Reflecting On The Past, Celebrating The Future: Notes on Picashot’s 2023 and What’s Next

Hello, Gamers!

Welcome to a new year! It may seem late to be wishing you a happy new year seeing that we are now in the second month of 2024 but we have been thoughtfully curating the best experiences for you.

However, we cannot talk about this year without saying thank you for 2023. You all were pretty awesome and it felt surreal that you are here, in this little corner of the internet, sharing the games you love with us pixel by pixel. Your creativity, passion for gaming, and stunning virtual moments kept us going here at Picashot. Thank you for sharing bits and pieces about you here. We truly cherish these moments and we can’t wait to make magic again this year! Cheers!

Reflecting on the past year

Before we get into the gems we have for you this year, let's take a look at the milestones we achieved together in the past year. From breathtaking landscapes to epic battles, we've witnessed the power of virtual photography.

On Growth and Community

In 2023, we surpassed the milestone of 500 signups, and now we are proud to have over half a thousand VP artists who are passionately sharing the beauty of the digital realm.

The growth in our community has been remarkable. From just over 11,000 photos in 2022, we saw a tremendous increase to over 57,000 photos created in 2023. This surge in creativity and engagement is truly exciting!

Furthermore, our commitment to fostering interaction and connection within our community is evident in the numbers. We sent out over 100,000 notifications from interaction events, a significant leap from the 46,000 notifications sent in 2022. This growth in engagement showcases the vibrant and thriving community we have built together.

And we cannot talk about community without spotlighting some of our exceptional VP artists who crossed over 1,000 posts last year. We see you, RenanVP, Defalt368, DudeistPriestVP, WhySoDucky, TheMoltenCat. Thank you for sharing your art with us!

At an outstanding seat within our community of VP artists, Toko shines with over 2,000 posts. Not only were they the first user to surpass the milestone of 1,000 posts, but they have also crossed an outstanding threshold of 2,000 posts, showcasing their exceptional talent and unwavering dedication. Their prolific creativity and passion for virtual photography have set a high standard for others to aspire to, inspiring us all. We extend our heartfelt appreciation to Toko for their remarkable contributions in building a vibrant and thriving community.

As we continue to grow, we eagerly anticipate witnessing even more extraordinary achievements from Toko and our talented VP artists, as together we push the boundaries of virtual photography and create captivating moments in the digital realm.

On Giving Back

In 2023, we joined forces with Scholars Of The Creed and AC Landmarks in a heartfelt community relief campaign to support those affected by the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. We extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved and those who have suffered loss during this challenging time. May their hearts find solace, and may our collective prayers bring comfort and healing to all those impacted.

Let us stand together in solidarity, offering our support and striving for a brighter future for the affected communities.

Exciting Developments

Now, let's turn our attention to the future and what lies ahead for Picashot. We hope you are ready to unlock new and exciting levels of creativity.

Out With The Old, In With The New

You have known Picashot for its unique approach to the socials without the traditional social elements. We have undeniably showcased the incredible creativity and artistry of our community within the realm of virtual photography. However, it has become apparent that this approach has not fully served the purpose of providing a dedicated platform for showcasing virtual photography. Therefore, in an exciting development, Picashot will be undergoing a migration into a portfolio app.

With this transformation, Picashot will be transformed into the ultimate go-to app for VP artists to showcase their digital artistry. This new iteration will provide you with a powerful tool to curate and exhibit your portfolios, fully immersing yourself in the world of gaming and virtual photography. Get familiar with this update and start sharing your photos with the world!

Note: As we shift our focus to Picashot.co as the main portfolio space, please be aware that Picashot.me will either redirect to your Picashot.co profile or serve as a dedicated space exclusively showcasing your works, free from distractions such as recommendations, community profiles, or community photos. This change aims to provide a streamlined and focused experience, putting your art at the center stage and allowing it to shine without external elements.

So, whether you're a seasoned artist or just starting your creative journey, Picashot will now offer a dedicated space for you to present and share your work with a wider audience, fostering a sense of community and appreciation for virtual photography.

More Web Updates

As we embrace this new chapter, we are excited to announce that our focus will be shifting toward enhancing and updating the web platform of Picashot. This strategic decision ensures that you have a dedicated space to share your art with a broader audience, both within and beyond the gaming/virtual photography community.

While web updates take center stage, we want to assure you that app updates will not be left behind. We understand the importance of maintaining a seamless and user-friendly experience across all platforms. Therefore, we will continue to prioritize app updates to ensure that you have the best possible tools and features at your disposal. Our ultimate goal is to empower you to showcase your creativity to the world, and by investing in both web and app updates, we are committed to providing you with all the necessary resources to achieve that.

Spotlights, Tips, Tricks and Everything-In-Between

Just like we have been serving you with amazing content, we are prepared to continue to do the same and even more this year. From our photo dumps to weekly highlights, VP spotlights, updates, and more; a lot of compelling things are coming your way!

What is your role in all of these?

Two things!

One, join our community of virtual photography enthusiasts. The Picashot newsletter is coming to an email near you and you do not want to miss out on all the fun! We want to write to you and hear from you too. We promise not to overwhelm you with unnecessary letters, plus you will be one step ahead of the game! ;)

Join The Picashot Newsletter

Two, stay glued to our socials. We have a thriving Twitter community and we want to see you on our Insta too! We will be sharing important updates, tips, tricks, events, and exciting content that will help you unlock secret levels of knowledge, hehe!

And this is where we stop typing and let you get back to your games! For reading to this point, you've gained +20 V-bucks. Thank you again for joining the Picashot train! Cheers to an exciting year!