Say hello to Neolyfe’s programmer extraordinaire…
Hey Panos, give us a quick backgrounder
I have a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Computer Science, specifically in artificial intelligence applied to games. The last seven years I’ve worked in the games industry in game research. I’m now working as a programmer at Neolyfe, where my main focus is gameplay programming which includes the overall feeling of the game, the controls, the physics and AI experience.
What does the optimal virtual gaming world look like to you?
At Neolyfe we are building a platform that aesthetically looks good but also feels good. And by feeling good, I mean, our job as programmers is to make the whole experience as smooth as possible. So, controlling the character, controlling your avatar, moving around and interacting with things. To this end, we are using amazing and actually very, very beautiful assets that are created by the Neolyfe content team and using the Unreal Engine (UE5) and other tools to merge all those together and create a final fantastic experience.
How do you think Neolyfe is solving the challenges of the ‘metaverse’ experience?
Firstly, making it easy to connect and access. Not needing three or four accounts and different wallets but instead an easy-to-use and versatile interface. Second is the networking issues encountered when it comes to connecting many users together. The games industry faces the same challenge; for example MMOs have to limit and cap the number of players into specific numbers. At Neolyfe we’re collaborating with partners to bring as many people together as possible, in a seamless world and at the same time providing a smooth experience.
What are your favourite games to play?
I play a lot of games. I play less than I used to and with the eye of the programmer, not the eye of the player. I’m a fan of action adventure games and if I had to pick a series, it would be The Last of Us. I hope there is a third series but you never know. It seems that Sony and Naughty Dog take their time but they always over deliver.
Let’s fast forward five years — what does Neolyfe look like?
That’s a tough question given that technology advances exponentially, so it’s hard to guess what will come next. I believe the main difference that we’re going to see is being able to play high quality AAA gameplay graphics across all devices including laptops and mobile, not just limited to high-end PCs. This accessibility will change a lot.
Who would you say is the most influential person or company within Web3 and/or gaming?
I would say Epic Games. They are building amazing technologies. They are pioneers when it comes to graphics and gaming in general. Given that we use their Unreal Engine to build Neolyfe, I’m excited to see how they further develop their tools to bring better and more accessible experiences to life.
In a dream world which kind of game or experience or brand would you love to see in Neolyfe?
Red Dead Redemption 2 by Rockstar as I would like to give users the ability to change and customise the experience to their liking inside a decentralised virtual world.
