<s>
In	O
computing	O
,	O
an	O
avatar	B-Device
is	O
a	O
graphical	O
representation	O
of	O
a	O
user	O
or	O
the	O
user	O
's	O
character	O
or	O
persona	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Avatars	B-Device
can	O
be	O
two-dimensional	O
icons	O
in	O
Internet	B-Application
forums	I-Application
and	O
other	O
online	O
communities	O
,	O
where	O
they	O
are	O
also	O
known	O
as	O
profile	B-Application
pictures	I-Application
,	O
userpics	B-Application
,	O
or	O
formerly	O
picons	B-Application
(	O
personal	O
icons	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alternatively	O
,	O
an	O
avatar	B-Device
can	O
take	O
the	O
form	O
of	O
a	O
three-dimensional	O
model	O
,	O
as	O
used	O
in	O
online	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
and	O
video	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Richard	O
Garriott	O
extended	O
the	O
term	O
to	O
an	O
on-screen	O
user	O
representation	O
in	O
1985	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
term	O
gained	O
wider	O
adoption	O
in	O
Internet	B-Application
forums	I-Application
and	O
MUDs	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nowadays	O
,	O
avatars	B-Device
are	O
used	O
in	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
online	O
settings	O
including	O
social	O
media	O
,	O
virtual	B-Protocol
assistants	I-Protocol
,	O
instant	B-Application
messaging	I-Application
platforms	O
,	O
and	O
digital	O
worlds	O
such	O
as	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
and	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
can	O
take	O
the	O
form	O
of	O
an	O
image	O
of	O
one	O
's	O
real-life	O
self	O
,	O
as	O
often	O
seen	O
on	O
platforms	O
like	O
Facebook	B-Application
,	O
or	O
a	O
virtual	O
character	O
that	O
diverges	O
from	O
the	O
real	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Academic	O
research	O
has	O
focused	O
on	O
how	O
avatars	B-Device
can	O
influence	O
the	O
outcomes	O
of	O
communication	O
and	O
digital	O
identity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Users	O
can	O
employ	O
avatars	B-Device
with	O
fictional	O
characteristics	O
to	O
gain	O
social	O
acceptance	O
or	O
ease	O
social	O
interaction	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
studies	O
have	O
found	O
that	O
the	O
majority	O
of	O
users	O
choose	O
avatars	B-Device
that	O
resemble	O
their	O
real-world	O
selves	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
word	O
avatar	B-Device
is	O
ultimately	O
derived	O
from	O
the	O
Sanskrit	O
word	O
(	O
)	O
;	O
in	O
Hinduism	O
,	O
it	O
stands	O
for	O
the	O
"	O
descent	O
"	O
of	O
a	O
deity	O
into	O
a	O
terrestrial	O
form	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
first	O
used	O
in	O
a	O
computer	O
game	O
by	O
the	O
1979	O
PLATO	B-Operating_System
role-playing	O
game	O
Avatar	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Norman	O
Spinrad	O
's	O
novel	O
Songs	O
from	O
the	O
Stars	O
(	O
1980	O
)	O
,	O
the	O
term	O
avatar	B-Device
is	O
used	O
in	O
a	O
description	O
of	O
a	O
computer	O
generated	O
virtual	O
experience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
term	O
avatar	B-Device
for	O
the	O
on-screen	O
representation	O
of	O
the	O
user	O
was	O
coined	O
in	O
1985	O
by	O
Richard	O
Garriott	O
for	O
the	O
computer	O
game	O
Ultima	B-Application
IV	I-Application
:	I-Application
Quest	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Avatar	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
this	O
game	O
,	O
Garriott	O
desired	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
character	O
to	O
be	O
their	O
Earth	O
self	O
manifested	O
into	O
the	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Due	O
to	O
the	O
ethical	O
content	O
of	O
his	O
story	O
,	O
Garriott	O
wanted	O
the	O
real	O
player	O
to	O
be	O
responsible	O
for	O
their	O
character	O
;	O
he	O
thought	O
only	O
someone	O
playing	O
"	O
themselves	O
"	O
could	O
be	O
properly	O
judged	O
based	O
on	O
their	O
in-game	B-Application
actions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
early	O
uses	O
of	O
the	O
term	O
include	O
Lucasfilm	O
and	O
Chip	O
Morningstar	O
's	O
1986	O
online	B-Protocol
role-playing	I-Protocol
game	O
Habitat	B-Application
,	O
and	O
the	O
1989	O
pen	O
and	O
paper	O
role-playing	O
game	O
Shadowrun	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
use	O
of	O
avatar	B-Device
to	O
mean	O
