Microsoft asserts to be on the cutting edge of the metaverse, or virtual reality innovations. But it seems one of the company’s executives took things a little too far.
Alex Kipman, the company’s former virtual reality chief officer, has resigned.
Why?
He was caught enjoying virtual reality porn.
Kipman was leading a project known as HoloLens, which is Microsoft’s version of an Oculus. Kipman was forced to resign after accussations surfaced that he watched virtual reality porn in the presence of other employees.
That’s some deep voyeur stuff right there.
Kipman has been with Microsoft since 2001. As it stands, Kipman will help his replacement(s) replace him during a transitory period.
For HoloLens, Kipman’s exit timing is as bad as it gets. HoloLens is an augmented reality head device that overlays information atop the actual world. It’s cutting edge stuff and a gateway into the metaverse. The HoloLens has huge aspirations in corporate America where it aims to help solve real product dilemmas.
Most of the major networks are calling Kipman’s resignation
a result of “misconduct towards female employees.” But SeekingAlpha, an investing trade magazine, says the misconduct involved the viewing of virtual reality porn in front of workers. They claim up to 25 employees filed grievances against Kipman’s behavior.
According to the SeekingAlpha report, Kipman strapped on VR goggles and turned on VR porn while others were watching.
The allegations are deeply, well, strange. Once a person puts on a headset, I’m not sure how anyone understands what they are viewing. Unless of course, the viewer details their experiences. In Kipman’s case, those experiences may have been lewd given the journey.
With metaverse ambitions high among all big tech companies, Kipman’s exit could potentially slow down Microsofts initiatives. Facebook and Apple are among a handful of large-scale competitors hopeful to dominate the metaverse in years and decades to come. Losing a key virtual reality executive is certain to create obstacles for Microsoft.