Member Spotlight: Nathan Tran

Welcome to Vancouver Tech Journal’s Member Spotlight, a place where we can learn more about our community members, share their unique stories and specialities, what they can offer other members, and the kind of connections they’re looking for.

Today, we’re excited to introduce you to Nathan Tran, a senior software engineer who’s focused on building a game inspired by his Vietnamese roots and, more recently, an augmented reality startup. 

Tran shares his story of how one rejection after another pushed him to discover what he’s most passionate about, who he’s looking to connect with next in the community, and what kind of mentorship he can offer anyone looking to break into the game industry.

What’s your story?

Since I was 12, I knew that I wanted to be part of the video game industry. I studied computer science at the University of Waterloo in pursuit of that goal. 

Waterloo has a ‘Cali-or-Bust’ culture that pushed me into thinking that if I wasn’t working for the ‘Big Four’ in San Francisco, then I was a failure. Eventually, I lost sight of my game development goal. If you’re not doing something you love, you likely won't be good at it. 

After being constantly rejected by big tech and then by a girl, and with Trump winning the 2016 election, I kind of broke and had a moment of inspiration for an anti-war video game and started to pour my soul into it. Honestly, it was exactly what I needed in my life. I look back and think this was the moment I overcame depression I wasn’t aware I was suffering from. 

To start building the game, I convinced the university’s graduate-student-only games research institute to give me a desk to work at for a month. 

There, I made a prototype for a psychological horror game with the veneer of a military first-person shooter: War Fantasy. It’s a very dark game that aims to shine a light on the way the game industry glorifies violence and how the military industrial complex is incorporating video games into recruitment, training, and now, even combat. 

My family are refugees from the Vietnam War, so this subject is very personal to me. The game pulls from that part of my soul.

Electronic Arts played the prototype and gave me my first internship in the industry. Shortly after, Activision Blizzard played it and flew me out to Vancouver to work on, ironically, Call of Duty.

Tell us what you do now and what you’re working on.

I make virtual worlds out of math. C++ and the Unreal Engine are my bread and butter.

These days, I split my time between working for AAA game studios, working on my game, and laying the groundwork for an augmented reality startup.

During COVID, I had my first opportunity to try a HoloLens 2 augmented reality headset and it absolutely sold me on the technology. Now, I’m excited to bring AR software to market. I think the tech is going to change the world more than the iPhone. I spend a lot of my time experimenting with it, trying to invent something novel and helpful. I’m being a little coy about what I’m working on because it’s still early, but it’s in the note-taking and productivity space. 

Very recently, I used my second of two permitted applications to the Canada Media Fund to get funding for War Fantasy, however, we scored 78.5/100, which was 0.5 points too low to get the funding, and now we’re disqualified. I’m a little heartbroken, but I’m not going to give up.

I want to make games that people still talk about in 100 years. I believe that games are the frontline of innovation in art and that they empower us to tell stories that inspire empathy in ways art never has before. 

How long have you been a part of the Vancouver tech ecosystem?

It was early 2019 when Activision flew me out here. I was pretty heads down and focused on work. Then, COVID hit. As many of your members know, COVID obliterated the ecosystem. 

I think I attended the first post-COVID VTJ talk in 2022 and knew immediately that I was sorely needing a community like this. I’ve been going to meet-ups ever since.

What do you need?

Money and time, haha. More seriously, I’m looking for guidance and mentorship in entrepreneurialism. 

As I studied programming formally, I’m learning the business side right now. If anyone has experience working with video game publishers, I’d love to learn from your successes and failures.

I’m also looking for the right co-founders who want to work on augmented reality endeavours. I’ve met a few people through VTJ events who might fit the bill.

Anyone in Vancouver’s augmented reality space, please feel free to reach out if you want to talk AR, MR, or XR.

What can you help others with?

I can offer younger folks guidance on how to break into the games industry and what to know to protect themselves from crunch. I have a pretty strong games industry network, so I can help people meet the people they need for their projects.

I’m also an augmented reality evangelist, so if anyone's looking to learn more about the field, I can definitely give them a crash course.

Why are you a VTJ member?

As the saying goes, “You are the people and the environment you surround yourself with.”

I’ve met so many smart and driven people in this scene who have offered me support and shown me what I need to learn. I hope one day I can pay it forward.

Who’s your dream #VTJLive speaker?

Vancouver has a storied history of game development and one of the world's most active augmented reality scenes. I’d love to see more representation from these fields.

How can people connect with you?

People can reach me through LinkedIn, Instagram, or my blog.

Join Nathan and become a VTJ Member today