XR Connections: Women in XR & Game Dev Night
A collaborative event by WiSE JP, XR Tokyo, TGB & Le Wagon
We are thrilled to host an exciting event dedicated to XR (Augmented reality, Virtual reality, Mixed reality) technologies and Game development in collaboration with the XR Tokyo and TGB community at Le Wagon Tokyo!
WiSE JP is focused on empowering diverse women in Japan to succeed in technology careers.
At this event, women working in XR and Video Games will share their experiences and insights from the industry, from ideas to tools that inspire you about the future of immersive development through talks and hands-on projects.
The event will also feature a hands-on demo area where developers and indie studios will showcase XR applications and video games that attendees will get the chance to try.
You can expect a combination of technical expertise, creative inspiration, and great opportunities to connect with professionals in the XR and video games industry, as well as software engineers from other fields who are interested in transitioning into these areas or curious about exploring these technologies, all while enjoying snacks and drinks in a relaxed networking environment.
While our organization focuses on women, all genders and allies that support our mission are welcome at our events.
AGENDA
19:00 - Doors open and Check-in time
Enjoy drinks and light snacks, networking
Community intros
19:20 - WiSE JP intro
19:25 - XR Tokyo intro
19:30 - Tokyo Game Bridge (TGB) intro
19:35 - Le Wagon intro
Lighting Talks
19:40 - Designing XR with AI: From Concept to Creation
Sarah Tan. Senior Product Designer
AI is making it easier than ever to build XR experiences, but how do we ensure they are meaningful and human-centered? In this talk, Sarah shares practical workflows for using AI to rapidly prototype and bring XR ideas to life. She will also cover key principles for designing XR experiences and approaches to innovating as technology evolves quickly.
Attendees will leave with actionable ways to turn concepts into real XR experiences using AI, along with fresh perspectives on working with emerging technologies.
Sarah Tan is an award-winning Product and UX Designer specializing in AR, VR, and AI. She has designed experiences for companies including Google, Meta, Adobe, and Atlassian. She is passionate about emerging technology innovation and building great user experiences around it.
19:55 - Q&A
20:00 - How diversity in VR avatar customization helps immersion and a better experience for everyone
Jennifer Mori. VR Game Artist
Working as a VR game artist has given me a front row seat to one of the most common blind spots in character design. When a team's reference points are all drawn from the same demographic, "default" design choices tend to reflect that without anyone noticing.
In flat games, you watch yourself play as a character. In VR, you become that character. When a customization system is supposed to let you build an avatar that looks like you, that gap between player and avatar works directly against immersion, which is the whole point of the medium.
I'd like to talk about my experience navigating what better representation actually looks like in a character customization pipeline, the gaps that are easy to miss, and what it takes to advocate for closing them. A single skin tone slider that simply darkens the skin, or one "curly hair" option, isn't enough. A lot of my work involves making the case that these aren't nice-to-have features but core requirements.
The goal is to show that when players can't see themselves in their avatar, VR fails at its most fundamental promise, and what it actually takes to fix that.Jennifer Mori is a game artist based in Tokyo with over a decade of experience in the Japanese game industry. For the last eight years, her work has centered on VR games, with a focus on craft, visual storytelling, and inclusivity.
She is also the co-founder of Ekubo Labo, a Tokyo-based indie game studio, and participates in projects across a range of platforms and genres.
20:10 - Q&A
20:15 - From SWE to Indie Game Studio: Starting a Company in Japan
Jess Yu. Game Developer
What does it actually take to go from a stable software engineering job to running your own indie game studio in Japan?
In this lightning talk, I'll share my own personal experience creating my first game and transforming that into a business in Japan. I made the decision to quit my job, lived on beans and rice while building Usagi Shima, and eventually took a leap of faith to relocate to Japan under the Startup Visa. I'll also talk about navigating the very real obstacles of forming a company as a foreign founder.
Jess Yu is an indie game developer and creator of the game Usagi Shima (うさぎしま), a relaxing bunny collecting game that has been warmly received by players and earned a 1+ million downloads worldwide since its mobile launch in 2023. Originally a software engineer, Jess left the traditional tech industry path to pursue her childhood dream of making games, building Usagi Shima as a side project before taking the leap to develop it full-time. Today, she runs studio rabbiko, a tiny Tokyo-based indie game studio where she continues to develop games with her husband.
