At the GDC 2023 event, Pico that showcased the Pico 4 Pro concept also held a session with their game developers. We had the opportunity to spend time with two popular developers on the Pico platform, Paul Brady from Resolution Games and John Coleman from Vertigo Games.
Resolution Games is the developer studio behind popular Pico games such as Angry Birds - Isle of Pigs, Blaston, Acron, Demeo while Vertigo Games is very famous for their games including After The Fall, World of Diving, and Arizona Sunshine.
Resolution: Passthrough' Through Pico Enables Mixed Reality Gaming
Starting the conversation, Paul Brady from Resolution Games stated that one of the functions on the Pico is 'Passthrough' which is the ability to also see the environment while playing the game, making the Mixed Reality experience a satisfying entertainment.
And in taking advantage of this 'Passthrough' function, they are developing a game known as Spatial Ops. It's a mixed reality game that turns your environment into an in-game object. For the Spatial Ops game, if you turn your living room into a game room, objects such as couches, tables will be incorporated into the game.
And this combo isn't just an ordinary object, as players can do in-game things with it. For example, a table that can be used as a place for weapons, or a sofa that can be used as a shelter. This mixed reality integration is sure to offer something new in the gaming experience.
Resolution: Crossplay – The Future of Cross-Platform Gaming
In fact, technological advancements also make it possible for multiple players to join a session of a game even if they are on different platforms, more popularly called 'Crossplay'. If a few years ago the 'Crossplay' function was limited, now various games come with 'Crossplay' capabilities and are not limited to one platform alone.
The 'Crossplay' function which is very popular in games such as Genshin Impact, Brawlhalla, Warframe now also exists on Pico, through several games developed by Resolution Games such as Acron and Demeo.
Vertigo: Foot/Movement Tracking In Virtual Reality World Will Provide More Gaming Experience
As for John Coleman of Vertigo Games, they started VR game development a long time ago, and used the Oculus Development Kit before using the Pico Development Kit. Since Pico existed after Oculus, game development for the Pico platform went smoothly without pressing challenges.
Even for Vertigo Games, which is very experienced in developing VR games, also intends to increase the number of games that will use foot movements. Leg movement in the VR world is nothing new, as Vertigo Games themselves have developed games on the HTC Vive that take advantage of this functionality.
For now, they can't share more because it is going through the research and experimental phase, but promises that when the game that takes advantage of foot tracking is published, it will provide a more enjoyable VR gaming experience.
Both of these panels agreed that the potential of VR is very high and has many areas to explore. In fact, it is far different from other gaming systems (such as computer games or consoles) and can offer a more modern, more enriched, and more interactive gaming experience.