SATURDAY, JUNE 17, 2017 | WWW.PGCITIZEN.CA All career ads listed here also appear on our website at www.pgcitizen.ca Worklife 15 BLOOMBERG PHOTO BY TROY HARVEY An attendee wears a virtual reality headset while playing Bethesda Softworks' The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim video game during the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Stalled Why is virtual reality taking so long to take off? Hayley TSUKAYAMA The Washington Post LOS ANGELES — At the Electronic Entertainment Expo, all seemed right for virtual reality. Players were waiting in snaking lines - some for up to seven hours - for a chance to step into fantasy worlds. Crowds watched as players wearing VR headsets over their eyes reached out to pick up objects or shoot enemies that only they could see. More than 125 VR exhibitors were at E3 this year, up 130 per cent from last year. Yet adoption of VR among consumers hasn’t really taken off in the three years since it captured buzz in the wider world. An estimated 6.3 million headsets have sold worldwide - indicating that, even among the world’s 2.6 billion gamers, few have picked one up. Experts point to several reasons behind the slow adoption - the technology can cause motion sickness and it is costly. It’s also been hard getting people to try it, developers said. And showing virtual reality experiences on flat screens doesn’t give people a good enough taste of how different the experience really is. “How do you advertise a colour TV on black-and-white televisions? It requires people walking down to main street and seeing it for themselves,” said Steve Bowler, president and co-founder at VR game developer CloudGate Studio. What virtual reality needs, experts say, is a killer app. And firms are pushing to find it, building up their own platforms and funding developers to bring games to their own headsets exclusively. But this kind of fragmentation has resulted in a confusing market and fewer games for players, thus giving them fewer reasons to spend their dollars on this young trend. Mike Fischer, chairman and cofounder of VR game developer Cloud-Gate Studio, told a panel last year that platform fragmentation “keeps me up □ How do you advertise a colour TV on black-and-white televisions? It requires people walking down to main street and seeing it for themselves. at night” after so many new companies jumped into the VR market - although he says that things have improved a little since then. Devoting extra resources to creating games for different devices can be particularly difficult for smaller studios, whose creativity drives much of the virtual reality market. In fact some developers, such as Jeff Pobst from Hidden Path Entertainment, say they rely on funding from platforms such as Oculus to get their games made at all. These exclusive deals between developers and VR companies make it hard for consumers to know which expensive headset will get the game that they want to play - leading them to put off their decision, analysts said. A monopoly, while simple for consumers, wouldn’t be perfect either, experts said. Competition is important, and different headsets’ characteristics inspire different types of games. HTC’s technology is designed for larger, room-sized experiences that often require gamers to stand. Sony’s experiences are largely seated. Oculus provides a mix of the two. Even big players in the virtual reality market acknowledge that locking any game to a single device could be problematic. “We actually think that content in the VR space makes a lot of space for developers and publishers to look at the market from a platform agnostic standpoint,” said Joel Breton, vice president of Global VR Content for HTC. While HTC helps developers create games for its own platform, Breton said it doesn’t hold them to any sort of exclusivity deal. More companies are also beginning to — Steve Bowler work on cross-platform solutions. Developer tools such as Unity and Unreal are streamlining the process for developers who want to port their games between headsets. Ubisoft, one of the world’s largest game publishers, has committed to releasing virtual reality games that work the major three high-end headsets, allowing people who own different headsets to play with each other. Sony spokeswoman Jennifer Hal-lett said the PlayStation VR has several titles that also work on other platforms, including Ubisoft’s Star Trek: Bridge Crew and Eve: Valkyrie - which started as an Oculus-exclusive title. The VR companies are also trying to do more to work together. Jason Rubin, vice president of content at Oculus, said in an email that he doesn’t think that there is harmful fragmentation in the market for consumers or developers. But his firm tries to work with competitors to push the whole industry forward, he added. But other major publishers seem to be waiting to see how the market plays out before revealing their plans for virtual reality. “We believe VR will be a major opportunity, but widespread adoption will take time,” said Electronic Arts in an emailed statement. For consumers eager to try virtual reality, however, that may mean waiting at least another development cycle to let the market fill out. “The more content out there across different platforms and price points, the more likely consumers are to try VR, and the more likely they are to become true believers in the medium,” Rubin said. Group sets recommendations on oilsands emissions cap Drabinsky banned from leadership positions Alexandra POSADZKI The Canadian Press TORONTO — Ontario’s securities watchdog has permanently banned Garth Drabinsky from becoming a director or officer of any company, bringing to a close a 16-year-old case against the former theatre impressario. Drabinsky, who defrauded investors of an estimated $500 million, is also prohibited from acting as or becoming a registrant in the province, the Ontario Securities Commission said Friday. The OSC case against Drabinsky was first launched in 2001, but was put on hold until the conclusion of his criminal case for his role in the Livent Entertainment scandal. Drabinsky was found guilty of two counts of fraud and sentenced to a five-year prison term in 2009 for manipulating company financial statements and orchestrating a kickback scheme. He appealed the convictions all the way up to the Supreme Court, which dismissed the application. Two other executives, Gordon Eckstein and Myron Gottlieb, were also found guilty of fraud in the Livent scandal and later banned from serving as a director or officer of a public company under settlements reached with the OSC. Drabinsky is also prohibited from buying or trading securities but with several exceptions, including if the trading takes place in an RRSP or through a registered dealer in accounts opened in his