online	O
virtual	O
bodies	O
was	O
popularised	O
by	O
Neal	O
Stephenson	O
in	O
his	O
1992	O
cyberpunk	O
novel	O
Snow	O
Crash	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Snow	O
Crash	B-Application
,	O
the	O
term	O
avatar	B-Device
was	O
used	O
to	O
describe	O
the	O
virtual	O
simulation	O
of	O
the	O
human	O
form	O
in	O
the	O
Metaverse	O
,	O
a	O
fictional	O
virtual-reality	B-Application
application	O
on	O
the	O
Internet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Social	O
status	O
within	O
the	O
Metaverse	O
was	O
often	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
quality	O
of	O
a	O
user	O
's	O
avatar	B-Device
,	O
as	O
a	O
highly	O
detailed	O
avatar	B-Device
showed	O
that	O
the	O
user	O
was	O
a	O
skilled	O
hacker	O
and	O
programmer	B-Application
while	O
the	O
less	O
talented	O
would	O
buy	O
off-the-shelf	O
models	O
in	O
the	O
same	O
manner	O
a	O
beginner	O
would	O
today	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Stephenson	O
wrote	O
in	O
the	O
"	O
Acknowledgments	O
"	O
to	O
Snow	O
Crash	B-Application
:	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
avatar	B-Device
can	O
refer	O
to	O
a	O
two-dimensional	O
picture	O
akin	O
to	O
an	O
icon	O
in	O
Internet	B-Application
forums	I-Application
and	O
other	O
online	O
communities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
is	O
also	O
known	O
as	O
a	O
profile	B-Application
picture	I-Application
or	O
userpic	B-Application
,	O
or	O
in	O
early	O
Internet	O
parlance	O
,	O
a	O
'	O
picon	B-Application
 '	O
(	O
personal	O
icon	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
advent	O
of	O
social	O
media	O
platforms	O
like	O
Facebook	B-Application
,	O
where	O
users	O
are	O
not	O
typically	O
anonymous	O
,	O
these	O
pictures	O
often	O
are	O
a	O
photo	O
of	O
the	O
user	O
in	O
real	O
life	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alternatively	O
,	O
avatars	B-Device
can	O
also	O
be	O
three-dimensional	O
digital	O
representations	O
,	O
as	O
in	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
or	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
like	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
MUDs	B-Application
and	O
other	O
early	O
systems	O
,	O
they	O
were	O
a	O
construct	O
composed	O
of	O
text	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Despite	O
the	O
widespread	O
use	O
of	O
avatars	B-Device
,	O
it	O
is	O
unknown	O
which	O
Internet	B-Application
forums	I-Application
were	O
the	O
first	O
to	O
use	O
them	O
;	O
the	O
earliest	O
forums	O
did	O
not	O
include	O
avatars	B-Device
as	O
a	O
default	O
feature	O
,	O
and	O
they	O
were	O
included	O
in	O
unofficial	O
"	O
hacks	O
"	O
before	O
eventually	O
being	O
made	O
standard	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Avatars	B-Device
on	O
Internet	B-Application
forums	I-Application
serve	O
the	O
purpose	O
of	O
representing	O
users	O
and	O
their	O
actions	O
,	O
personalizing	O
their	O
contributions	O
to	O
the	O
forum	O
,	O
and	O
may	O
represent	O
different	O
parts	O
of	O
their	O
persona	B-Application
,	O
beliefs	O
,	O
interests	O
or	O
social	O
status	O
in	O
the	O
forum	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
traditional	O
avatar	B-Device
system	O
used	O
on	O
most	O
Internet	B-Application
forums	I-Application
is	O
a	O
small	O
(	O
80x80	O
to	O
100x100	O
pixels	B-Algorithm
,	O
for	O
example	O
)	O
square-shaped	O
area	O
close	O
to	O
the	O
user	O
's	O
forum	O
post	O
,	O
where	O
the	O
avatar	B-Device
is	O
placed	O
in	O
order	O
for	O
other	O
users	O
to	O
easily	O
identify	O
who	O
has	O
written	O
the	O
post	O
without	O
having	O
to	O
read	O
their	O
username	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
forums	O
allow	O
the	O
user	O
to	O
upload	B-Application
an	O
avatar	B-Device
image	O
that	O
may	O
have	O
been	O
designed	O
by	O
the	O
user	O
or	O
acquired	O
from	O
elsewhere	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
forums	O
allow	O
the	O
user	O
to	O
select	O
an	O
avatar	B-Device
from	O
a	O
preset	O
list	O
or	O
use	O
an	O
auto-discovery	O
algorithm	O
to	O
extract	O
one	O
from	O
the	O
user	O
's	O
homepage	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
avatars	B-Device
are	O
animated	O
,	O
consisting	O
of	O
a	O
sequence	O
of	O
multiple	O
images	O
played	O
repeatedly	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
such	O
animated	O
