demand exists in their everyday workflows. This was the year of discovery and experimentation. We made some really funny but often times useless things this year but next year is where the real work begins.

3) Blockchain/NFTs (uggh)

Truly a valid & important technology that will continue to exist, but unfortunately if you hear the words crypto, we're with you in saying just stop listening and walk away. The bad actors such as SBF/FTX, Celsius, Voyager, and the many others that were stupid and or greedy sadly destroyed the reach & potential of this technology. When these kinds of situations happen, you'll see a technology disappear from media and public discourse. However you will find the blockchain utilized without being highlighted in the various new softwares you'll use in the years ahead. The good actors focused on functionality and value will continue to build useful and meaningful technologies such as smart contracts. If you'e wondering do I need to use blockchain or web3, it's likely for security and digital ownership focused use cases. Eventually this will be a feature like copy paste, we don't need to talk about it, we don't need to ever hear "just trust me bro", just let us know your thoughts and it could become part of a solution.

Something majorly different happened this year!

I think its safe to say this year, the technology industry and everyone in the world that relies on it, has had AI at the very top of their minds.

Everyone has been experimenting, playing, testing with it, and you are seeing legit startups as well as tiktok influencers self proclaiming their app or their knowledge will change your world. We are 100% in the gartner hype cycle .

However, unlike other times where new technologies seem to come and pass like 3D TVs, or stall like VR or AR which all required a lot of time to build good use cases, AI is different. Think along the lines of internet, e-commerce and smartphone level of impact and growth.

The velocity is insanely fast, the APIs exist already so people can build new products, as well as incorporate into existing services you're using today. Things might feel like a bit of a mess or weird how they're clunked onto software you're using today, but they are indeed genuinely saving time and we're in the "omg that's so cool" honeymoon phase today.

Typically when we get past that honeymoon phase, we usually ask "umm ok now what, the novelty has worn off and now I need to get real work done". However turns out we already are getting more work done, so we think its possible AI may actually shift into a ready to dominate phase. We'll talk more about this in our 2024 Predictions Post however looking back, here are some links to products you should be playing with. Whether you've been living under a rock or if you consider yourself a pro, the enhancements are coming on a weekly basis and I think even the best of us will have a hard time keeping up.

Below are many of the base technology providers we've been playing & testing with and incorporating into our work flow and services. Most of the software you may use like Notion or Canva with added AI powers are generally utilizing one or more of the major players below. Surely you're going to see more new products, services from our members in 2024.

1) ChatGPT from OpenAI

The most popular and well known product and player from this past year. Active & cost effective APIs mean this is the likely source of AI features you're seeing popup in any of your existing softwares and what you may want to incorporate into your projects today. Their product offerings and subscription revenue is heavily weighted on consumers so you can look at a lot of consumer based customer focused efforts from them.

2) Co-pilot from Microsoft

Co-Pilot is powered by ChatGPT, and Microsoft is a 49% owner of OpenAI. They will inextricably be intertwined for the time being, however Microsoft's flavor is enhanced by additional Microsoft Azure technologies and also gives you GPT-4 for free (for now).

3) Claude from Anthropic

The closest competitor to OpenAI+Microsoft dominance. Their founding team actually splintered off from a much younger OpenAI company due to differences in vision. They have partnerships with Amazon's AWS hardware and software stacks as an added differentiator from OpenAI and also their overall focus leans more toward enterprise/large company use cases vs OpenAI's more consumer friendly use cases.

4) Bard from Google

The 800lbs gorilla in the room everyone needs to keep their eyes on. No other company has as large of a treasure trove of user data that is being used to guide free consumer products. Consider how many people in the world use gmail, youtube, android or some Google product. Seemingly today OpenAI has a large lead on consumer usage today however by all accounts google should be in that position. Google Cloud is the 3rd largest provider behind Amazon AWS and Microsoft Azure, however look for their product to improve vastly through 2024. Especially with the release of their upcoming AI model, Gemini.

