Fashion Statement: WowWee Unveils Metaverse Avatars

WowWee is working with Gamefam, a major Roblox publisher, to produce My Avastars, a line of dolls that blends the physical and digital worlds.

While half of Roblox users are girls, the toy market focuses on action figures and blasters. Sydney Wiseman, vice president, brand development and creative strategy at WowWee, believes expanding to other categories and customers is a passion.

My Avastars lets youngsters turn their digital avatar into a real-life fashion star with a range of outfits and accessories for infinite personalization, creativity and self-expression, the toy company says

Each of the initial three Avastars — KawaiiPie^^, A VibeThng and Dreamer 3.0 — will premiere in a box that includes a trademark outfit, a bonus outfit and reusable sticker sheets for more than 100 outfits.

My Avastars’ style is distinctive, says WowWee vice president of marketing and operations Andrew Yanofsky.

“Fashion dolls are traditionally ‘perfect.’ My Avastars’ blocky shape, flat surfaces and peel-and-repeat sticker play inspire youngsters’ creativity by letting them replace and rearrange their dolls like they do their avatars,” Yanofsky said.

Each My Avastars doll has a code for the new Roblox game My Avastars: RP. Roleplaying

Starting next month, youngsters may bring their dolls online, unlocking new clothes, hairstyles and face traits. My Avastars is the first fashion doll franchise centered on a community, the company says.

In addition, WowWee and Gamefam are launching a Discord channel to allow fans and the brand to converse in real time. Moreover, fans will have an important role in the development of My Avastars, both in terms of gameplay and tangible toys.

“As the Roblox universe grows, we’re building the next generation of hit brands,” said Joe Ferencz, creator and CEO of Gamefam. “My Avastars is the first toy and Roblox game designed simultaneously, giving players a real-world and metaverse experience.”

A limited number of dolls are being shipped this summer before officially hitting shelves at major retailers including Walmart, Amazon, Target and Macy’s in October.

Gamefam’s mission dovetails with, in part, with WowWee. Its media partners include Fox and Mattel. The company co-develops games; it also delivers ad campaigns for major brands. Its games include Sonic Speed Racer and Military Tycoon.

If you are not familiar with the metaverse, here is a handy definition: It’s a “digital reality that combines aspects of social media, online gaming, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and cryptocurrencies to allow users to interact virtually,” Investopedia.com said. “Augmented reality overlays visual elements, sound, and other sensory input onto real-world settings to enhance the user experience. In contrast, virtual reality is entirely virtual and enhances fictional realities.”

Produced in association with MetaNews.

Edited by Fern Siegel and Matthew B. Hall