Take yourself to the Metaverse! ~What is the future of avatars?~
Hello, I'm John, your Metaverse guide!
You've probably heard the term "metaverse" a lot lately, but do you think it sounds complicated?
But in fact, there is a much more familiar and fun world out there. In this article, I'll be talking in an easy-to-understand way even for beginners about the "avatar" that represents "you" in the metaverse, and the new trends that are making avatars more free and convenient!
First of all, what is an "avatar"?
First, let's explain the word "avatar."
An avatar is a character that will be your alter ego in a digital world like the metaverse. It's like choosing your own icon or character in a game or on social media. Through this avatar, you can move around in the metaverse, talk to other people, and have a variety of experiences.
Is there anything inconvenient about the current metaverse?
In the metaverse, many companies and groups are creating their own wonderful virtual worlds. For example, there is a metaverse created by company A, a metaverse created by company B, and so on.
Currently, in many cases, it is difficult to simply transfer your favorite avatar that you used in Company A's metaverse to Company B's metaverse.
Imagine this. You go to department store A wearing your favorite clothes, but when you go to supermarket B next door, you have to change all your clothes. It's a bit of a hassle, right?
If you have to change your avatar, which is your alter-ego, every time you go to a new place, the metaverse experience may feel a bit restrictive.
This is where "standardization" comes in!
Some people thought, "This means more people won't be able to enjoy the metaverse!"
What they're working on is avatars."Standardization"This is our initiative.
"Standardization" simply means "Let's create common rules." For example, the dry cell batteries we use. If they are size AA, no matter which manufacturer's dry cell batteries you buy, you can use them in the same size AA devices, right? That's because there are set "standards" for size, voltage, etc.
The same goes for avatars. By establishing common rules (standards) for basic aspects such as the structure of an avatar's body and how it moves,"Interoperability"In other words, the idea is to make it possible to use the same avatar in any metaverse space!
What are the benefits of avatars becoming more standardized?
So, what specific benefits will avatars bring to us as they become more standardized?
- 1. Take your favorite avatar anywhere!
This may be the biggest benefit. Once you create or acquire your favorite avatar, you can use it on various metaverse services. It's very convenient because you don't need to prepare a new avatar for each service! - 2. Avatar creators (vendors) can rest assured!
When it comes to standardization, some people may worry, "Will all avatars end up looking the same?" But don't worry! Standardization is just a basic "mechanism." Avatar companies and creators can continue to create their own uniqueIP (Intellectual Property Rights: rights to ideas, designs, etc.)By utilizing this, you can continue to create unique and attractive avatars. And those wonderful avatars will be able to play an active role in more places. - 3. The metaverse will become even richer!
If avatars can move freely, it will be easier to create new metaverse services and experiences. More developers will think, "I want to make this avatar available for my service!" As a result, we users will be able to have more diverse and interesting metaverse experiences.
Who is driving standardization?
The standardization of avatars is being promoted through the cooperation of various organizations and companies around the world. Here are some of the main organizations mentioned in the article.
- MSF (Metaverse Standards Forum)
As the name suggests, this is an organization that has come together to create standards for the entire metaverse. Many companies and experts participate and discuss how to make the metaverse more user-friendly. - IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
This is the world's largest professional organization for electrical and electronic engineering. In fact, the IEEE also decides the technical standards for Wi-Fi that we use every day. They are also contributing to the creation of standards for the technologies that support the metaverse. - VRM (Virtual Reality Model)
VRM is a file format (a type of data handled by a computer) specifically for 3D avatars. It was created with the aim of making avatars in this VRM format easy to use in various VR apps and metaverses. It is truly one of the concrete efforts to increase the interoperability of avatars.
These organizations are working together to create common rules, starting with basic elements such as an avatar's body type.
How will the metaverse experience change in the future?
As avatars become more standardized, in the future it may become possible to choose how you appear in the metaverse and explore different worlds as easily as changing the profile picture on your social media account.
It will be easier to enter the metaverse and we will be able to express ourselves more freely. It's very exciting to think that such a future is approaching!
A word from John:
This news of "standardization" may sound a bit technical, but it's actually an important step towards making the metaverse more familiar and easy to use for everyone. Just imagining what new experiences will be available when our avatars can travel freely between different worlds is exciting!
This article is based on the following original articles and is summarized from the author's perspective:
Taking Yourself Into the Metaverse