5) Grok from x.AI (a spinout from X, formerly twitter)

Currently only accessible to Premium+ customers ($168/yr or $16/mth) and by sheer necessity differs in its approach from OpenAI, Microsoft, Anthropic & Google. Unlike other AI bots that strive to be politically correct, Grok wants to provide unorthodox, humorous and unconventional answers & approaches to more users. Whether you love him or hate him, Elon Musk and his team has a strategic plan. Unique data is the most valuable aspect of any AI player, and Grok will source real time posts and data from X (the former twitter social media network). It isn't immediately understood how their sibling company partnerships with Tesla, Starlink, SpaceX will be utilized however we're sure that should funnel additional resources, infrastructure needs to Grok/X as they're seemingly tiny compared to their counterparts.

6) Coral from Cohere

Coral is a startup focused on enterprise use natural language AI use cases. Founded by ex Google engineers with investment from giants like Salesforce, Oracle and TigerGlobal and has now reached a $3B valuation. Their goal is not to be the direct to consumer interface like OpenAI or Google Bard but to enable companies to build their own amazing products with a natural language AI. Unlike other contemporaries, Cohere has both public cloud options from AWS, Azure, Google but also on premises based private cloud use cases which is useful for those needed highly secure or proprietary solutions.

7) MidJourney

Photorealistic & stylized visuals using Generative AI is the focus of Midjourney vs text and data seen with other AI technologies listed above. They take a proprietary approach over their open source competitor Stable Diffusion, which means there is a $10/mth charge and you must utilize Discord as the interface to make requests for your images which should be an easier streamlined approach than the kitchen sink approach with other opensource models.

8) Dall-E from OpenAI

Photorealistic & stylized visuals using Generative AI similar to MidJourney however accessible via Web Interfaces and is natively integrated into ChatGPT interfaces which should make it easier for the general public. The cost is included within the ChatGPT $20/subscription but also via pay as you go credits consumed as you make images requests. This service came out strong prior to even ChatGPT due to its Generative AI visuals but has fallen behind Midjourney & Stable diffusion in quality.

Like OMG! That was so fun!

kunal@omglabs.pro (Kunal Patel) — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 02:40:25 GMT

Mission: Fill Bellies, Fill Hearts,

while we try to Fill Bank Accounts!

Its a universal shared truth amongst our members that when we eat and drink and laugh together, we're happier and we're overall better.

We talk about the industry, where technologies are today and where they're going and also how our lives intertwine meaningfully with it.

We're looking back at this year in a few ways.

Social Events

If you love frontier technologies and eating and drinking and having fun, then apply for membership by scheduling your tour.

If you want to work with us, reach out and come to some of our events!

We increased celebrations with some events welcome to all and some just for us internally and select guests.

Hopefully we can have you join us for our next get together.

OMG Grand Opening, OMG BBQ, Chili Cookoff, Friendsgiving, Holiday Party!

Additionally we have members & partners running social events that let us blow off steam and have fun with friends.

302 Interactive's JoyBreak events
Innovate Orlando & Orlando Tech Community events like their TenX Socials
Black Orlando Tech Social Events

Notable Projects from 2023

Somethings we can talk about, somethings we can't or we'd have to kill you as the saying goes. Somethings are still in progress and not ready to be unveiled. Considering we're fairly non-violent and like not being sued, lets just tell you about what we can.

Though if you're interested in working with us, our members have worked on many more things they may be able to privately show you.

Wave Warrior

A VR training simulation project for the US Military and how to operate a water based vehicle. This was a collaboration of several OMG Labs teams from 302 Interactive, Theory Studios, Talon Simulations, VR Studios, Gambit Games, ASquare Games & Simulations, Codefirm and many more.

Snap City Unseen

An AR (Augmented Reality) based project that brings artistic 3D immersive experiences to various sites around central florida. Created by Snap Arts learn more at the project website.

