Avatar is an English word that means incarnation or incarnation. The word avatar comes from the Hindu word avataara, which refers to the incarnation of a god. In the
IT
industry, avatar is a term often used to refer to a character who appears on screen as a personification of a caller or business owner.
Avatars are often used mainly in
online
games and VR spaces. For the purpose of not wanting to show the caller’s face or for the purpose of attaching fans to the character, avatars are created using icons, self-made character images, and 3D models. Additionally, there are avatars that move according to the caller’s words. For example, if a caller says the word “thank you,” the avatar will move its mouth and body accordingly.
Also, although avatar has the meaning of incarnation, there are many cases where it does not directly represent the appearance of the sender. Generally, cartoon-like character designs and illustrations are often used, which tends to eliminate the individuality of the sender. However, since the caller must become the character they created, the caller will match the age, gender, hobbies, personality, etc. to the character.
Furthermore, avatars do not have to be human-shaped. There are many cases where robots and animals are set as avatars, and many users also set characters from specific manga or anime as avatars. There are also callers who customize the clothes and hairstyles of the manga and anime characters to their liking. In modern times, technologies such as 3D CG (3DCG) are improving day by day. As a result, many avatars using 3D models can now be seen on the Internet.
One of the effects of avatars that is attracting attention is the reduction in complaints from viewers and consumers. In order to eliminate personal identity as a sender, companies sometimes intentionally set character or animal avatars. In fact, many companies set up avatars on shopping sites (EC sites), chat services, SNS, etc.
In addition, although it naturally varies from case to case, there are cases in which companies using avatars can increase the rate of purchasing products or applying for services. If you want to improve your current application rate, using avatars may be an option.
There are also online games that offer the ability to change your avatar.
Increasingly, online games allow you to set an avatar in your profile. When setting an avatar on your profile, the initial state is generally just a “shirt and pants”. Therefore, as you progress through the online game, some games are equipped with a feature that allows you to change your avatar’s clothes by clearing specific missions or stages.
This creates a desire among users of online games to “want to conquer the game even more.” While some online games have mechanisms that make it easy for even beginners to play online games, such as receiving dress-up items just by participating in events, there are also online games that sell dress-up items that can only be obtained by paying. In other words, companies are adopting the avatar system to increase monetization opportunities.
Reference article