Cross-game digital avatar platform Ready Player Me launches branded character skins with a variety of major brands and IP addresses including Angry Birds game studio Rovio, the TV talent show ‘The Voice’ and Warner Music Group (WMG) announced Ready Player Me on Friday.
The new collections are part of Ready Player Me’s upcoming Premium Skins Catalog, which will allow brands to sell skins and custom content directly to users. CEO of Ready Player Me Timmu Toke said in a statement that the catalog is designed to allow any game developer to jump on the platform, create custom skins and sell them to their audience.
Declutter confirmed avatar skin plans with Rovio, Warner Music Group and Virtual Brand Group, which licensed “The Voice” IP for Web3 activations. However, Ready Player Me also announced similar plans with car manufacturer McLaren and Universal Music Group’s merchandising arm Bravado Declutter could not confirm these plans with the respective companies at the time of writing.
Branded avatar skins are coming to the Ready Player Me platform. Image: Ready Player Me
Justin Hochberg, CEO of Virtual Brand Group, shared this Declutter that the show ventures into the world of digital assets and custom skins as a way to connect with younger audiences.
“Every generation shops in its own way,” Hochberg said Declutter via email. “Generation Z and Alpha consumers are no longer digital natives on 2D social media, but ‘spatial natives’ who play, form relationships and purchase 3D items in 3D worlds.”
Hochberg said he sees video games as virtual “stores” that could spark a “retail revolution.” “The Voice” Ready Player Me offering includes virtual streetwear, accessories, full-body costumes and performance fashion, Hochberg explains.
Although it is still up for debate whether physical stores and shopping centers are actually ‘dying’, sales in digital worlds like Fortnite and Roblox rake in millions in revenue, mainly from a young audience.
A WMG representative said this Declutter via email that skins will be “customized and tailored to the artist’s unique style,” but did not share which artists might use the platform.
“We are committed to enabling our artists and songwriters to connect with their fans wherever they are and in the interactive formats they demand,” said Jillian Rothman, vice president of New Business and Ventures WMG, in a statement about its plans to use Ready Player Me. .
However, this isn’t WMG’s first foray into NFTs and crypto. Earlier this year, WMG launched a blockchain music accelerator on Polygon, and planned NFTs via the Polygon platform LGND in 2022. WMG’s Singapore division is reportedly working with Web3 company Affyn to offer its artists various gaming revenue streams, and WMG has partnered with digital fashion company NFT DressX And Open sea since the end of 2022.
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McLaren has also previously explored and launched NFTs Formula 1 NFTs on Tezos back in 2021 and more recently added some of its cars to Mythical Games’ latest mobile title Nitro Nation World Tour.
UMG– also no stranger NFT is launched– will release skins inspired by German metal band Electric Callboy and hip-hop lifestyle brand Stoked, according to the announcement.
“Many music fans are gamers and most gamers are music fans, so it feels natural to make official merchandise available digitally so users can express themselves and show off their fandom just like in the real world,” said Philippe Koenig, senior director of A&R, operations and strategy at UMG’s Bravado Merchandise Germany.
Edited by Andrew Hayward