Better info menu and more Gachas

Wednesday's epic server maintenance brings an epic to Pico.

Picos logging in today will find that, as we have come to expect, new things have been brewing during Pico's down time. Will you be excited about ...?

The Revamped Info Menu
You can now access the latest information posts in a more dynamic visual pop-up box. I'm sure this was developed to entice people to keep abreast of happenings in Pico.

The newly redesigned info box boasts eye-catching icons for each news item and stresses ease-of-use with the "Go To Area" button. As always, you can click the snippets of text to warp to the official Pico blog.

Did you tend to ignore the info box in the past ... and does this adjustment make you more likely to click and read on?

The Revitalization of the Chaulin Temple
New life is breathed into the Chaulin Temple with the introduction of  two new Gacha vendors - Premium Gacha for 50AG a spin and Gummie Gacha for 100 Gummies a spin.



Gummies Gacha contains those goodies from last springs Chinese Mystery Box campaign.

Premium Gacha is filled with wigs, costumes and props associated with characters from the Chinese classic story Journey to the West (西遊記 / Xī Yóu Jì), considered to be one of the four great novels in Chinese literature.

Journey to the West has a strong background in Chinese folk religion, Chinese mythology and value systems; the pantheon of Taoist immortals and Buddhist bodhisattvas is still reflective of some Chinese folk religious beliefs today. Enduringly popular, the tale is at once an adventure story, a spring of spiritual insight, and an extended allegory in which the group of pilgrims journeying toward India represents an individual journeying toward enlightenment. — Source: Wikipedia

Photo Credit: Pico Official blog

From left to right (pictured above) the characters are Sha Wujing, monk Xuánzàng, "Monkey King" Sūn Wùkōng, and Zhū Bājiè.

Was it all worth the lengthy wait? You be the judge.

We may or may not have broken Pico.

This morning around 11AM (EST) a lull in what I was working on and boredom drove me to try logging onto Pico to get a head start on maxing out my earned Gummies for the day.

I was a little surprised, but not overly surprised to be met with the Server Maintenance page. I didn't remember a notice for scheduled server maintenance for today. But okay.

Almost 8 hours later, Pico was still down!

Usually, maintenance takes an hour or two. Something is definitely amiss. What could it be?

Here are some of the scenarios that Gem Rock, Peggy and I think are likely for causing the mess:

1. Some intelligent and devious Pico completed the newly released laboratory set and created a bomb. Pico moderators had to shut down operations and call the Bomb Squad to diffuse the device. Teams are still working on it.
2. Since Peggy Hill's head has been gradually expanding since she joined, it's reached the limit of the Picoverse and can no longer be contained. This cranial expansion has locked down the servers. Pico has top geeks working to solve the problem.
3. Pico developers are preparing for Gem Rock's glorious return and are pulling out all the stops! Rumor has it there is parade in the works with a large Phở bowl float.
4. Distressed by her bad luck at Premium Gacha, Ayuhime is holding the Gacha machine in the Chess Field room hostage until she gets her crown. To ensure no one is hurt during her mad rampage, all Picos not involved in the stand-off must go offline.
5. In an expression of her undying love, chikemuri began sculpting a statue of Pinkerton in the most noble of poses. The statue reaches so far up into the grey abyss above her room that it overloaded the server circuits. Sources claim that a falling block maimed Pinky's trusty companion, Flapjack.
6. Unbeknownst to the rest of the Picostyle team, Catero is the leader of the guerrilla rebel group, Los Picos de la Libertad, charged with a mandate to force Pico developers to give us more inventory space. The group's planned hostile take-over of the Pico headquarters backfired when a stray bullet damaged the server.
7. The people who run Pico are taking a secret day off to play chess.

What do you think was going on behind the scenes? Let us know in comments!

Note: I can't claim all of these ideas as my own! Peggy Hill and Gem Rock came up with them too.

Forever Alone? by Ora18☎

Written by:


H-hello? Wait.. Where-- a-am I? It's so empty here! HELLO!!! ANYBODY HOME?!