avatars	B-Device
,	O
the	O
number	O
of	O
images	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
time	O
in	O
which	O
they	O
are	O
replayed	O
vary	O
considerably	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
avatar	B-Device
systems	O
exist	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
on	O
Gaia	O
Online	O
,	O
WeeWorld	O
,	O
Frenzoo	O
or	O
Meez	O
,	O
where	O
a	O
pixelized	O
representation	O
of	O
a	O
person	O
or	O
creature	O
is	O
used	O
,	O
which	O
can	O
then	O
be	O
customized	O
to	O
the	O
user	O
's	O
wishes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
also	O
avatar	B-Device
systems	O
(	O
e.g.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
avatar-based	O
system	O
is	O
one	O
wherein	O
an	O
image	O
is	O
automatically	O
generated	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
identity	O
of	O
the	O
poster	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Identicons	B-Error_Name
are	O
formed	O
as	O
visually	O
distinct	O
geometric	O
images	O
derived	O
from	O
a	O
digest	O
hash	O
of	O
the	O
poster	O
's	O
IP	B-Protocol
address	I-Protocol
or	O
user	O
ID	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
used	O
with	O
an	O
IP	B-Protocol
address	I-Protocol
,	O
a	O
particular	O
anonymous	O
user	O
can	O
be	O
visually	O
identified	O
without	O
the	O
need	O
for	O
registration	O
or	O
authentication	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
an	O
account	O
is	O
compromised	O
,	O
a	O
dissimilar	O
identicon	B-Error_Name
will	O
be	O
formed	O
as	O
the	O
attacker	O
is	O
posting	O
from	O
an	O
unfamiliar	O
IP	B-Protocol
address	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
GIF	O
avatars	B-Device
were	O
introduced	O
as	O
early	O
as	O
1990	O
in	O
the	O
ImagiNation	O
Network	O
(	O
also	O
known	O
as	O
Sierra	O
On-Line	O
)	O
game	O
and	O
chat	O
hybrid	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1996	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Comic	I-Application
Chat	I-Application
,	O
an	O
IRC	B-Protocol
client	O
that	O
used	O
cartoon	O
avatars	B-Device
for	O
chatting	O
,	O
was	O
released	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
America	O
Online	O
introduced	O
instant	B-Application
messaging	I-Application
for	O
its	O
membership	O
in	O
1996	O
and	O
included	O
a	O
limited	O
number	O
of	O
"	O
buddy	B-Application
icons	I-Application
,	O
"	O
picking	O
up	O
on	O
the	O
avatar	B-Device
idea	O
from	O
PC	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
AOL	O
later	O
introduced	O
the	O
free	O
version	O
of	O
its	O
messenger	O
,	O
AIM	O
,	O
for	O
use	O
by	O
anyone	O
on	O
the	O
Internet	O
,	O
the	O
number	O
of	O
icons	O
offered	O
grew	O
to	O
be	O
more	O
than	O
1,000	O
and	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
them	O
grew	O
exponentially	O
,	O
becoming	O
a	O
hallmark	O
feature	O
of	O
instant	B-Application
messaging	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
term	O
Avatar	B-Device
began	O
to	O
replace	O
the	O
moniker	O
of	O
"	O
buddy	B-Application
icon	I-Application
"	O
as	O
3D	O
customizable	O
icons	O
became	O
known	O
to	O
its	O
users	O
from	O
the	O
mainstream	O
popularity	O
of	O
PC	O
Games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Yahoo	O
's	O
instant	B-Application
messenger	I-Application
was	O
the	O
first	O
to	O
adopt	O
the	O
term	O
"	O
avatar	B-Device
"	O
for	O
its	O
icons	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Instant	B-Application
messaging	I-Application
avatars	B-Device
were	O
usually	O
very	O
small	O
;	O
AIM	O
icons	O
have	O
been	O
as	O
small	O
as	O
16×16	O
pixels	B-Algorithm
but	O
are	O
used	O
more	O
commonly	O
at	O
the	O
48×48	O
pixel	B-Algorithm
size	O
,	O
although	O
many	O
icons	O
can	O
be	O
found	O
online	O
that	O
typically	O
measure	O
anywhere	O
from	O
50×50	O
pixels	B-Algorithm
to	O
100×100	O
pixels	B-Algorithm
in	O
size	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
More	O
recently	O
,	O
services	O
such	O
as	O
Discord	B-Application
have	O
added	O
avatars	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Avatars	B-Device
can	O
be	O
used	O
as	O
virtual	O
embodiments	O
of	O
embodied	B-General_Concept
agents	I-General_Concept
,	O
which	O
are	O
driven	O
more	O
or	O
less	O
by	O
artificial	B-Application
intelligence	I-Application
rather	O
than	O
real	O
people	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Automated	B-Protocol
