The Impact of Virtual Worlds on the Animation Industry

Understand the impact of virtual reality on the current animation industry and how VR will improve animation effectively

Animation is a crucial part of our daily lives now. From TV commercials to Mobile Ads, we see animated content everywhere. Now not only the entertainment, but advertising, and marketing industry relies a lot on animated videos.

Animated videos have proven themselves to be effective in engaging the audience and reaching them at the right moment. This made it possible for businesses to improve ROI on their digital campaigns.

Marketers are moving forward with new unique ways to outreach audiences and make sure it’s easier for salespeople to convert potential leads by building a brand. It all started with SERP and moved forward with social media to the metaverse.

Marketing teams at companies like Nike and Samsung visioned something futuristic and made it a reality with MMO Virtual Worlds, Robolux, and Decentraland respectively.

This became a revolutionary approach in making sure your audience not only knows your brand but also interacts well to understand the offering and build connections. Although both companies chose an entirely different approach they created a new era in Marketing Revolution.

This image taken from Nikeland brilliantly describes the idea of how they integrated their products in Robolux.

The games created opportunities for both Game creators and designers to collaborate with brands and share their brand assets with the world. Although it’s been happening for the past decade, the campaigns now are far more impactful than ever with MMO Games.

People love being a part of these virtual worlds and brands are actively participating to create their own unique metaverse.

But what actually is MMO?
Is it a Game? Is it an Alternate Reality? Is it Metaverse?

Let’s Unravel the Mystery while understanding its impact on the Animation Industry.

Mass Multiplayer Online(MMO) Games: The beginning of an Immersive Virtual Experience

Massively Multiplayer Online(MMO) Games are online video games with a huge number of players across the web on the same server. They usually feature a large, persistent virtual world open to all.

MMOs became a pioneer in the Gaming industry as they enable people to interact with each other and cooperate or compete to have fun moments.

Although the world is now shifting towards an era of interactive internet where users can immerse into an alternate reality to experience a world beyond theirs, VR tech is still hard to comprehend and use due to complex setups and high-end devices.

But the ease of usage and available GPUs and Game consoles make MMO an acceptable Virtual World across the web.

This led to a foundation for building unique meta-realities and fundamental virtual worlds which can be a wholesome immersive experience for people in the Metaverse.

Partnering with MMOs and traditional games to promote a brand is something brands are doing for almost a decade. While brands like Coca-Cola and Renault have partnered with GTA for background banners, Ferrari and Nissan took the game to next level as they collaborated with Asphalt to create a virtual version of GT3 and 370Z respectively. MMOs’ partnerships with Brands are trending with Metaverse on the boom, let’s unravel how your brand can join in without failing to be an early bird.

Now that you’re aware of Virtual worlds and VR evolving with MMO Games, Let’s move forward to understand how animation and present content formats can help you enter the Metaverse.

Animation Styles and Content Formats in Virtual Reality

Virtual Worlds, the Metaverse as we know it now, is now a hype in its blooming years. Entering it can be complex when you’re trying to compete with brands across the web but during its initial years, both creators and businesses are trying to find unique ways to include more and more people and sponsors.

To do so, making content both relatable and accessible is crucial and rewarding. The repurposable nature and sharability of animated videos have proven themselves to be users’ favorite on all socials, leading marketers to opt for them in virtual worlds as well.

But with tons of animation styles to choose from, choosing the right animation style and acceptable content type is both a challenge and an opportunity to dive into virtual reality.

Let’s check out various animation styles that can help you stand out in Virtual Worlds

Kinetic Typography

In order to convey concepts through video, kinetic typography, also known as moving text, combines text with motion animations. This content is provided gradually in a way that perfectly communicates a message or arouses feelings.

Kinetic Typography in Metaverse is easy to deploy and can be used to create billboards and hover advertising. These videos are easy to create and can be repurposed super effectively at various locations in the Metaverse.

HUD Animation

Heads-Up Display, also known as HUD, is an animation style frequently used by videogame animators to present information at the start of tutorials.

The MCU did a great job of capturing this kind of animation on screen as a part of the Iron Man series.

Videos produced with HUD Animation have the potential to change the metaverse in AR as well as serve as effective marketing tools in VR and MR.

HUD Animation is a brilliant way to create advertisements and display UIs in the Metaverse. They are creative and can create an immersive experience without distorting the original viewport.

Transparent MotionGraphics

Motion Graphics in simple terms mean graphics in motion. These are digital footage created to induce a notion or illusion of objects and text moving.

And with transparent graphics and flip placements, motion graphics can be a revolutionary approach to the virtual world.

Motion graphics in the metaverse can be used on billboards and TV screens. This video animation style is super repurposable which makes them a good fit for all budgets.

Looking for relevant Graphic Designs to create your own virtual world?

Animation trends evolution in Virtual Worlds

Alternate reality is a phenomenon no human is new to in the present-day world. Since Nintendo Classics like SuperMario Bros and interactive experiences like Duck Hunt, we’re experiencing an alternate reality in video games for a while now.

As these experiences emerged and the animation industry is evolving in 3-dimensional space, these virtual experiences are enhancing and trends are being followed across the industries. New implementations and experiences are visualized, which not only limits the availability of metaverse for gaming but incorporates it in real life as well.

Here’re some most commonly evolving Trends in the Virtual World

The creators are shifting more and more towards place assets with black spaces to incorporate ads
The map assets are created to closely resemble real-world mapping to make things relatable
Virtual worlds are becoming more and more immersive with enhanced camera views
Experience in virtual worlds is now optimized for corporate and casual gatherings as well
Graphics now are more and more life-like and with the right hardware you will feel like you’re a part of the virtual world

Super Mario (1985)

Super Mario (2020 Remake)

Existing content acceptable in Virtual World

Many people have misunderstandings about how difficult it can be to establish a brand presence in the Metaverse.

But is it actually difficult?

Building an online presence for your company inside Meta Reality now may seem too complicated if you don’t have any experience with virtual technology. Knowing the right formats can help you dive into virtual existence without feeling a burden in your pocket.

Virtual Tech now supports a lot of existing content formats like Portable Network Graphics (PNG), Joint Photographic Experts Group standards (JPEG), High Dynamic Range (HDR), Filmbox (FBX), Object File (OBJ), MPEG Audio Layer 3 (MP3).

To know more
Check Out: How to enter the metaverse using existing content

Virtual Technologies will revolutionize the Animation Industry!

Animated videos are an exceptional tool for businesses. Whether it’s grabbing the audience’s attention or helping them to comprehend a product, animated videos have proven themselves useful on all platforms in both real and virtual worlds.

With the way virtual technologies are evolving, it is no doubt that VR, AR, and XR will be an integral part of the business enhancement experience. Thus owning animation assets that can fit in with the placements in meta-reality can be a futuristic approach to boosting outreach, improving interactions, and enhancing ROI in the future.

Animation styles we see today will be enhanced to an exceptional interactive experience whether it’s assets, placements, or mapping. The line between both worlds seems to be thin which might disappear with enhanced virtual technologies in the near future.