Introducing Animaze!

Animaze, our new PC program and the official successor to FaceRig, is coming soon to Steam! Wishlist Animaze on Steam and sign up for our closed beta now to try it for yourself! Read the full announcement and our FAQs below for more information, and join our Discord server to connect with us!

(下にスクロールすると、日本語の翻訳が表示されます。)

After nearly six years and hundreds of millions of avatar streams, video chats, and YouTube views, it’s time to talk about the future of FaceRig. We are super excited to share that Animaze, our new PC app and the official successor to FaceRig, is coming soon to Steam! 

What is Animaze?

Like FaceRig, Animaze makes it easy to stream, video chat, and record videos as awesome avatars. Thanks to years of R&D (and thoughtful feedback from you), Animaze brings major improvements to every core aspect of FaceRig. Face tracking, animation, and graphics have all been completely redesigned to deliver more expressive avatars than ever before. 

Animaze includes a host of new avatars, props, and backgrounds alongside fan favorites from FaceRig - all designed for deep customization. We’re happy to share that Live2D is included in Animaze, so you’ll have access to awesome 2D avatars without needing a DLC. We’ve already got a ton of exciting updates planned, so you can expect regular releases with new features, avatars, props and more.

We want Animaze to be accessible to everyone. That’s why Animaze will be free to download and use with optional subscriptions for premium features. There will also be in-app currency to spend on new avatars, props, and backgrounds. You can use Animaze for free forever; it is not a ‘trial’ and access never expires. If you decide to subscribe, the cost will be affordable: a few dollars per month for most folks, or a little bit more for professional content creators.

We've also lined up some awesome rewards for FaceRiggers as our way of saying thank you! If you have FaceRig in your Steam Library, you will automatically receive the following rewards in Animaze:

1. 2 exclusive props only available to FaceRig owners
2. Free access to every FaceRig avatar that we're including in Animaze at launch
3. Substantial discounts on Animaze subscriptions

And that’s not all: Animaze includes new creation tools for artists as well as a free iPhone app, which are both available right now!

The Animaze Editor & iPhone App

For artists, we’re thrilled to debut the free Animaze Editor. The Animaze Editor makes it easier than ever to turn your Live2D and 3D creations into custom avatars, props, and backgrounds that you can use, sell, or share anywhere you want (including on the Steam Workshop for Animaze). The Animaze Editor comes with detailed documentation and step-by-step guides to teach you how to get started right away!

For iPhone owners, the free Animaze app is available now on the App Store! Use the Animaze app to create awesome avatar videos right from your phone, and share them with friends on your favorite messaging apps and social networks. We don’t have an Android version just yet, but don’t worry - we know many of you have Android devices and we want to get a mobile app to you as soon as we can. 

What will Happen to FaceRig?

If you own a copy of FaceRig, you can continue using it without interruption in perpetuity. When we release Animaze, we will remove all versions of FaceRig (including upgrades & DLC packs) from sale everywhere. This will not affect your ability to use FaceRig if you already own it. See our below FAQs for more information!

We can’t wait to hear what you think about Animaze. If you have additional questions or comments, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at support@animaze.us, @ us on Twitter, or join our Discord server: https://discord.gg/e53h99z.

Your Friends,

The Holotech Team

Animaze FAQs:

What will happen to FaceRig?

If you own a copy of FaceRig, you can continue using it without interruption in perpetuity. This applies to all copies of FaceRig - whether you obtained it through Steam, a Steam key reseller like Humble Bundle/Fanatical, or directly from Holotech via our website. It includes all versions of FaceRig (Classic & Studio), as well as all DLC content and upgrades (e.g. Live2D module, FaceRig Pro, avatar packs). Our number one priority is to do right by you in this process. Many of you have supported us since the very beginning of our journey, and we want you to be able to continue using FaceRig for as long as you want to, regardless of whether you decide to check out Animaze.