online	I-Protocol
assistants	I-Protocol
are	O
examples	O
of	O
avatars	B-Device
used	O
in	O
this	O
way	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Such	O
avatars	B-Device
are	O
used	O
by	O
organizations	O
as	O
a	O
part	O
of	O
automated	O
customer	O
services	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
interact	O
with	O
consumers	O
and	O
users	O
of	O
services	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
major	O
underlying	O
technology	O
to	O
such	O
systems	O
is	O
natural	B-Language
language	I-Language
processing	I-Language
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
of	O
these	O
avatars	B-Device
are	O
commonly	O
known	O
as	O
"	O
bots	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Famous	O
examples	O
include	O
IKEA	O
's	O
Anna	O
,	O
an	O
avatar	B-Device
designed	O
to	O
guide	O
users	O
around	O
the	O
IKEA	O
website	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Such	O
avatars	B-Device
can	O
also	O
be	O
powered	O
by	O
a	O
digital	O
conversation	O
which	O
provides	O
a	O
little	O
more	O
structure	O
than	O
those	O
using	O
NLP	B-Language
,	O
offering	O
the	O
user	O
options	O
and	O
clearly	O
defined	O
paths	O
to	O
an	O
outcome	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
kind	O
of	O
avatar	B-Device
is	O
known	O
as	O
a	O
Structured	O
Language	O
Processing	O
or	O
SLP	O
Avatar	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Avatars	B-Device
in	O
video	O
games	O
are	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
representation	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
video	O
games	O
to	O
include	O
a	O
representation	O
of	O
the	O
player	O
were	O
Basketball	O
(	O
1974	O
)	O
which	O
represented	O
players	O
as	O
humans	O
,	O
and	O
Maze	B-Application
War	I-Application
(	O
1974	O
)	O
which	O
represented	O
players	O
as	O
eyeballs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
Carl	O
Johnson	O
,	O
the	O
avatar	B-Device
from	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
:	I-Application
San	I-Application
Andreas	I-Application
,	O
can	O
be	O
dressed	O
in	O
a	O
wide	O
range	O
of	O
clothing	O
,	O
can	O
be	O
given	O
tattoos	O
and	O
haircuts	O
,	O
and	O
can	O
even	O
body	O
build	O
or	O
become	O
obese	O
depending	O
upon	O
player	O
actions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
video	O
game	O
in	O
which	O
the	O
avatar	B-Device
and	O
player	O
are	O
two	O
separate	O
entities	O
is	O
the	O
game	O
Perspective	B-Application
,	O
where	O
the	O
player	O
controls	O
both	O
themself	O
in	O
a	O
3-dimensional	O
world	O
and	O
the	O
avatar	B-Device
in	O
a	O
2-dimensional	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Aside	O
from	O
an	O
avatar	B-Device
's	O
physical	O
appearance	O
,	O
its	O
dialogue	O
,	O
particularly	O
in	O
cutscenes	O
,	O
may	O
also	O
reveal	O
something	O
of	O
its	O
character	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
good	O
example	O
is	O
the	O
crude	O
,	O
action	O
hero	O
stereotype	B-Language
,	O
Duke	O
Nukem	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
avatars	B-Device
,	O
such	O
as	O
Gordon	O
Freeman	O
from	O
Half-Life	B-Application
,	O
who	O
never	O
speaks	O
at	O
all	O
,	O
reveal	O
very	O
little	O
of	O
themselves	O
(	O
the	O
original	O
game	O
never	O
showed	O
the	O
player	O
what	O
he	O
looked	O
like	O
without	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
a	O
console	O
command	O
for	O
third-person	O
view	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
Massively	B-Application
multiplayer	I-Application
online	I-Application
games	I-Application
(	O
MMOGs	B-Application
)	O
also	O
include	O
customizable	O
avatars	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Customization	O
levels	O
differ	O
between	O
games	O
;	O
for	O
instance	O
,	O
in	O
EVE	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
,	O
players	O
construct	O
a	O
wholly	O
customized	O
portrait	O
,	O
using	O
a	O
software	O
that	O
allows	O
for	O
several	O
changes	O
to	O
facial	O
structure	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
preset	O
hairstyles	O
,	O
skin	O
tones	O
,	O
etc	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
these	O
portraits	O
appear	O
only	O
in	O
in-game	B-Application
chats	O
and	O
static	O
information	O
view	O
of	O
other	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alternatively	O