Where is everybody? Weren't all my friends on LAST WEEK?

YES. People like you and I (if, of course, somehow ... *whispers* aliens have a contact with Pico...) have been probably asking that question to yourselves. Where is everyone? Could our Pico population GROW EXTINCT?! [Cue dramatic music]

Or Are we FOREVER ALONE?!



No ... no ... we aren't. I feel like we keep descending into the darkness, losing each other one by one ... but we aren't! Are you missing one certain friend? Maybe they're a student (stupid school). Or maybe simply, they have abnormal things called lives duration (Yes! Muahaha! You'll never understandddd ... NEVER).

And remember, Peggy is also busy preparing for the next holiday season, 350 days or so away. Pinkerton is probably shoveling out snow, to get to his computer (very nostalgic, think about it; to see a man, trying to get to his computer, shoveling out snow with Mario Kart music playing in the background). Catero is probably out buying milk in a bag. Ayuhime is probably twinkling and singing kawaii Ayu songs with her brand new Rilakkuma.

And me, I'm suffering from strep, which has let me off the hook from the first day of school - after break, trust me, it's not cool having a knife in your throat.

But anyways, off topic! ...

WE ARE LOSING FAITH IN PICO. BELIEVEEEEEEEEEEEEE. Words of advice:

There will be fishing (I hope)
There will be more stores (hopefully)
We will get a trading system (pleeasee -.-)
There will be stuff (What else, pleasee -.-)
AND THERE WILL BE DIFFERENT KAWAII THEMED PLACES. (Yeahhh! -.-')





But, for now we just gotta BELIEVE. AND HAVE HOPEEE!

Happy Birthday Ayu!

These maracas came out just in time because it's fiesta time! It's Ayuhime's birthday! Happy Birthday Ayuhime <3 Since you're super kawaii Gem Rocker and I thought what better way to celebrate your birthday then with purikura! Here's to celebrating another year of you!



So eat cake, drink lots and hopefully there is some drunk karaoke!!!! I'll make sure to pick up a whole pie in your honour! Mmm.... Birthday pieeeeeee <33333 I love you!

Happy Birthday to youuuu----- o/` o/`

Celebrity Sightings #6: Corporate Mascots Edition

Okay, before we go any further with this new installment of Celebrity Sightings, I want to address the elephant in the room: Dumbo, please excuse yourself for a moment. Alright, since that is out of the way, allow me to address the question that might be on your mind: "what do you mean by corporate mascots?!" Well, it's no secret that large corporations go out of their way to create many different ways to connect with their customers and, as a result, further sell their brand. One way it's done is through friendly, often anthropomorphic characters to represent the company and its ideals. You see them on cereal boxes, billboards, TV ads, and now they are even in Pico.



Ronald McDonald

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Ronald McDonald is one of the most recognizable corporate mascots in the world. In fact, I'm sure there are some fancy studies and actual numbers to back that up... but for now you can just take my word for it. I first ran into this joyful clown a few months ago, and in my excitement I managed to take a picture of his house.




I'm sure a certain king of burgers would be offended by the house, but I was lovin' it! I didn't see him around for quite some time after this, but just a couple weeks ago I spotted him again and went to pay his room a visit. His business seems to have expanded significantly since the last time I was there.



He also has a 2nd room now:

I covet thee.

I find it a little... okay, I'm not gonna lie... a whole LOT geeky that I want to play the new chess premium gacha many many many times! I don't think I've really have felt this way about any other premium gacha.

The added incentive of getting the bonus room items once you've collected all 12 chess pieces is genius. I might actually have to buy gold...

UGH. SO JEALOUS!


AYU!!! Why you gotta tease gurl---?



Ayuhime is our own premium gacha junkie, for reals. Go to the Chess Field and get your BATTLE ON. For now I'll have to be content with my two pieces.

Guess who's back!

No, not me but don't you love my fro?!