20: 25 - Q&A
Hands-on, demos and networking
20:30 - Enjoy networking time, drinks, hands-on experiences with XR devices, and the chance to play video games created by indie studios and independent developers.
🔎Tiny Lands VR - Hyper Three studio
Presented by Patricia Cortez and Maria Tenorio
They collaborated with Hyper Three Studio to create a VR proof-of-concept, bringing the cozy and relaxing handcrafted miniature worlds of Tiny Lands into Virtual Reality ᯅ which is now under production.
Tiny Lands VR is a spot-the-difference game where you immerse yourself in beautiful and relaxing environments from thematic worlds. The player needs to find 5 differences to obtain stars and unlock new worlds. There are no timers or wrong answers; the game is designed for short sessions and to unwind from the daily stress of life. The game comes from the successful franchise of Tiny Lands, which has sold more than 250,000 copies.
Attendees will have the exclusive first look at the playable public demo on the Meta Quest!
🐝Busy Buds
Presented by Amanda Parks
A mixed reality app that helps you get things done!
Created for the 2024 Meta Quest Presence Platform Hackathon, Busy Buds is a mixed reality productivity app that transforms household chores and everyday tasks into a playful experience. Developed by an all-female Australian team, the project was awarded 3rd place globally in the Utility & Design Experiences category.
Unlike traditional to-do apps, Busy Buds brings tasks into the physical world. Users place virtual flower buds onto real-world chores, helping them focus on what can realistically be achieved within a set amount of time. Along the way, they are joined by Bee, a friendly virtual companion who helps flowers bloom 🌼 as tasks are completed.
The experience combines mixed reality interaction with specially designed audio, including energising music, focus-enhancing binaural beats, and relaxing ambient tracks, creating a supportive environment for getting things done.
Attendees will have the opportunity to try Busy Buds on Meta Quest 3 and experience a creative approach to productivity through mixed reality.
🐰Usagi Shima『うさぎしま』- studio rabbiko
Presented by Jess Yu
Usagi Shima『うさぎしま』is a relaxing, idle bunny collecting game developed by solo developer pank0 (aka Jess Yu).
You’ve been tasked as caretaker of an abandoned island — as you decorate it over time, curious (but adorable!) bunny visitors start to appear! Buy toys, plants, and build structures on an abandoned island to entice curious bun tourists to pay your island a visit. Discover, take photos, and make friends with a variety of bunnies that visit based on how you’ve decorated and arranged the island.
The game’s namesake and setting draw inspiration from Ōkunoshima (大久野島), a real island in Japan that has a lot of bunny inhabitants!
👓 STYLY WebAR
Presented by Eishi Saito, CEO of palan and member of the STYLY, Inc. team.
Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a guided experience, where they can try AR glasses and one of the latest VR headsets while exploring a variety of WebXR experiences created using the STYLY WebAR platform.
21:30 - Closing
📍Access to venue
2 Chome-11-3 Meguro, Meguro City, Tokyo 153-0063
Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Lg7yKixjE9o9qELh6
After 19:00 the main entrance is closed, we will use a side Le Wagon door that can be only open from inside. Please gently knock on the door when you arrive.
✨ SPONSOR ✨
Many thanks to Le Wagon Tokyo for their generosity providing snacks, drinks, and the venue for the event 🙌
Accessibility
We will do our best to ensure barrier free entry and exit to the facility. This facility has a special exit procedure involving a staircase, and so we ask participants to let us know 24 hours in advance if they will need to use an alternative barrier free exit.
Late Entry (30+ minutes after doors open)
We'll monitor this meetup event, but can’t always follow messages in real time. The best way to reach us is by sending a message in WiSE Japan Slack in the #general channel.
Join the WiSE JP community!
Visit https://womeninsoftware.jp to join our Slack community and become a member.
Code of Conduct
To create an inclusive, welcoming space for learning, we ask all participants to follow our Code of Conduct.