,	O
City	B-Application
of	I-Application
Heroes	I-Application
offers	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
detailed	O
and	O
comprehensive	O
in-game	B-Application
avatar	B-Device
creation	O
processes	O
,	O
allowing	O
players	O
to	O
construct	O
anything	O
from	O
traditional	O
superheroes	O
to	O
aliens	O
,	O
medieval	O
knights	O
,	O
monsters	O
,	O
robots	O
,	O
and	O
many	O
more	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Robbie	O
Cooper	O
's	O
2007	O
book	O
"	O
Alter	O
Ego	O
,	O
Avatars	B-Device
and	O
their	O
creators	O
"	O
pairs	O
photographs	O
of	O
players	O
of	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
MMO	O
's	O
with	O
images	O
of	O
their	O
in-game	B-Application
avatars	B-Device
and	O
profiles	O
;	O
recording	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
motivations	O
and	O
intentions	O
in	O
designing	O
and	O
using	O
their	O
avatars	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
survey	O
reveals	O
wide	O
variation	O
in	O
the	O
ways	O
in	O
which	O
players	O
of	O
MMO	O
's	O
use	O
avatars	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Felicia	O
Day	O
,	O
creator	O
and	O
star	O
of	O
The	O
Guild	O
web	O
series	O
,	O
created	O
a	O
song	O
called	O
"	O
(	O
Do	O
You	O
Wanna	O
Date	O
My	O
)	O
Avatar	B-Device
"	O
which	O
satirizes	O
avatars	B-Device
and	O
virtual	O
dating	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
's	I-Operating_System
Wii	I-Operating_System
,	O
3DS	B-Operating_System
and	O
Switch	B-Application
consoles	O
allow	O
for	O
the	O
creation	O
of	O
avatars	B-Device
called	O
"	O
Miis	O
"	O
that	O
take	O
the	O
form	O
of	O
stylized	O
,	O
cartoonish	O
people	O
and	O
can	O
be	O
used	O
in	O
some	O
games	O
as	O
avatars	B-Device
for	O
players	O
,	O
as	O
in	O
Wii	B-Application
Sports	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
some	O
games	O
,	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
use	O
a	O
Mii	O
as	O
an	O
avatar	B-Device
must	O
be	O
unlocked	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
in	O
Mario	B-Application
Kart	I-Application
8	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
late	O
2008	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
released	O
an	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
Dashboard	O
update	O
which	O
featured	O
the	O
introduction	O
of	O
Avatars	B-Device
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
console	O
's	O
New	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
Experience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
update	O
installed	O
users	O
can	O
personalize	O
the	O
look	O
of	O
their	O
Avatars	B-Device
by	O
choosing	O
from	O
a	O
range	O
of	O
clothing	O
and	O
facial	O
features	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
October	O
2018	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
launched	O
a	O
new	O
version	O
of	O
their	O
Xbox	B-Device
avatars	I-Device
for	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
One	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
on	O
Windows	B-Operating_System
10	I-Operating_System
,	O
featuring	O
increased	O
detail	O
and	O
having	O
a	O
focus	O
on	O
inclusivity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PlayStation	B-Protocol
Home	I-Protocol
for	O
Sony	O
's	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
console	O
also	O
featured	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
avatars	B-Device
,	O
but	O
with	O
a	O
more	O
realistic	O
style	O
than	O
Nintendo	O
's	O
Miis	O
or	O
Microsoft	O
's	O
Avatars	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Avatars	B-Device
in	O
non-gaming	O
online	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
are	O
used	O
as	O
two	O
-	O
or	O
three-dimensional	O
human	O
or	O
fantastic	O
representations	O
of	O
a	O
person	O
's	O
inworld	O
self	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
earliest	O
avatars	B-Device
of	O
this	O
form	O
were	O
text-based	O
descriptions	O
employed	O
by	O
players	O
within	O
MUDs	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
visually-based	O
game	O
Habitat	B-Application
also	O
used	O
the	O
term	O
to	O
refer	O
to	O
players	O
within	O
the	O
game	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
later	O
example	O
is	O
Linden	O
Labs	O
 '	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
,	O
which	O