That said, FaceRig will not receive any additional feature/content updates or bug fixes; the current version of FaceRig is its final form. When we release Animaze, we will remove all versions of FaceRig, including upgrades & DLC packs, from sale everywhere. The Facerig Steam Forums and Steam Workshop will continue to function as normal. As we shift our focus to Animaze, our support priorities have to change too. When Animaze launches, we will no longer be able to provide customer support for issues relating to FaceRig. If you run into issues with FaceRig, we recommend you check our FAQs, Steam Forums, and Discord channel for help.

Please Note: You will still be able to re-download FaceRig if you uninstall it or would like to download FaceRig to a new device. If you acquired FaceRig through Steam, either directly or through a code or gift, simply re-download it via your Steam library. If you purchased FaceRig directly from our website, email us at support@animaze.us and we can help you regain access. 

I own FaceRig, do I get any special rewards in Animaze?

Yes! As a huge thank you to our community, we are providing a bunch of special rewards for FaceRig owners. If you have FaceRig in your Steam library (even if you received it as a gift), you will automatically receive the following:

• All FaceRig avatars that are included in Animaze at launch will be unlocked and available to you for free

• Animaze subscriptions will be offered at a substantial discount from the normal price

• You will have exclusive access to two special props that are only available to FaceRig owners. Once FaceRig is removed from sale, there will be no other way to access these props besides owning FaceRig. 

You don’t need to do anything to activate these rewards - they will automatically be applied to your Steam account and included in Animaze when you download Animaze through Steam. 

What happens to my FaceRig avatars?

Any FaceRig avatars that came with Facerig, you’ve purchased as DLC, acquired from the Steam workshop, or loaded as custom avatars (i.e., that you created or commissioned from an artist) will continue to work with FaceRig.

Avatar and prop files from FaceRig are not compatible with Animaze. Your Facerig avatar files do not ‘carry over’ to Facerig. However, we’ve rebuilt some of our favorite FaceRig avatars and props for Animaze. If you own Facerig, you will automatically have access to the selection of updated Facerig avatars for free! 

Why is Animaze a separate program rather than an update to FaceRig?

Animaze isn’t just a collection of optimizations or a fresh coat of paint - it’s a completely new technology platform. Rather than repurpose an existing game engine (which is how we built FaceRig), we developed most of Animaze’s engine ourselves. That means Animaze is built from the ground up specifically for beautiful, expressive, and performant avatars. Using Animaze’s engine, we’re building a whole ecosystem for avatars that includes the new PC app, powerful editing & importing tools for artists, and an iPhone app - and we’re just getting started! Our ultimate vision for Animaze is to allow you to use your avatars seamlessly across many different platforms. 

That’s also why we’re using the new name Animaze. Animaze is a whole new platform with expanded capabilities and new technology. FaceRig will always remain in our hearts, but Animaze represents our vision for the future.

Why is Animaze ‘Freemium’?

Making Animaze freemium allows us to provide a flexible experience that can work for everyone. The free version of Animaze allows anyone who’s interested to use awesome avatars without ever having to spend a dollar. For advanced users, our subscriptions provide great additional features that make Animaze even more powerful and fun. 

As always, we’re committed to providing a great experience that’s affordable for everyone. That’s why our subscriptions will only cost a few dollars per month for most folks, or a little bit more for professional content creators. Subscriptions also allow us to invest development resources into a broader range of new features - even if they are tailored to a small group of folks. We didn’t have this luxury with Facerig, which left some of our community underserved. 

Our #1 goal is to make Animaze the best it can be, and allow you to decide if it’s worth your time and/or money. 

I have a custom FaceRig Avatar that I created or commissioned. Will it work with Animaze? 

Because Animaze utilizes a new animation and rendering system, custom avatars that you used with Facerig will require updates to function with Animaze. To update your FaceRig avatar to work with Animaze, you’ll first need to make some changes to your model files in Live2D or your preferred 3D modelling software. Then, you can use the new Animaze Editor to import your updated model into Animaze. If you commissioned your avatar from an artist, they will need to update your avatar to ensure compatibility with Animaze. 

