Hello, my name is Shori, and I am the business manager of the VTuber avatar live application "Avvy" at AnotherBall. In this article, I would like to write about my thoughts and feelings in starting up the Avvy business before the release of the trial version.
1. The spread of VTubers and the reason why "Avvy" was born
Over the past few years, the existence of VTubers has become much more familiar.
More and more people have heard of them or have actually watched them, and it seems that they are gradually becoming a common form of entertainment rather than a special form of Internet culture.
However, it is also true that there are unexpectedly high barriers to getting started, such as initial investment and technical setup. "What equipment do I need?" "Isn't it expensive to commission a Live2D model?" Many people are stumped at the first step.
"Avvy" was born out of the desire to lower these initial hurdles. We want to make it easy for anyone to create their virtual selves and freely distribute their work on social networking sites. This is our starting point.
2. The Potential of VTuber Avatars
I myself was shocked by the VTuber culture around 2018.
What you see on YouTube screens are animated characters that seem to be alive. I remember how fresh it was to see them responding to viewers' comments in real time and enjoying live game play and chatting with them, and I was excited that such a world existed.
Later, when I joined an individual VTuber's distribution on a certain platform, I had the sense that I had found exactly where I wanted to be. In the interactive setting of live distribution, I was able to interact with people and cheer on my favorites. It naturally became my daily enjoyment, and before I knew it, I found myself involved in the "management of a VTuber live-streaming platform."
(The colored paper and beer I received at my first Comiket are my icons. This experience was actually my starting point.)
As I became involved in the management of the platform, I had more opportunities to listen to various VTubers and V-livers.
One of the episodes that left a strong impression on me was the episode where they said, "I was able to gain confidence for the first time through delivery."
By communicating with others through their characters, I heard that for the first time in their lives, they experienced having people compliment them by saying, "Your voice is cute."
Then, they wondered, "Maybe I am needed by someone?" They realized that they might be needed by someone.
I realized that having a temporary avatar can change a person's outlook on life.
Beyond figure, age, or place of birth, we can connect with others in the form of our choice. People around me say, "Cute!" "You are so cool!" and that makes me feel more positive about myself.
VTubers and avatars could possibly be the catalyst that changes people's lives, and I want to bring this culture to more people.
3. I want to encourage more people who feel they are facing a hurdle
However, there are many people who are still hesitant to take the first step because of the cost of creating an original avatar, the large amount of equipment and software required, and the need to join an office to reduce the initial costs.
I myself have heard many such comments.
- "I want to try it, but I don't have enough money or time."
- "I don't know how to ask for help."
- "It's too hard for me to do it."
I think there are more people than you think who give up because of these reasons.
But I think that's a waste of time and potential. Because if they could get an avatar and work freely, a new world might be waiting for them.
There would be encounters with people they have never been involved with before, and new self-discoveries.
And the bigger the VTuber culture grows, the more such disappointments will increase, and we may end up in a world where VTubers are seen as something special.
I wanted to change that situation, so I decided to create Avvy.
4. Commitment to Avvy
For this release of "Avvy", I dared to focus on 2D avatars so that anyone can use it easily.
There are three reasons why we focused on 2D.
First, many of the VTubers that people come into contact with on a daily basis are active in 2D, so we thought that more and more people would want to work with 2D avatars.
Second
I simply love 2D characters and illustrators. I think the most important thing in creating a product is that it should be something you are excited to create. The current Avvy avatar is very cute and I love it.
I made this avatar to look like me. I often wear it in the aloha summer.
Third
I wanted to bring out the diversity of the avatars. The eyes, hair, clothes, facial expressions, etc. drawn by illustrators have completely different tastes for each creator... We believe that by not seeking too much uniformity there, users can express their own tastes and personalities to the fullest.
I believe that the process of giving form to "likes" has the power to excite people. That's why Avvy is committed to creating a rich variety of designs by utilizing the range of creators. It's a little bit chaotic (laughs).
Another point is that avatars created on Avvy "can be used anywhere".
We want people to be able to use them freely on YouTube, TikTok, and other streaming apps, not just on Avvy. We would love it if you could transmit in any place and in any way you like, and have fun with your friends.
5. Internal brand statement "Let your Suki take flight"
In fact, there is a phrase that we have adopted for internal use in shaping this service.
We wrote this statement to convey to everyone what we want to achieve as a team through Avvy.
I somehow can't find my place at school or at work. I feel that "what I like" is somehow out of sync with the rest of the world. However, when I have the courage to express what I love, there are people who say, "I know what you mean." Even if not everything fits perfectly, that little bit of empathy is enough to warm the heart. We believe that such "small connections" can make every day just a little bit kinder. Let your Suki take flight ── We want to support everyone who wants to express what they love.
We believe that avatars are only an intermediary, and that the empathy and connections that emerge from them are what truly move people.
6. Avvy's Expanding Circle and Future Development
The moment when users let their "love" take flight
Thankfully, Avvy has been used by more users than we could have imagined since its initial release.
Whenever I see people enjoying showing off their avatars on social networking sites and streams, it warms my heart.
"I made this avatar!" "I put all my favorite things into it!"
Whenever I hear such comments, I feel inspired to "work harder" and "make it easier to use."
I'm glad to see so many people contributing!
Future updates and enhancements
We are in the process of making plans based on a lot of feedback, but we would like to work on the following:
- Improving the avatar customization experience - We are working on making color changes and customization even more intuitive, so that users can realize their "I wanted to do this!"
- Internal distribution functionality - We are planning a function that will allow distribution only within Avvy, in response to the voices of users who do not have PCs or who find it difficult to connect to external tools such as OBS. We would like to prepare for an official release in June.
What we would like to do in the future
We would like to hold live events using 2D avatars and support global users. I would like to create an infrastructure that allows anyone to express themselves through avatars, not just distributors.
Also, as more and more people create avatars and start activities with Avvy, more people will order original avatars from creators in order to engage in more activities.
We would like to create such an ecosystem.
7. Gratitude to creators and team members
We have been able to bring Avvy to this point thanks to the many creators and team members who have supported our development.
- Illustrators who draw unique parts
- Animators who adjust the 2D animations
- Business members who sincerely listen to users' voices and polish our service
Thanks to their ideas and enthusiasm, "Avvy" is now able to spread its love to many users. I am truly grateful to them.
We are actively recruiting new members! We are always looking for new members who would like to further promote VTuber culture and avatar culture through "Avvy" and breathe new life into it. If you feel there is something you can do, whether it be illustration, animation, development, planning, or management, please contact us.
【Recruitment-Related Information】
8. Finally -- "chaos" is the charm of character culture
Character culture, including VTubers, has evolved into a variety of forms that transcend specific boundaries. There are cute characters, cool characters, and even unique characters that sometimes make you think, "Is that even possible?" That's what makes the culture so interesting.
I hope that Avvy's culture will become more diverse in this way. I would like to change the service so that it can take on a variety of forms, not only avatars, but also other activities.
We are sincerely supporting the moment when your "Suki" will take flight through your avatar.
We look forward to your continued support of Avvy. We hope you will continue to use the trial version. We would be very happy if you could see your avatar in action on social networking sites and streams.
