The way to apply for the $12M fund of the Pico Developer Incentive Program

After I printed my detailed article concerning the launch of the Pico 4 in Europe, many builders reached out to me to know easy methods to apply for the introduced $12M fund for builders, dubbed Developer Incentive Program. I reached out to Pico to have additional explanations, so now I can let you know!

Pico Developer Incentive Program 

Only a fast recap in case you missed it: throughout the Pico Keynote just a few weeks in the past, Leland Hedges introduced the Pico Developer Incentive Program, a program to help builders which are eager about publishing XR experiences on the Pico Retailer. This system is supposed to present builders not solely help and {hardware} but additionally funding. Bytedance has set a $12M fund for this operation, and each content material that will get authorised can obtain as much as $2M.

In fact, after the announcement, many indie VR builders acquired eager about this system however they couldn’t discover any details about it on-line, so that they began asking me easy methods to apply for it. I so reached out to Pico to have some particulars.

Developer Incentive Program particulars

A Pico spokesperson informed me that builders can apply for the funding ranging from October, eighth 2022 (which is handed by) on the web page of the Pico Developer Program. By means of that web page, you’ll be able to entry an software kind, wherein you need to describe at first your organization, after which the venture you need Pico to help you with.

Pico clarified with me that “This incentive program solely applies to skilled VR builders making B2C content material (ie. video games, leisure, utility functions) AND new video games that haven’t been launched earlier than. For launched video games, if the builders are eager about bringing them to PICO, they need to contact PICO BDs”. When you have a have a look at the web page linked above, it’s careworn there once more that “This isn’t a program for newbie VR builders”. My opinion is that Pico is searching for high-quality content material to publish, and so it isn’t to fund experiences that grow to be mediocre because of the lack of expertise of the builders. This is sensible, if Pico desires a retailer that may compete with the Quest Retailer.

Pico additionally informed me that if you’re authorised in this system, you may additionally have entry to different alternatives (like getting awards or prizes), so becoming a member of it you don’t have solely cash, but additionally different potentialities.

In response to the FAQs, Pico evaluations the submissions as soon as per week, however I’ve already been warned that because of the many requests acquired after the announcement, response occasions will likely be for much longer.

Last suggestion

As an indie sport developer myself (please, take a look at our sport on App Lab!) who has struggled to find an writer of VR video games, I understand how it’s onerous to seek out funding for growing immersive content material. So, alternatives like this shouldn’t be wasted. If you’re a growth group, you’ve gotten already expertise in delivery VR video games, and you’ve got perhaps additionally already a prototype in your subsequent title, my suggestion is to strive enrolling on this program to attempt to get some funding in your sport. I cross my fingers you may get the cash it’s essential to make the subsequent Beat Saber!

(Header picture by Pico)

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