US meta-universe social media platform IMVU exploded 44% in users during the 2020 epidemic, and was named the top 10 favorite social apps of Gen Z and millennials in 2020, ranking in the top three in app store revenue.
IMVU claims to be the world's largest avatar-based social network. Founded in 2004, IMVU mainly provides 3D avatar avatars for teenagers, interacts with friends through 3D costumes and 3D scenes, provides chat, photos and other functions, and creates a "realistic social" experience. So far, IMVU has more than 200 million registered users and 7 million monthly active users.
Before entering the IMVU meta-universe, you must first personalize your avatar by pinching your face, and then you can meet friends, travel by plane, and establish friendships and romantic relationships with other avatars through the avatar; IMVU has a variety of virtual spaces and environments, you can fight and dance with strangers in nightclubs, watch the sunset in a seaside villa, and take selfies in a roof party concave pose. Anything that can be done in real life can be implemented at IMVU.
Creators can create their own virtual worlds/rooms through official tools and tutorials, as well as design virtual clothing, furniture to sell, and get profits from them, and more than 200,000 users have become creators, turning virtual product sales into real money to make a living in the IMVU metaverse. IMVU data states that creators collectively make more than $8 million a year from the platform.
Real-life brands like Gypsy Sport and Collina Strada are already reaching out to customers at IMVU. In May 2021, IMVU joined the world of digital fashion by hosting a virtual clothing show, showcasing unique work from seven emerging designers. USERS OF IMVU CAN PURCHASE ALL OF THE DESIGNER'S DIGITAL PRODUCTS, AND SELECTED WORKS ARE ALSO AUCTIONED AT IMVU'S OPENSEA MARKET, WHERE THE USER'S AVATAR CAN BE OUTFITTED IN IMVU. There are a total of 50 million costumes in IMVU's virtual store
In December 2021, IMVU opened the Live Rooms live broadcast function, where viewers can chat and interact with the host or other viewers in the room, rather than one-on-one or group dialogue in the previous mode.
CEO Daren Tsui said IMVU's Live Rooms bring people together around entertaining events and connect with audiences. The goal is to enhance a sense of community and a strong sense of belonging, so that users feel like they are participating in a large live talk show.
Since the Live Rooms feature went live in December, more than 8 million users have attended and hosted events. Among them, YouTube creator Carmen King immediately reached the maximum room limit of 1,000 users when he first used live rooms to hold a talk show.
Unlike traditional social media sites such as Facebook, Weibo, and Douyin, which are limited to posting articles, photos, videos, comments, likes, and sharing, IMVU enables truly social online experiences — immersive living, authentic conversations, real-time sharing, and co-creation.
Similar to IMVU in China is Cub Zepeto, which does not seem to have much influence at present, and from a technical point of view, there is still a big gap between Cub and IMVU: mainly reflected in the aesthetics and trend sense, the construction of rich scenes, and interactive experience. In the case of poor experience, the rush to cash out through skins and kits, and the inability to open up other social media, limiting the development of cubs.