Unity is a popular game development platform that’s used to create 3-D games that can run on virtual reality platforms, in addition to more traditional consoles. Even though HoloLens isn’t strictly a gaming platform, having expertise in Unity is a plus for HoloLens partners, given how graphics-oriented the technology is. For partners that are interested in HoloLens but don’t have that kind of talent already built into their DNA, they might have to take a more acquisitive route.
That was part of the approach taken by Taqtile, a 6-year-old software and services company based in Seattle, Wash. Similar to Vectorform, Taqtile already had an established virtual reality background by the time it joined Microsoft’s HoloLens partner program, having worked on platforms from Oculus, Google and HTC, among others. However, the company recognized that working with HoloLens would require building “a whole new muscle,” says Co-Founder Dirck Schou. In 2015, the company “acqui-hired” Kihon Games, a small studio based in Tucson, Ariz., with whom Taqtile had previously worked and which had proven expertise in the ever-important Unity platform.