Building Mixed-Reality Games: Meet CTO Joni

‍When Joni Vähämäki was a kid, he discovered a love for games. And not just playing the games but understanding how they work and how to create them. That passion led him to study computer science and game design, setting him on a path to become the co-founder and CTO at Valo Motion. Today, he leads our development team, working to develop our mixed-reality products that encourage people to move. This is Joni’s story, which might just give you a glimpse of what it's like to build a career from your passions. 

Joni Vähämäki has always been passionate about games. Already early in life, he took the first steps into what would later become his daily job: building games. 

“I started experimenting with building games when I found programs for creating games without coding understanding”, he says. Later in his early adulthood, Joni got involved in hobby projects where games were built with an international team. “Those projects ignited the idea that maybe this could be something I could do professionally”, Joni remembers. 

In 2015, Joni was looking for an engaging project for his master's thesis. Prof. Perttu Hämälainen from Aalto University Game Research introduced Joni to Raine Kajastila, who was running a game research commercialization project – a climbing wall experiment aimed at motivating people to move.

"I was excited to get to work on an unconventional game platform that would encourage people to move”, Joni says. Joni was focusing on the technological aspect of the project: how to recognize a person and their actions on the wall. In addition, he was working on game design and development. Joni had the technological and in-depth programming knowledge to make the team’s ideas into reality. 

During the first year, alongside game and technology development, Joni was responsible for ensuring that the games and systems operated smoothly at the initial commercial pilot locations. He also spent long hours at the first international trade show, working late into the night to guarantee the system worked flawlessly on the opening day of the show.

👉 Read more about the whole Valo Motion founding story here!

Long story short: commercializing the research project was a success and it led to the founding of Valo Motion in 2016. A trio of innovators founded Valo Motion, with Raine as the CEO, Leo Holsti as the COO, and Joni taking on the role of CTO. Today, Joni leads the development team at Valo Motion, driven by the mission to create the world’s most fun and groundbreaking active experiences.

What’s the spark specifically for you, Joni?

“We are building groundbreaking products that combine gaming with sports and physical activity. It’s a fascinating idea which I’m still intrigued by to this day”, Joni says.

“We are building groundbreaking products that combine gaming with sports and physical activity.”

Let’s dive deeper into Joni’s role in the development of Valo Motion products and games and how he is leading the technological development!

Innovative ways to develop mixed-reality games

The planning and development of the games required some rethinking. “In the early days, I was focusing on creating games and developing the core technology that allows game developers and designers to build and develop these kinds of mixed-reality games”, Joni says and continues: “You need to approach the whole development process differently because the input to the game doesn’t come with a traditional controller, but your body and movement.”

“This kind of technological development is inspiring because there is no prior information available. We are dealing with such novel interactions, that the only option to explore the best ways to create games for these platforms, is through lots and lots of iteration”, Joni says. Through experimentation, Joni and his team have learned what works on climbing walls, trampolines, and in mixed-reality playgrounds, like ValoArena, to gather this knowledge together.

“We are dealing with such an interactive method, that the only option is to explore the best ways to create games for these platforms, is through iteration.”

Reimagining how games are played

The unique thing in Valo Motion mixed-reality platforms, like ValoJump, ValoClimb and ValoArena, is that the players can engage with the game directly using their bodies, without needing any handheld controllers or wearables. Essentially, your body movements control the game. How is that possible?

“The underlying core technology is our computer vision, ValoVision, that allows us to track and recognize a player in real-time, enabling us to make games that you control with just your body," Joni explains. To make this possible, Joni developed a machine learning-based method that recognizes people from camera images. “The camera images are processed in real-time using this method and sent to the game engine, allowing us to detect the player's pose and insert the player's image into the game world”, he says. 

With the introduction of ValoArena, our technology advanced even more. “We can now track up to six players simultaneously from multiple perspectives. This allows for larger installations and active social play”, Joni explains. 

Building games is challenging and requires re-wiring your brain in new ways. But still, it’s also fun. "In the game Groundfall, players must avoid falling into lava by reaching safe areas. We added a feature that overlays the player's image onto a 3D model, which can then be dropped into the lava if the player falls. It’s always fun to see players’ reactions when they see themselves falling – it often surprises them and leads to some funny moments. Building these features that players find thrilling is both fun and rewarding”, Joni smiles.

👉 Learn more about the 7 steps of the mixed-reality game development process!

Leading the brilliant team of game development professionals

Joni’s role at Valo Motion started as a hands-on developer in the early days and through the years shaped into overseeing the bigger picture on the technological side and leading a team. “I oversee our software and technology development. In addition, I’m still working hands-on, particularly on the computer vision side”, Joni says. 

Our development team, led by Joni, is a group of talented game developers and designers. And naturally, the ways of working have evolved as the team has grown. 

“In the early days, processes were simple and didn't require much structure. But as we've grown, so has our understanding of what works best for us. We've built an open environment where everyone gets along well and any issues can be openly discussed”, Joni explains.

“We've built an open environment where everyone gets along well and any issues can be openly discussed.”

How do you develop a mixed-reality game with the team? 

“Everyone in the development team gets to participate broadly, even if they aren't directly involved in a particular project. Also, each game developer takes significant responsibility, often leading a project from start to finish at least once”, Joni says. 

It’s a process that begins with a flurry of ideas and prototypes. “We brainstorm together, considering what hasn't been done on this platform before, and identifying potential new user groups. This leads to a phase of rapid experimentation and prototyping, giving us a feel for whether an idea could be turned into a game”, Joni explains. Throughout this process, game ideas are iterated and tested out multiple times. 

👉 Want to know more about how our game development? Read Game Developer Zsombor’s story here!

Working with other passionate, fun-loving experts to make the big mission come true 

According to Joni, building a company with an inspiring mission to get people moving has been challenging with a lot of learning, and growth. 

“Our founding team had the vision and we managed to build the starting foundations for that. Then, these other fun-loving, creative professionals joined our team and brought their unique skills to the mix. The reward of others sharing our vision and seeing it come to life is unparalleled”, Joni says. 

In numbers, Valo Motion’s ambitious goal is to reach 1 million game sessions per day by 2030. “It's a challenge that fuels my passion and keeps me motivated. We’re working hard to continue developing new products that inspire people to move and engage in fun, physical activities”, Joni says.

What are you the most proud and inspired for, Joni?

“Knowing that I'm spending my day with a group of talented, friendly, and dedicated individuals makes every challenge worthwhile.”

“The team I get to work with every day. Knowing that I'm spending my day with a group of talented, friendly, and dedicated individuals makes every challenge worthwhile. We've fostered a laid-back, open, and fun atmosphere in our workspace. We may be relaxed, but we take our work seriously and always get things done", he says.