has	O
the	O
player	O
use	O
a	O
custom	O
avatar	B-Device
to	O
interact	O
in	O
a	O
virtual	O
3D	O
world	O
;	O
after	O
peaking	O
in	O
2007	O
,	O
its	O
user	O
count	O
declined	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
encroachment	O
of	O
more	O
traditional	O
platforms	O
such	O
as	O
Facebook	B-Application
.	I-Application
</s>
<s>
More	O
recently	O
,	O
the	O
concept	O
has	O
been	O
combined	O
with	O
virtual	B-Application
reality	I-Application
;	O
VRChat	B-Protocol
allows	O
the	O
user	O
to	O
interact	O
with	O
other	O
avatars	B-Device
in	O
custom	O
environments	O
,	O
and	O
Mark	O
Zuckerberg	O
's	O
Meta	O
Platforms	O
has	O
promoted	O
it	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
his	O
vision	O
of	O
a	O
metaverse	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
modern	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
provide	O
users	O
with	O
advanced	O
tools	O
to	O
customize	O
their	O
representations	O
,	O
allowing	O
them	O
to	O
change	O
shapes	O
,	O
hair	O
,	O
skins	O
and	O
also	O
genre	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Moreover	O
,	O
there	O
is	O
a	O
secondary	O
industry	O
devoted	O
to	O
the	O
creations	O
of	O
products	O
and	O
items	O
for	O
the	O
avatars	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
companies	O
have	O
also	O
launched	O
social	O
networks	O
and	O
other	O
websites	O
for	O
avatars	B-Device
such	O
as	O
Koinup	O
,	O
Myrl	O
,	O
and	O
Avatars	B-Device
United	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Lisa	O
Nakamura	O
has	O
suggested	O
that	O
customizable	O
avatars	B-Device
in	O
non-gaming	O
worlds	O
tend	O
to	O
be	O
biased	O
towards	O
lighter	O
skin	O
colors	O
and	O
against	O
darker	O
skin	O
colors	O
,	O
especially	O
in	O
those	O
of	O
the	O
male	O
gender	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
avatars	B-Device
are	O
created	O
by	O
residents	O
and	O
take	O
any	O
form	O
,	O
and	O
range	O
from	O
lifelike	O
humans	O
to	O
robots	O
,	O
animals	O
,	O
plants	O
and	O
legendary	O
creatures	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Avatar	B-Device
customization	O
is	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
important	O
entertainment	O
aspects	O
in	O
non	O
gaming	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
,	O
such	O
as	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
,	O
IMVU	O
,	O
and	O
Active	B-Protocol
Worlds	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
evidence	O
suggests	O
that	O
avatars	B-Device
that	O
are	O
more	O
anthropomorphic	O
are	O
perceived	O
to	O
be	O
less	O
credible	O
and	O
likeable	O
than	O
images	O
that	O
are	O
less	O
anthropomorphic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Social	O
scientists	O
at	O
Stanford	O
's	O
Virtual	O
Human	O
Interaction	O
Lab	O
examine	O
the	O
implications	O
,	O
possibilities	O
,	O
and	O
transformed	B-General_Concept
social	I-General_Concept
interaction	I-General_Concept
that	O
occur	O
when	O
people	O
interact	O
via	O
avatars	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
avatar	B-Device
has	O
emerged	O
with	O
the	O
widespread	O
use	O
of	O
social	O
media	O
platforms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
is	O
a	O
practice	O
in	O
social	O
media	O
sites	O
:	O
uploading	B-Application
avatars	B-Device
in	O
place	O
of	O
real	O
profile	O
image	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Profile	B-Application
picture	I-Application
is	O
a	O
distinct	O
graphics	O
that	O
represent	O
the	O
identity	O
of	O
profile	O
holder	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Using	O
avatars	B-Device
as	O
profile	B-Application
pictures	I-Application
can	O
increase	O
users	O
 '	O
perceived	O
level	O
of	O
social	B-General_Concept
presence	I-General_Concept
which	O
in	O
turn	O
fosters	O
reciprocity	O
and	O
sharing	O
behavior	O
in	O
online	O
environments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
form	O
of	O
use	O
for	O
avatars	B-Device
is	O
for	O
video	O
chats/calls	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
services	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Skype	O
(	O
through	O
some	O
external	O
plugins	O
)	O
allow	O
users	O
to	O
use	O
talking	B-Protocol
avatars	I-Protocol
during	O
video	O
calls	O
,	O
replacing	O
the	O
image	O
from	O
the	O
user	O
's	O
camera	O
with	O
an	O
animated	O
,	O
talking	O