Surviving the Conference Season Gauntlet

kunal@omglabs.pro (Kunal Patel) — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 16:19:39 GMT

3 Months, 4 industries, 5+ Events,

unlimited energy required.

Every year, many of the members from OMG Labs and the Indienomicon community attend a variety of industry tradeshows to learn new skills, gain connections to help our existing clients or companies, and of course to also find new business.

Jokingly some call it the Tradeshow helliday season because its simply a brutal period of time where we have end of year business to wrap up, active projects to handle, family time & travel all wrapped together. It's hard to balance sanity and at one point or another you will face this gauntlet if you're at OMG Labs. Please stock up on Zinc, Vitamin C tablets, mouth wash & hand sanitizer and use regularily for the next several months.

Community Jams

Many OMG Labs members & their employees will attend these events to attempt testing new technologies in a low risk environment, sharpen skills, win prize money, find new talent or rub elbows with mentors & sponsors to find new business.

Armed Forces Jam - September (Military / Defense) - Perhaps you've heard of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force branches of the US Military. Turns out they have a lot of hard problems and challenges and this this event is a 48 hour hackathon that attempts trying to tackle some of these issues.
All Hallows Jam - October (Themed Entertainment) - This event hosted by Indienomicon Foundation was launched in 2023 and produces scary & spooky games & experiences with various themes. This provides an R&D testing playground using traditional gaming tech, VR, AR and more and often serves as a way to prototype future immersive interactive experiences that may make it into theme parks such as SeaWorld, Disney, Universal, and many other themed locations across the world.

Metacenter Global Week - Mid to Late October

(Technology) - This event is a collaboration between Innovate Orlando, Synapse and Immerse Global Summit. Its a ground-breaking partnership will bring together global and regional leaders as we celebrate, discover, and engage with the bleeding edge of innovation in XR/AR/VR, AI, Gaming, Fintech, Space, Simulation, Metaverse & Blockchain, DefenseTech, HealthTech, Sustainability, Sports & Entertainment, Smart Cities and much more.

IAPPA - November the week before Thanksgiving

(Themed Entertainment) - The premier trade association representing the diverse and ever-changing attractions industry. Founded in 1918, the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions is the largest international trade association for permanently situated amusement facilities worldwide. The organization represents more than 6,000 facility, supplier, and individual members from more than 100 countries.

I/itsec - Late November to Early December

(Military/Defense) - The Interservice / industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) is the world's largest modeling, simulation and training event.

Art | Basel - Early December in Miami

(Creative Arts) - Held annually in Miami Beach, Florida, presenting nearly 300+ galleries from 29 countries. Over five days, the show attracts 81,000 visitors. If you want to expand your mind & network on the visual arts and creative industries this is the place to be. The knowledge and experiences from this event will certainly help you make your projects more visually appealing.

Thanksgiving + December Holiday Season / Family Time

On top of all of these events, members will be flying out of town or welcoming friends and family for celebrations. We don't have to explain much on how this adds to the stress (with some joy of course...). Some members have significant others, children, parents, grandparents, siblings and balancing all of this is no joke. Happy Family, Happy Life. If this aspect suffers, trust us, everything else will suffer.

*Bonus*

CES (Consumer Electronics Show) - First week of January in Las Vegas

(Consumer Tech Hardware Expo) - Held annually in Las Vegas, Nevada, is the most powerful tech event in the world — the proving ground for breakthrough technologies and global innovators. This is where brands get business done, meet new partners. This event features over 180,000 visitors from all over the world.

Themed Entertainment Industry has a new way to experiment! Thanks to All Hallows Jam

kunal@omglabs.pro (Kunal Patel) — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 17:31:26 GMT

A Spook-tacular Debut: The Inaugural All Hallows Jam in Downtown Orlando

As frontier technology developers we're always keen to find new ways to tackle problems, but who knew that fun is also problem to be tackled? Being in Orlando, we understand how large the themed entertainment industry is and the variety of experiences guests of all ages come from all around the world come here to enjoy. However we believe there is a great opportunity for more to be created with Orlando's deep game talent and the Theme Park industry working together and experimenting.

