When American science fiction writer Neal Stephenson coined the term “metaverse” in the ‘90s in Snow Crash magazine, who would have thought that the concept would become what it is today? But as technology progressed, metaverses like Decentraland and The Sandbox narrowed down the gaps between the real and digital world, making way for many new use cases.
According to Statista, by 2023, the metaverse industry will hit an astonishing $507.8 billion, up from its current value of $74.4 billion, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 37.73% between 2024 and 2023. To enter the metaverse and engage in an immersive virtual world, users must create an avatar representing them in the metaverse, enabling them to play games, go shopping or socially interact with others.
This article explains the metaverse, the role of avatars, the types of avatars, cross-platform avatars, and how to create a metaverse avatar using Decentraland.
Metaverse and the role of avatars, explained
The metaverse is a digital space connecting the internet, augmented reality, virtual worlds and blockchains to create immersive experiences and interactions between avatars representing humans. Like humans, avatars can communicate with digital objects and one another. The metaverse is gradually evolving into a dynamically networked digital cosmos that muddies the boundaries between the real and virtual worlds.
However, the idea of digital avatars is not new. Their prominence goes back to the 1980s when they derived their popularity from video games like Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar. Thanks to avatars, players can fully immerse themselves in virtual worlds and feel the thrill of playing the game in the real world. They can access the metaverse through virtual reality (VR) headsets, PCs, laptops and smartphones.
Types of metaverse avatars
Depending on their preferences, users can choose from a range of metaverse avatars. To optimize experience in avatars, the player needs to understand the type of avatars they can create:
Full-body VR avatars
Users can create a full-body VR avatar, which is a complete digital representation of a person, offering a greater sense of immersion in the metaverse. Sensors are used to capture the user’s entire body movements and replicate them in virtual spaces.
VR avatars
On older systems, these avatars don’t provide users with a visual depiction; instead, they are used for virtual reality, allowing users to experience the virtual world in the “first-person” sense.
2D and 3D avatars
2D avatars are simple, cartoon-like representations confined to 2D environments. 3D avatars, on the other hand, facilitate customization of elements such as skin tone, body form and hair, giving the character a realistic multi-angle view.
Humanoid avatars
A humanoid avatar reflects the physical appearance of its owner, creating a sense of familiarity and closeness. It is designed to resemble real humans and can even mimic the user’s exact appearance. A humanoid avatar facilitates seamless integration between the virtual and physical worlds.
How to create metaverse avatar
The metaverse technology is still young, and few people know how to prop up an avatar. Here is the process users can follow to create a metaverse avatar:
Hop on the metaverse or an avatar creation application
All metaverses enable their users to create an avatar to enter the digital realm. They can also choose an external avatar creation app, downloadable via Google Play or the Apple Store, to create personalized digital avatars that can be used across several platforms.
Create an avatar
The system, whether on a metaverse or an avatar app, will usually ask the user about their gender to choose an appropriate style for the avatar. Anyone who wants the software to create an avatar that resembles their face can add an image. Most apps will offer an array of premade avatars from which users can select.
Customize avatar
Users can customize features such as hair color, eye size, nose shape, lip shape and other attributes, allowing them to create an avatar that reflects their preferences. A well-created avatar can add a visually engaging element to interactions in the metaverse.
The following is an example of how users can create a custom avatar on the Decentraland metaverse to help understand the process better.
How to create a custom avatar on Decentraland
Decentraland enables users to explore a 3D dynamic universe and make their own avatars in the virtual world. They can travel, engage in various activities and make new friends. Making an avatar is the first step for users to enjoy Decentraland’s rewards.
Here’s the process of creating an avatar on Decentraland:
Step 1:
Users need to log in to Decentraland and input the details in the window.
Depending on availability, the platform may accept or reject the username when they feed in the details. If the platform accepts the user name, the user must input their email ID to create an avatar, or else they must populate the user name again in the field.
Step 2:
Decentraland will take the user to the next page upon the completion of the process.
The user needs to mint a name ID to create an avatar. When they click on “Claim your name,” they are assigned a name for their avatar.
Step 3:
The user needs to buy the Decentraliand (MANA) token at this stage. Click on “Buy MANA,” visible on the top right side of the screen, to trigger a mint executed by a smart contract. Users can buy MANA with fiat currency or other digital currencies.
Step 4:
One can pick from an array of avatars and customize its look based on body, face, hair, top, bottom, shoes and accessories. The user can also select the skin tone and shape of their avatar.
The avatar is now ready for use in the Decentraland metaverse. It can be used for gameplay and other activities.
Cross-platform avatars
Anyone active on several metaverses will find creating an avatar on every platform they visit problematic and unnecessarily expensive, highlighting the need for a platform-agnostic solution. Thankfully, some apps enable users to conjure up an avatar and use it on any platform they visit. Users can update their clothes, hairstyles or accessories to suit different environments.
Users of these services usually need to create an account using connected services like Google, Microsoft or Slack. Users may also create an account using their email address. The system will then prompt them to make an avatar. Apart from using the array of avatars offered by these apps, users can also use their webcam or upload a photo of themselves. They can then use the photo-editing features of the app to create a customized avatar that closely resembles them. Some advanced avatar-creation solutions also use artificial intelligence to produce photorealistic 3D avatars from selfie photos.
The future of avatars
According to research published by Exploding Topics, 68% of experts believe that the popularity of the metaverse will rise sharply in the next three to five years. A Pew Research Center report states that 54% of technology experts expect the metaverse to offer immersive experiences by 2040. Such an experience cannot be possible without better customized and engaging avatars representing the users themselves.
Due to evolving technologies, new possibilities have emerged in avatar creation, and the time of ugly, legless avatars is now gone. Users can now create highly personalized avatars with a few clicks or taps. As the apps develop further and more innovations emerge, the avatars can make the virtual world more realistic and engaging.