Learn how to convert your custom Live2D avatars from FaceRig to Animaze in our guide here: https://www.animaze.us/manual/convertavatars/convert2davatar 

Learn how to convert your custom 3D avatars from Facerig to Animaze in our guide here: https://www.animaze.us/manual/convertavatars/convert3davatar

If you use a custom avatar to video chat or livestream, or you’re an artist who wants to update your own creations, don’t hesitate to join our Discord server https://discord.gg/e53h99z or reach out to us at support@animaze.us to learn more. We’re eager to help! 

What is the Release Date for Animaze?

We’re not ready to share a release date just yet, but Animaze is coming sooner than you think. We’re hard at work developing Animaze, and we’re holding ourselves to a high standard of quality. That’s why we’re not sharing a release date until after we’ve gotten your feedback from our closed beta - we want to be sure that you’ll love what we launch, and we have the time to make it great. If you’d like to try out Animaze now and help us improve Animaze, sign up for our closed beta here! 

FaceRigの進化版「Animaze」が間もなくSteamに登場します。Steamのウィッシュリストに登録すると、クローズドベータ参加できます。

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1364390/Animaze_by_FaceRig/

https://forms.gle/Zide2q8GV7LVNS1n6

Animazeってなに?

Animazeは、FaceRigのすべてのコア技術を大幅に改善した後継プログラムです。フェイストラッキング、アニメーション、グラフィックなど、これまで以上に豊かなアバター表現を実現するため、新しく設計されました。

作成ツール「Animaze Editor」は、Live2Dや3Dのモデルを使ってアバターを作成できるPC用ソフトウェアです。いっぽう「Animazeモバイルアプリ」は、スマートフォンからアバター動画を作成し、メッセージアプリやSNSで共有することができるアプリです。(iOSのみ。Androidは近日リリース予定)

Animazeでは、デフォルトでLive2Dがサポートされているので、DLCなど追加コンテンツは不要です。

Animazeは無料でダウンロード・使用できます。また、オプション（サブスクリプション）でプレミアム機能を利用できます。

今持っているFaceRigはどうなる?

現在FaceRigを所有している方は、今後も永続的に使用できます。また、SteamライブラリにFaceRigが入っているユーザーは、自動的に以下の特典を受けることができます：

1. いくつかのFaceRigアバターはAnimaze用に変換されAnimazeに同梱されますが、これらのアバターが無料で使えます。
2. Animazeのサブスクリプションが、通常の価格から大幅な割引で提供されます。
3. FaceRigの所有者のみが利用できる、2つの特別なAnimaze用アイテムを提供します。

これらの特典を受けるために何かする必要はありません。Steamアカウントに自動的に適用され、Steam経由でAnimazeをダウンロードするとAnimazeに自動的に含まれます。

今持っているFaceRigアバターはどうなる?

現在所有しているFaceRigアバター（Facerig付属のもの、DLCとして購入したもの、Steam Workshopから取得したもの、またカスタムアバターとして取り込んだもの）は、引き続きFaceRigで動作します。

ただし、FaceRigアバターはAnimazeと互換性がありません。 Animazeで動作させるにはアバターのアップデートが必要です。 このアップデートには、まずLive2Dや3Dソフトウェアでモデルファイルを修正し、そのモデルファイルをAnimaze Editorにインポートする必要があります。http://www.animaze.us/editor

FaceRigのLive2DアバターをAnimaze用にアップデートする方法については、こちらのガイドをご覧ください。https://www.animaze.us/manual/convertavatars

今後、FaceRigはどうなる?

Animazeがリリースされた後、FaceRigのすべてのバージョン（アップグレードやDLC、Live2Dモジュール、FaceRig Pro、アバターパックなどを含む）の販売が中止されます。その時点バージョンが最終版となり、以降、FaceRigは機能追加やアップデート、バグ修正が行われません。