Valve researching “wearable computing”

“By “wearable computing” I mean mobile computing where both computer-generated graphics and the real world are seamlessly overlaid in your view; there is no separate display that you hold in your hands (think Terminator vision).”

If that excerpt from Valve managing director Michael Abrash’s blog on AR-vision and working at Valve doesn’t have your wallet out and open right now, you need to reorganize your priorities. Now.

[pullquote_right]Consequently, Valve has no formal management or hierarchy at all.[/pullquote_right]

In his post, Abrash explains that he’s part of a team looking to do more research into what he and Valve see as a very promising field with what essentially sound like AR glasses. Coming on the heels of announcements like Google’s Project Glass, this definitely brings an exciting element of promise to the concept now that big names are putting some serious thought into it.

Abrash stresses that this is all just research, pleading that there be “no rumors about Steam glasses being announced at E3,” but he believes that the odds of seeing technology like his in 3-5 years are entirely possible.

He goes on to elaborate on what working at Valve is like, and if he’s to be believed, I am definitely not preparing my resume as I write this.

“So Valve was designed as a company that would attract the sort of people capable of taking the initial creative step, leave them free to do creative work, and make them want to stay. Consequently, Valve has no formal management or hierarchy at all.”

Abrash points to how trust is critical in all of Valve’s inner dealings, with the entire source code being available for use to any employees who wish to make modification. Valve encourages its employees to allocate their skills in the way they feel will offer the highest value, creating a vaguely anarchism-based environment as projects are vetted by fellow employees and pursued freely.

Now, if that all reads like a schill for working with Valve, you’re in luck! Abrash encourages readers to send him an email if they’re interested in his project, and to look at other job offerings with Valve. But you really shouldn’t, because we all know that Valve needs more videogame blog-writers and less people with actual talent. Yes.