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Why are Bitmojis 3D now?

Why are Bitmojis 3D now?

Bitmojis have recently made the shift from 2D to 3D. For those unfamiliar, Bitmojis are personalized avatars created by the popular app Bitmoji. Users can create an avatar that resembles them and use it in messaging apps, on social media, and more. Bitmojis have been around since 2014, but up until recently, they were strictly 2D. Now, Bitmoji has rolled out 3D Bitmoji worldwide, marking a major change for the popular avatar platform.

The shift to 3D Bitmojis opens up many new creative possibilities. With depth and additional dimensions, 3D Bitmojis can show more personality, emotion, and uniqueness compared to their flatter 2D counterparts. This new take on Bitmojis offers more options for personalization and self-expression.

But why did Bitmoji make the switch from 2D to 3D in the first place? And what are the implications of 3D Bitmojis?

The History of Bitmoji

Bitmoji was created in 2014 by Bitstrips and initially gained popularity as a way for users to create comic strips and cartoons starring their own avatars. In 2016, Snapchat acquired Bitmoji for $64.2 million. This gave Snapchat exclusive access to Bitmoji, which they integrated into their app as personalized stickers and Bitmoji Stories.

Under Snapchat’s ownership, Bitmoji continued to grow and evolve. Major updates included:

  • Launching the Bitmoji Keyboard in 2017, allowing users to send their personalized avatar in chats
  • Releasing Bitmoji Deluxe in 2019, which offered hundreds of additional customization options
  • Expanding availability to platforms like Gboard and GarageBand

Throughout Bitmoji’s 2D era, the style of the avatars remained flat and cartoonish. While they grew more detailed and customizable over time, they were still limited by their lack of dimension.

The Shift to 3D

In summer 2022, Snapchat began rolling out 3D Bitmojis to users worldwide. This update gave Bitmojis more depth, perspective, and range of motion. While original 2D Bitmojis appear flat like traditional stickers, 3D Bitmojis are rendered with full shapes and figures.

With the shift to 3D, Bitmojis can now flex their arms, cross their legs, and turn their heads. Bitmoji stickers come “to life” with 3D animations reflecting various emotions and reactions. Even Bitmoji wardrobe options like jackets, pants, and shoes now appear in three dimensions.

According to Ba Blackstock, Snap’s Creative Director, the move to 3D Bitmoji was motivated by wanting to “give them more expression.” The extra dimension allows Bitmojis to better convey emotions and activities through body language. This enhanced expressiveness translates to more personalized and lively conversations.

New Creative Possibilities

The introduction of 3D Bitmojis opens up many new creative doors for both Snapchat and users:

More Realistic Bitmoji Avatars

With 3D, Bitmojis can now appear more true-to-life. Extra dimensions allow for anatomy like curves and muscles that wasn’t possible previously. Details like clothing folds and hair strands also help reflect real people more accurately.

Enhanced Bitmoji Stickers

Bitmoji stickers now appear in 3D with more dynamic motions and expressions. The added depth makes Bitmoji reactions and emotions in chat stickers seem more life-like and engaging.

Interactive 3D Worlds

3D Bitmojis open up options for interactive 3D worlds that users can explore with their avatar. This could include customized video game-like environments.

Augmented Reality

The 3D avatars are better optimized for augmented and virtual reality. Users will be able to interact and engage with their Bitmoji in real-world environments in a more seamless and integrated way thanks to the extra dimension.

Animated Content

More seamless Bitmoji animation is possible with 3D models. This allows for longer-form animated content like Bitmoji TV shows that can leverage more complex character animation.

Technical Aspects

Developing 3D Bitmojis required significant technical work under the hood. According to Snapchat, the shift from 2D to 3D involved:

  • New 3D modeling pipelines and workflows
  • Rigging Bitmoji with “skeletons” to enable movement and animation
  • Enhanced texturing and rendering
  • Optimizing 3D scenes and environments

Adding a whole new dimension provided fresh challenges for the Bitmoji team. But ultimately, the technical breakthroughs expanded Bitmoji creative capabilities.

Response to 3D Bitmojis

Thus far, response to 3D Bitmojis has been largely positive. Some key reactions include:

Excitement Around New Creative Possibilities

Many users have expressed enthusiasm about the new expressiveness and creativity enabled by 3D. They’re eager to see how Bitmoji leverages the extra dimension.

Appreciation for Enhanced Personalization

Users like having Bitmojis that feel more customized to them with details like physic, posture, and fashion.

Positive Feedback on More Lifelike Animations

Early feedback on Bitmoji stickers indicates users are enjoying the more lifelike animations in 3D. The dynamic motions make chats feel more engaging.

Learning Curve With New Controls

There is a slight learning curve as users get used to new controls for posing and manipulating their 3D Bitmoji.

Glitches and Issues

As with any major update, there have been a few glitches while rolling out brand new 3D assets. Most issues appear to be resolved already.

The Future of Bitmoji

The shift to 3D opens exciting new possibilities for the future of Bitmojis. Here are some potential directions:

Wider Platform Availability

The enhanced 3D Bitmojis could come to additional platforms beyond Snapchat, like iOS keyboards, messaging apps, and creative tools.

Custom World Building

Users may get tools to build custom, interactive Bitmoji worlds – perhaps akin to metaverse experiences.

Celebrity Bitmojis

Celebrities may start launching official Bitmojis so fans can connect with 3D versions of their favorite stars.

Expanded Advertising

Brands may leverage 3D Bitmojis more in advertising from sponsored lenses to personalized virtual experiences.

Continued UI Refinement

As users give feedback, Snap will likely continue refining Bitmoji controls and menus to optimize the 3D experience.

Conclusion

The shift from 2D to 3D Bitmojis is a game-changer for the platform. The added depth allows Bitmojis to become more expressive, personalized, and interactive. Early user response indicates people are excited by the new creative possibilities unlocked by 3D.

For Snapchat, this change represents a big bet on the future of avatar-based communication. As virtual spaces become increasingly central to how we interact, Bitmoji aims to lead the way with customized 3D identities. While still early, it’s clear 3D Bitmojis have immense potential to shape the future of digital communication and self-expression.