name only. In its decision released Friday, the OSC said it imposed only limited trading bans because it does not feel prohibiting Drabinsky from making personal investments is necessary to protect the public. Drabinsky’s lawyer, Richard Shekter, had said his client had offered to settle the case but was turned down because the OSC didn’t agree that he should be permitted to set up an RRSP or a family company that he can use to minimize personal taxes and assist with estate planning. At its height, Livent produced shows including The Phantom of the Opera and Ragtime across North America, the United Kingdom and Australia. The company sought bankruptcy protection in 1998 and was sold off three years later. ADMINISTRATIVE Dunkley ASSISTANT LUMBER LTD. ' Dunkley Lumber Ltd. operates a modem and efficient SPF dimension Sawmill and Planermill facility at Strathnaver, 75 km south of Prince George, BC. Our quality lumber products are sold across North America and in overseas markets. To find out more about us, please visit our website at www.dunkleylumber.com. We currently have an opening for an Administrative Assistant in our forestry department. Key responsibilities include providing administrative support to the forestry department by assisting with payroll administration, maintaining contractor files, answering phone calls, filing, data entry, communicating with the department, customers, First Nations, Government agencies and the public and other duties as assigned. The ideal candidate for this position will possess the following skills and experience: • knowledge of the forestry industry • excellent general computer skills (Microsoft Office applications) • knowledge of 3Log system (Weighwiz/LIMS) • excellent attention to detail and the ability to efficiently prioritize • strong communication skills, both written and verbal • strong organizational and time management skills This position offers a highly competitive wage and benefits program. If you possess the skills and experience required to be successful in this role, please submit your resume in confidence via fax or email to the attention of: HR Coordinator Dunkley Lumber Ltd. Fax: (250)998-4513 Email: hr@dunkleylumber.com Applications will be accepted up to 5:00 pm on July 3,2017. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. R0011431059 The Canadian Press CALGARY—Alberta’s Oil Sands Advisory Group is recommending a series of escalating measures including financial penalties and potentially halting projects to ensure greenhouse gas emissions from the oilsands remain within a mandated 100-megatonne limit. As a first step, the report recommends steps that will reduce future emissions including using better technology, setting out emissions plans, and improved regulations. The oilsands currently emit about 70 megatonnes of greenhouse gases. The group of 18 advisers sug- gests that when they hit 80 and 90 megatonnes there should be reviews of the system and how facilities might be affected as emissions approach the cap. It also recommends establishing annual and 10-year forecasts, with more reviews triggered when the cap is expected to be hit in five years. When the cap is expected to be hit within a year, the report says high-intensity emitters could be forced to reduce emissions or face penalties and the government could suspend projects that haven’t started construction. The Alberta government says it will now review the consensus advice from the group and begin stakeholder consultations. Olympics, McDonald's no longer a combo The Associated Press The Olympics and McDonald’s used to go together like a hamburger and fries. They are no longer a combo. In a surprise move, the International Olympic Committee announced Friday it was ending its Olympic sponsorship deal with the fast-food giant three years before it was supposed to expire - severing a relationship that dated to 1976. No financial details were released, though as part of the IOC’s top-tier program, McDonald’s signed a contract extension in 2012 that was reportedly worth about $200 million. Much of that will be replaced by new sponsors in new categories. The IOC has new deals with Bridgestone, Toyota and Alibaba. The Sports Business Journal reported that Intel is set to announce a deal with the IOC next week. IOC marketing director Timo Lumme says “we understand that McDonald’s is looking to focus on different business priorities.” McDonald’s will, however, remain a U.S. national sponsor of the 2018 Olympics with domestic marketing rights in South Korea, and will operate restaurants in the Olympic park and village. Some of the chain’s decisions may have been hastened by an increasingly tense relationship between the parties over the last two Olympics. McDonald’s was among the many sponsors who had supply issues at the Sochi Games. In Rio, McDonald’s got little cooperation from the IOC or local organizers and barely had a presence inside the Olympic gates. One of the few McDonald’s operating on Olympic turf was in the Athlete’s Village, and it typically had lines running out the door, up to 100 athletes deep. .encana events centre Entertainment. All the time. SPECTRA BY COMCAST SPECTACOR Here is the recipe for a stimulating and exciting opportunity! We are Spectra Food Services and Hospitality (www.SpectraExperiences.com), a nationally ranked food service company servicing entertainment facilities in the United States and Canada. We are seeking a dynamic, versatile and experienced Executive Chef for the Encana Events Centre (dawsoncreekeventscentre.com). Your primary duty will be managing the culinary team and all aspects of the main and concession kitchen's daily activities to ensure guest satisfaction, profitability and a positive, productive and compliant work environment. This position is full time and includes a competitive wage and benefits. The Executive Chef must maintain excellent attendance and be available to work a variable event-driven schedule which includes evenings and weekends. Your professional presentation, outstanding interpersonal skills and self-direction; as well as your detail orientation, ability to multi-task, and prioritize in a continuously changing environment is required. If you have the qualifications, then we want to speak to you. The successful candidate will have the skills to work with minimal supervision, perform duties in a safe manner and consistently demonstrate efficient, effective use of time and resources. Please mail your cover letter and current resume to the attention of Alisha Patterson, Spectra Food Services & Hospitality, # 1, 300 Highway # 2, Dawson Creek, BC V1G 0A4, email to 9P9tterson(S)d9wspnqrqqkevqntscqntrq.com or fax to 250-795-3327. We appreciate all applications; however, only those selected for an interview will be con^ad^ed^