The eerily perfect date of October Friday the 13th meant that there was an opportunity to engage in something wicked cool.

WARNING: PUNS & SPOOKY WORDPLAY incoming cause if not in this post, then when?!.

The event stage was set six spellbinding categories to ensnare the imagination.

We were grateful to have judges and subject matter experts summoned straight from the Themed Entertainment industry to offer advice, insights, and suggestions from there industry experience.

Special thanks to Jason Embery & Graham Leeb of Falcon's Beyond & Rey Ortega of Grata Software for serving as our Sunday Judges.

The event had 50 participating developers from the games and simulation industry, as well as university students from Embry Riddle, UCF, and Full Sail. The crypt was buzzing, as ideas were pitched, 9 teams formed and the development commenced.

There was never a dull (or safe) moment.

Indienomicon Jams in particular are designed to create industry and individual partnerships, friendships, and new ideas. However it wouldn't be meaningful or lasting without fun, so amidst the development there were competitions to add more opportunities to connect and compete! Best Costume, Scariest Face, Loudest Scream!

In just 48 hours, teams of various sizes gathering created 9 petrifying projects, bridging the chasm between game & interactive developers and the themed entertainment underworld.

All Hallows Jam proved that when the realms of gaming, themed entertainment, and education converge, magic happens - dark, delightful, and undeniably spooky! Mark your calendars for next Halloween, because this is one jam you won't want to ghost. ��

You can check out the games created here and on the All Hallows Jam event website .
As well as event highlights in the video below.

Special Thanks to

Master of Scares & Sponsor

Matt Thompson - Team Firestorm which is developing a horror game slated for release in early 2024

Indienomicon Organizers
Kunal Patel - OMG Labs

Isabella Johnston - Employers 4 Change

Tony Bagsby - Corgi Art House

Our Social & Content Team
Steven Seidman - Photos & Video Capture Man on the Side & Sound Comics
Christa Yates - Capital Communications

Venue & Support
Carol Ann Dykes Logue of Central Florida Tech Grove & UCF

Sponsorship & Partnes
Cenfluence & High Tech Corridor
Central Florida VRAR Association
BBIF - Black Business Investment Fund

Video Highlights
Dave Vanz - The Orlando Life

Developer thoughts on the future of workout apps - Apple Vision Pro vs Meta Quest

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 00:06:52 GMT

At over 25 million headsets sold, the Meta Quest lineup of mixed reality headsets are the most popular XR devices on the planet with a starting price of $300. Next year, Apple will try to take a bite of the pie with its ultra high-end $3500 Apple Vision Pro. But even with drastically better hardware, there are certain types of software that will naturally be better on the Meta Quest platform due to Apple’s present choice to go with hand and eye tracking only.

Apple’s choice of hand tracking only limits the types of workouts that can be done in a way that can seem baffling to a consumer considering the price difference between it and Meta’s offerings. However, with careful consideration, there are plenty of gameplay opportunities that await developers on this new hardware.

Starting with boxing will likely be the best choice. Hand tracking is a natural fit as your hands will stay within your cone of vision, and it’s always fun to punch targets and bob and weave around obstacles to some great musical jams.

Image Credit: @JohnnySays

To wrap things up, the Apple Vision Pro is a cool device, and like early smartphone and Nintendo Wii developers found out, you usually can’t make straight ports of your applications without rethinking how major systems work on the new hardware to take into account its strengths and limitations. Happy dev’ing everyone!

How are AR and VR simulations being used in choreography and dance training?

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 22:43:34 GMT

Have you ever wanted to not only watch a ballet but be completely immersed in one? Or learn from the greatest ballet masters in the world from the comfort of your own home? These seemingly impossible notions are very much possible with AR and VR technology!

