Key Moments
Synthetic Media: Virtual Influencers & Live Animation: Figments (S19) - YC Gaming Tech Talks 2020
Y CombinatorKey Moments
Figments creates virtual esports characters with fictional storylines, generating massive online followings and brand partnerships by blending live streaming, motion capture, and real-time game engines.
Key Insights
Figments' first character, Morales, a robot trash talker, gained almost 10,000 YouTube subscribers and became a Twitch partner streamer through the viral 'Beat the Robot' event.
The company utilizes a proprietary virtual production tool that merges live streaming, motion capture data, and game engines like Unreal Engine to create content.
The COVID-19 pandemic, while challenging, forced Figments to adopt a fully remote workflow, enabling them to collaborate with talent globally.
Figments employs technologies like ARKit on iPhones within their virtual production suite, allowing for performer-friendly content creation from home.
The technology developed by Figments is comparable to that used by Lucasfilm for projects like 'The Mandalorian' for real-time animation and motion capture.
Early brand partnerships include collaborations with Reebok to integrate digital products with virtual characters on live streams and with Guayaki Yerba Mate.
Creating virtual esports athletes with fictional narratives
Figments aims to build the next iteration of WWE but centered around esports, featuring entirely new virtual characters with unique, fictional storylines. Unlike traditional wrestling, these characters compete in popular video games, broadcasting their matches to large live audiences on platforms like Twitch. Their first character, Morales, a robot designed to compete in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, was intentionally created to be skilled and a 'hilarious trash talker.' This approach focuses on entertainment value, leveraging the drama and personality of characters to engage an audience, much like professional wrestling.
Rapid growth and viral event success
Morales quickly gained traction over a few months, becoming a partner streamer on Twitch and amassing nearly 10,000 subscribers on YouTube. This growth was significantly boosted by a viral event within the fighting game community called 'Beat the Robot.' This event highlighted the appeal of watching a highly skilled, albeit virtual, character compete against human players, generating substantial buzz and viewership. The success of Morales demonstrated the potential for virtual characters to build substantial fan bases and achieve mainstream recognition within the esports and gaming communities.
Proprietary virtual production technology
To bring these virtual characters to life, Figments developed unique technology: a virtual production tool designed for their in-house talent and content teams. This system integrates live streaming and audio pipelines with advanced motion capture technology. The core of their innovation lies in using real-time game engines, such as Unreal Engine, for live animation and motion capture, a technique comparable to what Lucasfilm utilizes for productions like 'The Mandalorian.' This allows for high-quality, dynamic content creation that was previously not feasible.
Adapting to remote work during the pandemic
Figments, initially planning to build an in-house studio in Los Angeles post-YC, faced immediate challenges when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The necessity of shifting to a remote operational model, while initially daunting, proved to be a significant advantage. This transition enabled Figments to collaborate with talent located anywhere in the world, provided they had a stable internet connection. This remote capability expanded their talent pool and allowed for greater flexibility in content creation, overcoming geographical limitations.
Performer-friendly and scalable tools
Central to Figments' philosophy is creating technology that empowers performers. They designed their virtual production tools to be performer-friendly and scalable, emphasizing that talent does not need to access large, specialized motion capture stages. Instead, content creation can occur within the constraints of a home office or streaming room. This approach allows virtual talent to focus on their core strengths—creating engaging drama and entertaining streams—without being hindered by technical complexities, fostering community around their characters.
Leveraging ARKit and Unreal Engine for content
The company's technology stack includes Unreal Engine for content creation and ARKit on the iPhone, which is a major component of their development. This combination enables real-time animation and motion capture, facilitating the creation of content that was previously difficult or impossible to produce. The app's features are continuously being developed, underscoring the ongoing investment in refining these core tools to push the boundaries of virtual character performance and storytelling.
Securing brand partnerships through innovation
The unique approach of Figments has attracted significant interest from brands looking for novel ways to engage with audiences. Their early success led to a partnership with Reebok, facilitated by a relationship with another YC company, Athlane, which connects streamers with brands. Reebok was keen on integrating digital products with virtual characters on live streams, showcasing new sneakers via Morales. Following this, Guayaki Yerba Mate also partnered with Figments, further validating the commercial viability of virtual influencers in advertising.
Vision for the future and hiring needs
Looking ahead, Figments plans to launch more characters and expand its narrative universe. Their core values remain centered on storytelling and content creation, with an ambitious vision to build a new media entertainment company that appeals to fans of games and esports across platforms like Twitch, YouTube, and TikTok, as well as future, as-yet-unimagined social platforms. The company is actively hiring for various roles, including Unreal Engine developers, graphic designers, video editors, technical artists, and marketing professionals, seeking individuals passionate about their 'crazy vision' for the future of entertainment.
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Common Questions
Figments creates virtual characters with fictional storylines who compete in popular video games. They are building a new form of esports entertainment, comparable to WWE but with digital characters in games like Super Smash Brothers.
Topics
Mentioned in this video
The first virtual character created by Figments, a robot that competes in Super Smash Brothers Ultimate and is known for its skill and trash-talking.
Unique technology built by Figments to mix live streaming, video, audio pipelines, and motion capture for creating virtual characters.
A video game in which the virtual character Morales competes.
Technology integrated into Figments' virtual production tool.
Apple's augmented reality platform used on iPhones as part of Figments' technology stack.
A game engine used by Figments to create content for their virtual characters.
Mentioned for their use of similar real-time game engine technologies for content creation.
Platform where Morales gained nearly 10,000 subscribers.
A brand that partnered with Figments to integrate digital products with virtual characters on live streams.
Streaming platform where Figments' virtual characters compete and gain subscribers.
A brand that partnered with Figments after seeing the success with Reebok.
A company building virtual characters with fictional storylines who compete in popular video games, described as the next version of WWE for esports.
Accelerator program that Figments went through in Summer 2019.
A YC company that pairs streamers with brands, mentioned as a connection that facilitated the Reebok partnership.
A social platform mentioned as a current example of where Figments' stories can appeal.
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