The metaverse doesn’t just belong to Meta (i.e. the company formerly known as Facebook). Not to be outdone by Mark Zuckerberg’s expansive vision of the future, Microsoft has announced that it, too, wants to coax users deeper into the digital realm.
The company will introduce animated avatars into Microsoft Teams, its video-conference platform, in the first half of 2022. These will be available in both conventional 2d and 3d vr meetings. Microsoft says its research suggests that people feel “more present and engaged in meetings” when cameras are off. These avatars, then, can substitute for real faces.
The avatars will be animated in real time in response to users’ vocal cues. In vr settings, they will be able to do other things, like raise their hands, according to the users’ behavior. Businesses will also be able to create virtual work spaces inside Teams for the avatars to inhabit.
