Current Events > Virtual Youtubing. What is it exactly? Seems insanely pricey and difficult.

(+) Yeah! (+)

The idea of having an avatar replicate your movement as a way of concealing your identity seems pretty ideal for someone wanting privacy. It also serves as a great escape for someone looking to form relationships without the hinderance of some sort of physical bias. I'm kind of really interested in learning more but also am concerned of the potential risks and costs. What am I getting myself into exactly--is it at all profitable? Will I be able to use the virtual avatar to create some sort of animation/short movie?

I feel like with the metaverse taking fame, everything else will start to snowball around that platform? I can't help but feel like it's a good investment to have some sort of understanding of the virtual world. Smart people of CE, please educate me.

insomniacRA posted...

I feel like with the metaverse taking fame, everything else will start to snowball around that platform?

It won't. Too many vain people in the world.

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insomniacRA posted...

is it at all profitable?

It's probably no more or less profitable than anything else you'd do on YouTube.

snowball around that platform?

It's already snowballed into something big. It's not in its infancy anymore.

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Look up "HoloLive English " on YouTube. They are the biggest VTuber company, and my favorite

According to Ironmouse (one of the top Vtubers), a decent 3D avatar will cost you a few hundred dollars to commission from an artist, while a good 2D one can potentially cost a few thousand. You could also make one yourself if you have the skills.

The only equipment you need is your standard streaming setup and maybe a phone (there's a really good face tracking app). Managing the model itself is easy since there's a free program on Steam called Vtuber Studio.

As for profitability, that depends on the same things as other content creation. Your ability to draw attention to your channel, your charisma, and luck. We're long past the point where simply being a Vtuber is good enough to get attention.
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https://imgur.com/asOljfu

EDIT: also, for profitability, the top youtube streaming channels are dominated by vtubers

https://playboard.co/en/youtube-ranking/most-superchatted-all-channels-in-worldwide-total

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VR avatars is definitely going to be more and more of a trend.

02fran posted...

VR avatars is definitely going to be more and more of a trend.

Especially for people who want to seperate the online lives and offline ones. It lets people who live in certain societies to tell stories like this without fear of embarrassment irl
https://youtu.be/LLA1fRd09RQ


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pokedude900 posted...

According to Ironmouse (one of the top Vtubers), a decent 3D avatar will cost you a few hundred dollars to commission from an artist, while a good 2D one can potentially cost a few thousand. You could also make one yourself if you have the skills.

The only equipment you need is your standard streaming setup and maybe a phone (there's a really good face tracking app). Managing the model itself is easy since there's a free program on Steam called Vtuber Studio.

As for profitability, that depends on the same things as other content creation. Your ability to draw attention to your channel, your charisma, and luck. We're long past the point where simply being a Vtuber is good enough to get attention.

Why does a 2D avatar cost more than a 3D one? Isn't it a lot more difficult to create with the latter? I'm so curious, what type of skills are required to create an avatar? A couple thousand to create an avatar seems a lot more appealing than getting paid $5-10 on random logo design gigs on fiver.

Imagine when ads start popping up in VR and it becomes like that episode of ATHF

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insomniacRA posted...

Why does a 2D avatar cost more than a 3D one? Isn't it a lot more difficult to create with the latter? I'm so curious, what type of skills are required to create an avatar? A couple thousand to create an avatar seems a lot more appealing than getting paid $5-10 on random logo design gigs on fiver.

In general, 3D animation is cheaper than 2D, hence hand-drawn animation being a dying art in Hollywood. With 3D, you simply need to make the model and rig it. Whereas 2D requires you to draw every individual frame for every possible movement (with some tool assistance, of course). That said, Ironmouse's estimate is probably based on really high-end models like her own. If you just want something with a relatively simple design that can bob around, blink, and open its mouth, you can probably find someone to make it for under $1,000.

As for the skills required, pretty much just artistic ability and understanding the necessary model creation programs. You can find basic tutorials on Youtube.
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This is something that I've kinda been interested in too, because I have a Youtube and Twitch but don't feel comfortable with a webcam to show my face.

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Something else I should point out if you're doing this with the aim of making it big. First of all: don't. Do it for fun. These things take a long time, and you'll definitely get burnt out before you get there if you're just in it for the money.

Second: you're unfortunately at a severe advantage if you're a guy. Pretty much all the top Vtubers are women. That's not to say you can't be successful as a male Vtuber, but it helps to at least know some girls and collab with them once you've established a base. You could also go with a female avatar (I've seen a few guys do it here and there), but be honest about your gender.
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pokedude900 posted...

but be honest about your gender.

this, there are successful guys who have female models, but didn't hide the fact they're guys.

on the flip side, pretty much every male vtuber who lied about their gender and pretended to be female were found out almost immediately and have pretty much imploded with their communities turning on them

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