January 7, 2008 (Tokyo, Japan)—Acrodea, Inc. (CEO and President: Junya Tsutsumi), headquartered in Meguro-ku, Tokyo, and Eitarosoft, Inc. (President and CEO: Eitaro Nishijima), headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, announced the joint development of VIVID Avatar Maker as a new mobile communication offering based on avatar creation.
VIVID Avatar Maker, jointly developed by Acrodea and Eitarosoft, allows individual users to create, save, edit, and receive and send through data communications “look-alike avatars” in simple steps. VIVID Avatar Maker can prepare and place all of the body parts by default. The setup enables the creation of look-alikes by modifying the parts, which consist of gender, body shape, outline, hairstyle, eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth, beard, freckles, and eyeglasses. The icons for the parts scroll smoothly and are easy to select and edit. The Action Menu allows the settings for avatar movement. Various settings enable expressions of trendy moves and characteristic moves. In addition to avatar creation by using and modifying the default parts, a portrait photo taken with the mobile device’s camera can be cropped and used as a translucent pattern for creating the face.
Finished avatar data can be exported as material for decorative email, decorative picture fonts, or Flash in either JPEG, GIF, or SWF file formats. In combination with VIVID UI, original avatars can walk around menu screens or behave as agents to advise on schedules or relate the news. The created avatars can provide operating instructions for previous models or based on operating logs, announce incoming messages or phone calls, and handle operations.
Acrodea and Eitarosoft intend to release this new communication tool VIVID Avatar Maker globally for broad utilization, and to promote partnerships with companies that show keen interest in these service models.
| Fig. 1 VIVID Avatar Maker operation screens |
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| Fig. 2 VIVID Avatar Maker characteristics |
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 Please click on a picture to view a larger. |
Acrodea, Inc., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a software technology R&D firm involved in middleware technology for mobile terminals. The company is particularly focused on interface technologies connecting between the user and terminal, and currently provides UI (user interface) technologies and email enhancement technologies to the market. We are also applying R&D energy towards the enhancement of graphics performance, which is indispensable in facilitating usage of mobile platform interfaces. Our stance and efforts are a continual commitment to superior products and improving technology, for which we have received recognition worldwide. In addition to Japan and Korea, Acrodea is engaged in business on the global market, including China, Europe, and North America. The company listed publicly on Mothers Exchange of TSE on Oct. 19, 2006, just two years and three months after establishment in July 2004. Acrodea is headquartered in Tokyo, and maintains an overseas presence in Seoul, Korea; Helsinki, Finland; and Newport Beach, California, U.S.A. For more information, please visit http://www.acrodea.co.jp.
Eitarosoft, Inc., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is the first company in Japan to develop a 3D engine successfully as an application. The proprietary 3D technology thus developed forms the basis for 3D avatar systems development. Driving the cutting edge of technology worldwide with ajax, the company has successfully completed a 3D avatar system offering for mobile phone browsers for the first time in Japan. R&D efforts in network technologies have resulted in the development of P2P online technology, and a fully 3D online RPG for mobile phones that permits up to four concurrent participants—for the first time in Japan. Eitarosoft continually delves into R&D for new technology, frequently succeeding in technology development for services seemingly difficult to establish and receiving praise from customers who desire differentiated, unique services. Eitarosoft was established in January 2002, and has an overseas presence in California, U.S.A. For more information, please visit http://www.eitarosoft.co.jp/.
Marketing Department at Acrodea, Inc.
TEL：+81 3-5768-8603 email: pr@acrodea.co.jp
Avatar Division at Eitarosoft, Inc.
TEL：+81 3-3254-3770 email: support@eitarosoft.co.jp