avatar	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Through	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
facial	B-Operating_System
motion	I-Operating_System
capture	I-Operating_System
and	O
a	O
webcam	B-Protocol
,	O
an	O
avatar	B-Device
can	O
be	O
configured	O
to	O
mimic	O
the	O
motions	O
and	O
expressions	O
of	O
the	O
user	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
can	O
be	O
integrated	O
directly	O
into	O
games	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Star	B-Application
Citizen	I-Application
,	O
and	O
via	O
standalone	O
software	O
such	O
as	O
FaceRig	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	O
YouTubers	O
use	O
animated	O
avatars	B-Device
designed	O
in	O
software	O
such	O
as	O
Live2D	B-Operating_System
,	O
which	O
often	O
resemble	O
anime	O
characters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
whole	O
ecosystem	O
of	O
talent	O
agencies	O
and	O
investors	O
exists	O
to	O
manage	O
these	O
online	O
personalities	O
,	O
which	O
often	O
differ	O
from	O
the	O
creator	O
's	O
real-life	O
persona	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
the	O
Matt	O
Groening	O
character	O
in	O
some	O
episodes	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Simpsons	I-Application
)	O
or	O
an	O
entirely	O
fictional	O
character	O
(	O
e.g.	O
</s>
<s>
Such	O
characters	O
are	O
sometimes	O
known	O
as	O
"	O
author	O
surrogates	O
"	O
or	O
"	O
author	O
avatars	B-Device
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Early	O
examples	O
of	O
customizable	O
avatars	B-Device
include	O
multi-user	O
systems	O
,	O
including	O
MUDs	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gaia	O
Online	O
has	O
a	O
customizable	O
avatar	B-Device
where	O
users	O
can	O
dress	O
it	O
up	O
as	O
desired	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Users	O
may	O
earn	O
credits	O
for	O
completing	O
sponsored	O
surveys	O
or	O
certain	O
tasks	O
to	O
purchase	O
items	O
and	O
upgrades	O
to	O
customize	O
their	O
avatar	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Linden	O
Lab	O
's	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
creates	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
in	O
which	O
avatars	B-Device
,	O
homes	O
,	O
decorations	O
,	O
buildings	O
and	O
land	O
are	O
for	O
sale	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Less-common	O
items	O
may	O
be	O
designed	O
to	O
appear	O
better	O
than	O
common	O
items	O
,	O
and	O
an	O
experienced	O
player	O
may	O
be	O
identified	O
from	O
a	O
group	O
of	O
new	O
characters	O
before	O
in-game	B-Application
statistics	O
are	O
seen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
meet	O
the	O
demand	O
for	O
millions	O
of	O
unique	O
,	O
customised	O
avatars	B-Device
,	O
generator	O
tools	O
and	O
services	O
have	O
been	O
created	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
2021	O
Electronic	O
Entertainment	O
Expo	O
featured	O
an	O
avatar	B-Device
creator	O
,	O
to	O
align	O
with	O
its	O
new	O
all-digital	O
nature	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
"	O
Awareness	O
avatars	B-Device
"	O
have	O
been	O
used	O
to	O
creating	O
rapid	O
awareness	O
in	O
social	O
media	O
through	O
avatar	B-Device
modification	O
or	O
a	O
single	O
icon	O
's	O
use	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
awareness	O
avatar	B-Device
may	O
have	O
first	O
been	O
used	O
in	O
the	O
New	B-Application
Zealand	I-Application
Internet	I-Application
Blackout	I-Application
,	O
to	O
protest	O
copyright	O
law	O
changes	O
in	O
New	O
Zealand	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Black	O
avatar	B-Device
:	O
February	O
16	O
–	O
23	O
,	O
2009	O
New	B-Application
Zealand	I-Application
Internet	I-Application
Blackout	I-Application
protesting	O
copyright	O
law	O
changes	O
in	O
New	O
Zealand	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
COVID-19	O
pandemic	O
,	O
users	O
added	O
surgical	O
masks	O
and	O
respirators	O
on	O
the	O
faces	O
of	O
characters	O
and	O
avatars	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Websites	O
such	O
as	O
Facebook	B-Application
officially	O
supported	O
these	O
efforts	O
by	O
adding	O
the	O
option	O
for	O
several	O
frames	O
supporting	O
the	O
COVID-19	O
vaccine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Avatars	B-Device
have	O
become	O
an	O
area	O
of	O
study	O
in	O
the	O
world	O
of	O