The first time augmented reality took the stage was in 1994 when Australian theater director, Julie Martin, created “Dancing In Cyberspace”. The piece featured both dancers and acrobats who interacted with human-sized virtual objects that were being projected in real time into the same performance plane as the entertainers.

A more recent example, involving a name you’re almost sure to know, would be Madonna’s 2019 Billboard award performance where she interacted with four augmented versions of herself, each one depicting a different persona: A spy, an accordian player, a cha cha instructor, and a bride. With both motion capture and AR technology being far more advanced than it was in the 90s, the augmented Madonnas were dancing on tables and interacting with the individuals around them.

In just 25 years, the difference in the prominence of the AR elements in these two pieces is stark. Imagine where we’ll be in 25 years from today! The scale of these AR and VR performances are only growing! In Madrid, more than 4,000 people over the course of three weeks went to experience “ Le Bal de Paris ” the newest virtual reality experience from Blanca Li Dance Company. This experience, created by Spanish choreographer and film director Blanca Li, invites 10 participants at a time to experience firsthand a romantic adventure through an augmented Paris, involving grand ballrooms, river journeys, and a dance sequence incorporating three of Li’s trained dancers. Blanca expressed her struggles during the creation process including having to choreograph around the VR backpack and headset equipment. But it was all worth it in the end as Blanca stated about the experience: “You are just like a spirit; you put the glasses on, you are in a beautiful place but you don’t exist.”

The benefits of AR and VR technology in dance don’t stop at innovative performances, it also has the potential to revolutionize dance training. A dance education from our world’s greatest teachers could become exponentially more accessible.

Schools that trai n ballet at a pre-professional level are few and far between but what if you didn’t even have to leave your house in order to get world class training!

Goh Ballet Academy Canada collaborated with Nextech AR to create an interactive hologram based training program that brings masterful instruction by Chan Han Goh, director of Goh Ballet, to anyone with a smartphone.

The step s are easy: Simply scan a QR code, download the AiR Show mobile app, and the app will scan your environment to place an augmented ballet mentor in your space. In Goh’s words: “As human beings in an ever-evolving world there is a need to find innovative ways to connect, inspire, and create shareable moments.” And now, these shareable moments are only a QR code away!

Yet another facet of the dance world that can improve with the help of AR and VR technology is Labanotation. Labanotation is the process by which a dance piece is recorded and preserved. Similar to how a score represents music in a written form, Labanotation consists of symbols that represent different body parts. The Dance Department at Ohio State has implemented AR and VR technology to create the augmented reality software, LabaLens. This technology, paired with a Microsoft HoloLens AR headset, uses a drag and drop method to document one’s movements as they’re performing them. Hannah Kosstrin, assistant professor of dance, says: “It’s completely kinesthetic.” This new approach to a century old practice shows how tradition and technology can not only coexist, but aid each other in furthering development in the dance world.

All in all, the ways that augmented reality and virt ual reality technologies can advance both performance experience and training quality in dance are endless! Keep your eye out for hologram ballet teachers and virtual ballrooms, for these are the future of the art form. And we can only imagine what will come next!

Guest Contributor:

Evangeline Merritt

How the military uses XR to improve staff training

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 16:31:27 GMT

According to the U.S. News & World Report, more than 600,000 US soldiers have died since WWI, and more than 400,000 have died since WWII. Improved training would serve as one of the key controllable factors that can reduce casualties.

“By providing soldiers with a more immersive and realistic training environment and allowing them to practice complex tasks before they're deployed on actual missions, these technologies could save lives and make us safer.”

- Tom Constable

Former British Army officer turned technology entrepreneur & guest contributor on BBC Click on matters related to innovation within the defense industry.

Defense forces globally are actively seeking new ways to modernize training, accelerate implementation and improve staff preparedness with immersive 3D & frontier technologies like Augmented (AR), Virtual (VR), and Mixed reality (MR), and artificial intelligence (AI).

