How’s your Metaverse avatar looking?
With the advent of Web3 and growing popularity of Metaverses, its just a matter of time before people straight up ask each other who designed their Metaverse avatar, or where they bought their clothes.
Metaverse avatars are the virtual identities of Metaverse users, and everyone wants theirs to look the best.
How can you turn NFTs into Avatars in the Metaverse? Let’s find out today!
What is the Metaverse ?
We use the phrase “the Metaverse” to refer to the concept of an alternative virtual universe that we can access through Web3, but there’s not one overarching Metaverse (yet).
Instead, there are several Metaverses that may or may not be interoperable with each other, such as The Sandbox and Decentraland.
Some popular video games could be considered Metaverses in their rights, such as Fortnite and Roblox. Virtual concerts, fashion bazaars, and esports tournaments are already taking place in many of these.
What is a metaverse Avatar?
The Metaverse Avatar is the digital representation of our and other people’s virtual selves. It can be customized, and many of them take different shapes and sizes depending on the functionalities of the resident Metaverse.
Different Metaverses will have different design methods. Each Metaverse Avatar is unique in its attributes, traits and design, making it attractive to the world of NFTs. Users can personalize theirs with clothes and hairstyles.
Fashion brands such as Gucci, Balenciaga, Prada, Nike, Adidas, and others are releasing NFT collections of clothing items. This allows users to purchase clothes for their Metaverse Avatars.
Here are some types of Metaverse avatars:
2D Metaverse Avatars
2D Avatars were the first Avatars created for the Metaverse, a flat representation made out of pixels. Most of these aren’t used today in big Metaverses, replaced for 3D and VR Avatars.
VR Metaverse avatars
The VR avatar visually represents the user based on their preferences. They might not resemble the user physically but have certain similarities to their real-life physical features: skin tone, hair, or height.
They tend to be humans but can resemble characters from works of fiction or even other real-life people.
Another primary feature of VR Avatars is their use in the first person. When using Occulus software or other VR gadgets, you’re most likely engaging with a VR Metaverse avatar.
Other participants of the Metaverse can see the upper torso of the VR avatar and it’s arms, but not the lower limbs. As expected, these do not have complex leg movements or compatibility with AR mobile software.
Full-body Metaverse avatars
Full-body avatars are 3D models that move seamlessly and allow complete freedom while traversing the digital space.
These are created using sensor software and not many people have access to them, making accurate full-body Metaverse avatars relatively uncommon save for Web3 enthusiasts.
There are many theoretical use cases of full body avatars in the workplace, with companies seeing them as an opportunity for more realistic remote conferences, telecommuting, and training methods.
How to turn an NFT into a Metaverse avatar?
Since Metaverse avatars bring NFTs to life, they can increase their individual value simply by owning and wearing them. The NFT avatar becomes an economic font of ever-increasing value.
You should use a Metaverse Avatar app, such as Zepeto or Ready Player Me. These apps allow you to export the Metaverse Avatar into the Metaverse directly afterwards, as they are stored as special files.
MiT Avatars
This app is specialized in creating Avatars that can be used in more than 920 applications and VR games. You can monetize your Metaverse avatars by selling them in the app’s marketplace.
Zepeto
This tool allows users the option to replicate their facial features with ease, and also customize their face, hairstyle and eyes. They also have a wide array of fashion options free to use, and other features available only for an extra fee. You can easily export Zepeto avatars to a Metaverse or social networks.
Ready Player Me
Ready player Me allows you to create a full-body 3D avatar with a selfie. They have options for developers to integrate their Metaverses with their platforms, and are currently being used by 3000+ developers, including VRChat, animaze, Somnium Space, and others. You can also buy NFTs for your avatar.
CloneX
You can also shop for already-made Metaverse avatars at RTFKT Studios’ CloneX avatars. These can be a bit pricey due to the high-quality work put into them. RTFKT has collaborated with Nike and provided Clone owners with virtual room NFTs. Options for importing them to other Metaverses are also coming soon, so better get yours fast!
Why have a Metaverse Avatar?
Turns out that the Metaverse economy is becoming avatar-centric, as getting a fashionable NFT of an Avatar is harder than it seems. Digital goods sell fast and fashion brands are selling Metaverse exclusives.
Notoriously, Nike’s RTFKT x Nike Dunk Genesis Cryptokicks collection sold many NFTs of sneakers for several thousand and even hundred thousand of dollars. Not even the real-life pairs sell for so much!
A well-designed Metaverse avatar serves almost as a business card in the Metaverse. It facilitates your access to NFT gaming communities, and makes you look more professional within the social spaces of the Metaverse.
NFTs for Metaverse Avatars can help you:
- Store data about your Avatar, such as clothing, belongings, NFT portfolio, and identities. As all NFTs are minted in the Blockchain, your data is secure and cannot be tampered with through external means.
- You can get access to your data in case your password or username is compromised, as all of your virtual identity is safely stored.
- NFTs of fashion items or video game items can be traded for Metaverse tokens, which in turn can be redeemed for fiat currency.
Final words about Metaverse avatars
With the advent of Web3 and growing popularity of Metaverses, it’s just a matter of time before people straight up ask each other who designed their Metaverse avatar, or where they bought their clothes.
If you want to be ahead of the curve, start thinking about your Metaverse avatar now. Happy Metaverse avatar shopping!
In our other guides we discuss What are NFTs and how you can use them to represent your virtual identity.