academics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
psychiatrist	O
David	O
Brunski	O
,	O
the	O
emergence	O
of	O
online	O
avatars	B-Device
have	O
implications	O
for	O
domains	O
of	O
scholarly	O
research	O
such	O
as	O
technoself	O
studies	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
concerned	O
with	O
all	O
aspects	O
of	O
identity	O
in	O
a	O
technological	O
society	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Across	O
the	O
literature	O
,	O
scholars	O
have	O
focused	O
on	O
three	O
overlapping	O
aspects	O
that	O
influence	O
users	O
 '	O
perceptions	O
of	O
the	O
social	O
potential	O
of	O
avatars	B-Device
:	O
agency	O
,	O
anthropomorphism	O
,	O
and	O
realism	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Fox	O
,	O
researchers	O
must	O
differentiate	O
perceived	O
agency	O
(	O
whether	O
an	O
entity	O
is	O
perceived	O
to	O
be	O
human	O
)	O
,	O
anthropomorphism	O
(	O
having	O
human	O
form	O
or	O
behavior	O
)	O
,	O
identomorphism	O
(	O
how	O
much	O
the	O
form	O
of	O
the	O
avatar	B-Device
resembles	O
the	O
player	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
realism	O
(	O
the	O
perceived	O
viability	O
of	O
something	O
realistically	O
existing	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
earlier	O
meta-analysis	O
of	O
studies	O
comparing	O
agents	O
and	O
avatars	B-Device
found	O
that	O
both	O
agency	O
and	O
perceived	O
agency	O
mattered	O
:	O
representations	O
controlled	O
by	O
humans	O
were	O
more	O
persuasive	O
than	O
those	O
controlled	O
by	O
bots	O
,	O
and	O
representations	O
believed	O
to	O
be	O
controlled	O
by	O
humans	O
were	O
more	O
persuasive	O
than	O
those	O
believed	O
to	O
be	O
controlled	O
by	O
bots	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Higher	O
levels	O
of	O
anthropomorphism	O
also	O
lead	O
to	O
higher	O
involvement	O
,	O
social	B-General_Concept
presence	I-General_Concept
,	O
and	O
communication	O
satisfaction	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Moreover	O
,	O
people	O
communicate	O
more	O
naturally	O
with	O
more	O
anthropomorphic	O
avatars	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
the	O
Harvard	O
Business	O
Review	O
,	O
Paul	O
Hemp	O
analysed	O
the	O
effects	O
of	O
avatars	B-Device
on	O
real-world	O
business	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
focuses	O
on	O
the	O
game	O
"	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
"	O
,	O
demonstrating	O
that	O
the	O
creators	O
of	O
virtual	B-Application
avatars	I-Application
are	O
willing	O
to	O
spend	O
real	O
money	O
to	O
purchase	O
goods	O
marketed	O
solely	O
to	O
their	O
virtual	O
selves	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Journal	O
of	O
Computer-Mediated	O
Communication	O
published	O
a	O
study	O
of	O
the	O
reactions	O
to	O
certain	O
types	O
of	O
avatars	B-Device
by	O
a	O
sample	O
group	O
of	O
human	O
users	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
results	O
showed	O
that	O
users	O
commonly	O
chose	O
avatars	B-Device
which	O
were	O
humanoid	O
and	O
matched	O
their	O
gender	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
conclusion	O
was	O
that	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
make	O
users	O
feel	O
more	O
"	O
at	O
home	O
"	O
in	O
their	O
avatars	B-Device
,	O
designers	O
should	O
maximise	O
the	O
customizability	O
of	O
visual	O
criteria	O
common	O
to	O
humans	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
skin	O
and	O
hair	O
color	O
,	O
gender	O
,	O
hair	O
styles	O
and	O
height	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Researchers	O
at	O
York	O
University	O
studied	O
whether	O
avatars	B-Device
reflected	O
a	O
user	O
's	O
real-life	O
personality	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Researchers	O
have	O
also	O
studied	O
avatars	B-Device
that	O
differ	O
from	O
real-life	O
identity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Research	O
by	O
Nick	O
Yee	O
of	O
the	O
Daedelus	O
Project	O
demonstrates	O
that	O
an	O
avatar	B-Device
may	O
differ	O
considerably	O
from	O
a	O
player	O
's	O
offline	O
identity	O
,	O
based	O
on	O
gender	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
most	O
players	O
will	O
make	O
an	O
avatar	B-Device
that	O
is	O
(	O
proportionately	O
)	O
equal	O
to	O
their	O
height	O
(	O
or	O
slightly	O
taller	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
