This week Cyber Agent (Ameba) launched PICO, an English language version of Ameba Pigg focused primarily at an American audience. The program is available either standalone or as an application on Facebook.

As an experienced user of the Japanese Ameba Pigg, I was pretty intrigued to see exactly what you can and can't do with Pico.

With this first implementation of Pico, let me just get out the things you can't do with PICO:
- No pets
- No club rooms
- A very limited number of public rooms (where Pigg is Shibuya centric, Pico is New York centric.)
- No scratch game (instead there is a "gatcha" machine which gives capsules that contain items similar to the scratch card on Pigg).
- No ability to easily enter text in Japanese on an English OS. I do see at least one person typing in Japanese so I think you need a multi-byte operating system to make it work. OK, it appears that direct text entry from the IME is not working. If I first type in Japanese in a notepad and then copy and paste that to the application, then it works.



Language differences
- Goodpig (グッピグ) is called "Props".
- Gold Candy (アメ) is called "Gummies".
- Kitayo （きたよ) is called "Bells"

Functionality between the systems is very similar. Mashing the tab key to make your character freeze in mid-air while doing an action is supported.

You can skate! (holding the tab key while walking)

/nekohebi works. so does /panda
/min works
/nem is /zzz
/suwaru is /sit
/tatsu is /stand
/hungry works

/choki - /par - /goo - /hirameki do not work.

Things the English version has that the Japanee version does not have:
- The ability to name your room. I can have a name and a description.
- You can enter much longer chats (since kanji is not intended to be used)
- You can collect "stars" for doing certain functions on Pico and I believe you get something special if you collect all of the stars.
- It takes American money!

Several English misspellings and some of the english usage similar to Poupeegirl ("Let's do this...")

Give it time, this system will grow.

I don't see myself spending a lot of time on Pico. I have way too much invested in Pigg and a good friend base. I just hope that Pico does not get taken over by the pervs. I hope that CyberAgent does a decent job supporting this.

If you want to play with it
http://pico.ameba.net

I have also written a review on the Facebook App page for Ameba Pico.

Enjoy!