AR, VR, MR, & AI have moved beyond technology & military jargon in our rapid high growth world. The use of these technologies are now rapidly being implemented in high-growth industries like healthcare, education, manufacturing, and construction sectors. So it makes sense that this would also find its way into the military. Enhancing how soldiers are being prepared for disaster and war and facing the rising challenge of competing against enemy forces.

All military branches have been exploring the potential applications of XR technologies in various degrees. How will the game experience increase their likelihood of survival in combat? Let’s identify ways this can increase survival using examples of these cutting edge technologies.

Virtual Reality (VR) , is a form of technology that most people are familiar with. The user will wear headgear or other attachments, and they are able to interact with a highly realistic 3D environment. However everything presented is computer-generated graphics, which means nothing is real or physically dangerous.

“ I knew a little about gaming, but I knew that VR is the way of the future .” - Kyle Shireman, Huntsville Center safety manager

Kyle dedicated his effort on making virtual reality games specifically for military training purposes. This R&D hard work paid off as The United States Army announced on their website—The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Safety Trainer 360 brings VR simulation training to the United States Army and the safety trainer would be created by The Army Game Studio and Huntsville Center Safety Office. Trainees could interact and take action in an 3D worksite environment by equipping a headset and controller, with no chance of physical danger. The designers purposefully chose to create highly realistic environments with large cranes and minute details such as safety labels. The game has become a required safety training course. The studio also pointed out that they will continue working on more VR games projects after seeing its beneficial outcomes.

Augmented Reality (AR) presents digital overlays & content in a physical environment. Within the United States Air Force , airmen are responsible for launching aircraft, and professional training is needed before deployment. AR technology allows users to interact with virtual objects in real life by using head mounted displays (HMDs) similar in appearance to VR headsets, but with pass through displays presenting a game like experience.

“ It’s a way to build the readiness and experience level by leveraging advanced technologies, ” - Chief Master Sgt. John Jordan.

The video ‘ Air Force using augmented reality to train fighter pilots ’ provides us an insight of how fighter pilots are trained. The reporter had the opportunity to experience firsthand what it's like to be a pilot, through AR simulation. As shown in the video, the reporter gears up as a pilot, with AR goggles, then steps on an actual fighter jet in order to replicate the reality. The AR technology makes the surrounding environment spinning as the controller is being moved, and creates a virtual enemy fighter jet as an obstacle. Airmen will frequently deal with high pressure, high risk situations and AR will be one of the most efficient methods for training. Other military branches, such as the United States Coast Guard , announced they too will utilize AR for CG mission support as well.

Mixed Reality (MR) is the combination of real life and computer-generated environments. Examples of these headsets are the Microsoft Hololens, Magic Leap, HTC Vive, Apple Vision Pro and lesser known but higher fidelity specialized headsets such as the Varjo X-3.

How does this technology stack up against the others and how is it different?

The United States Space Force is a relatively new branch compared to others, but the technology they adopt is highly advanced. Guardians—space force personnel, will always be facing complex tasks that demand an extensive amount of knowledge. In the video ‘SOLAR – A mixed reality application suite for space situational awareness ’, SOLAR is a fantastic MR tool developed by Charles River Analytics. It educates all people from diverse groups such as students, teachers, scientists, and more. Where the user will visualize and interact with the space domain, teaches them orbital mechanics through different scenarios. In the article ‘ U.S. Space Force training service members with XR suite from Charles River Analytics’ mentioned U.S. Space Force will use SOLAR for Guardian Education.

Through virtual, augmented, and mixed reality simulated scenarios, soldiers are better professionally situated in solving tasks testing decision-making skills with efficiency in a way that is both cost-effective and safe. To saves the lives of our brave heroes who defend our country XR will be the most powerful tool that ultimately improves the readiness and effectiveness of the armed forces.

Guest Contributor

Ashley Zhu

Friend of OMG Labs and eagerly awaiting to enlist into the United States Armed Forces. Ashley has long held a passion for the military for their ability to tranform the lives of young people with knowledge, disicipline and real life experience with frontier technologies.

Looking for extra fire power in creating a defense industry simulation?

Reach out to OMG Labs to engineer your solution! We have the experienced members to build from start to finish or serve as a sub to your project ensuring you're the hero. We're at ease whether its a mix of off the shelf HMD hardware like a Microsoft Hololens 2, Magic Leap 2, Meta Quest Pro, High end Varjo or something proprietary requiring secret clearance.

We have the experience to get you mission accomplished!

Get ready to say OMG!

kunal@omglabs.pro (Kunal Patel) — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 06:44:22 GMT

OMG Labs is where the most innovative dreams are made into reality.

Hi everyone!

I'm thrilled to share the news of our recent upgrade to OMG Labs.

We've undergone a remarkable transformation, shifting from our previous incarnation as The Orlando Game Space to a brand-new identity that better aligns with our grand vision for the future.

You might be wondering, "Why the change? That's a lot of work. I liked what you had going on before too?! This may be true but it was a long winding story on how the Orlando Game Space was built that laid the foundation for what's to come for OMG Labs, but that's a story for another time.

Here's 3 reasons for why we felt this upgrade was necessary.

1) Convergence of Frontier Technologies.

What we were working on at Orlando Game Space over time was much more than the realm of entertainment video games played at home on PC, console, tablet or on your phone. We realized we had the knowledge to create cohesive engaging experiences that could transcend industries. Software is hard, but games are software plus the added challenges of 3D, music, narrative, and even more personality types. Our talents honed over years could open up new possibilities for art, space, manufacturing, live events, sports, healthcare, defense and all the other major industries that never quite noticed game developers like us until all of a sudden when the right collaborators appeared it became apparent they needed the what we we already had.

As OMG Labs we could better embrace this broader sco pe and bring to the forefront the 3D spatial and gaming technologies our members were already bringing to major industries. Our goal is to collaborate with these diverse industries, hand in hand, to unleash the full potential of 3D video game technology and create captivating experiences.

2) Growth of our members.

Yes we have Programmers, 2D Illustrators, 3D Artists, Sound Designers, and Developers working on Spatial Computing, AR, VR, AI and even more buzz word acronyms. However they were no longer just individual developers with a dream, they became vibrant companies with teams building life-altering work. This led to growing pains, and the challenges we all face in growth wasn't happening alone.

We're not just a place you come to work, but a place you come to make your business work.

We felt we were very much like a laboratory where experiments and effort could inform a better way to work and drive a company toward its best outcome. We're going to expand upon this aspect with a new Impact Program where OMG Labs members will be connected with teams of mentors to help in their growth.

We believe that the future many of us have dreamed up will be made possible by the frontier technologies that are in their relative infancy today. The kind we experiment with, but understand that the only thing that matters is when we are truly solving real problems with a robust solution. Our plan is to take our experience to methodically turn ideas into reality and continue building bridges to non traditional industries. We are encouraging collaboration and pushing the boundaries of what's possible.

Look for more posts from us going in depth on the interesting work our members are doing and our viewpoints on various seismic shifts happening within the 3D & tech industry

3) Community is at the heart of our endeavors.

We understand the importance of fostering a supportive and inclusive ecosystem where people can have fun so their ideas can flourish. The journey is greater than the destination and this is a lesson that isn't always understood. Our community survived the pandemic and stuck together because beyond the work we do, we're friends, we cared for the well being of our colleagues. That's why OMG Labs will be more than just a physical space; it's a vibrant hub where creators, innovators, and enthusiasts can come together to share their passions and collaborate on groundbreaking projects and have fun while doing it. Regular life is pretty bland so if we're going to do something, it had better be fun, over the top, and leave you with a memory worth sharing. Stay tuned to our events page and sign up for our newsletter to find out when we're doing our next public event.

So, ask yourself, which of these are you?

1) developer and looking to find the right community to launch your venture

2) a business or industry professional looking to hire a team to build something amazing

3) Someone who's curious about the future and wants to stay in touch

We want to connect with you and we want to get you yelling "OMG" that was amazing!

Why Accessibility Matters In The Video Game Industry

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 18:35:55 GMT

Accessibility is a huge subject of debate in the technology world. It allows people with some kind of disability to not only enjoy video games, movies, hobbies, communication with business colleagues, family and friends but also to in general feel included and have a sense of belonging in a world that’s not always fair to them.

We all know someone that has a disability who just wants to enjoy a video game and they can’t, and this is something that could happen to every one of us without prior warning. With the immersive aspects of video games now being used to enhance human interactions within every major industry and business function, It’s important to understand what can be done to make video games be more accessible to everyone.

According to DataProt more than 214 million Americans play video games,

and 46 million of them have some kind of disability .

This means that 1 out of 5 gamers have to deal with some kind of disability that may cause them to stop playing some video games they would like to play and enjoy like anyone else. Taking this into account, over the past decade video game developers and foundations have been pushing and adding different options, customizations or even entire controllers and devices to help them enjoy video games like the rest of us.

Big console manufacturers like Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo have different accessibility options on their operating systems to allow players to change some settings like customizable button mapping, different controllers support, magnifier for zoom on the screen for text, high contrast options, color filters etc. The fact that these big companies push accessibility at a base system level helps smaller companies and studios take advantage of this when they start developing games for their systems.

A very good example of what can be accomplished with these features is The Last of Us 2 from Naughty Dog for the PlayStation 4. This game has options that let you customize almost everything including different visual options like high contrast, enhanced listening, audio cues for traversal and combat, awareness indicators, vibration cues for combat and a lot more. For a complete list of all the options you can visit the Last of Us 2 website and learn more about them.

Xbox has also pushed accessibility in the industry, creating the first official adaptive controller to meet the needs of gamers with limited mobility around the world. This controller for the Xbox and PC was created by Microsoft and different foundations and charities like The Able Gamers Charity that helped design and add functionalities for it. You can even customize the controller and add accessories for a tailored experience for that specific person.

Console makers and developers are not the only ones that help the disabled community enjoy games. Some websites offer some insight on the importance of accessibility for gamers. Isabelle Meyer, writer for Nintendo Life , lists some of the accessibility options and features video games should today to help handicapped gamers. Some of these features include being able to change the game difficulty at any point, alternative color display options and filters, or button remapping and more controller options.

Sam Amara also writes in Blog Amara about accessibility in video games and specifically about how something as simple as subtitles is extremely needed and useful for the hearing-impaired and how many studios don’t take them into account during gameplay. Some use a very small font size, font color etc. so studios and publishers need to think from a UI/UX perspective when creating them. Unfortunately, not all of them are willing to take the time or resources to do them correctly, so it’s important to call them out when this happens.

There are many foundations and charities that not only help disabled gamers, but also help developers create more accessible video games and accessories for them. Some of them are: The Able Gamers Charity , The Cerebral Palsy Foundation , !Special Effect , or Warfighter Engaged .

We can always help improve the lives of those less fortunate than us and these foundations and charities need our help to keep growing and giving awareness to the whole community. I invite everyone to explore their websites and see if you can help in any way possible.

Accessibility is something everyone must consider and video games can help people connect, make friends, and feel included in a community that has millions of players around the world. It’s the responsibility of the more fortunate people to help the less fortunate, so if you want to learn more about how you can make games more accessible to gamers with many different disabilities, check out this article by GameIndustry.biz to learn more.

This article is brought to you by Employers 4 Change

Improving, skills based diversity recruitment and management for interns and employees alike. Be sure to play our game, Intern Pursuit Game on Steam , and listen to our podcast The Intern Whisperer on PodBean or your podcast platform of choice.