Introduction to Cyberpunk 2077
Set in a dystopian future where people cyber-enhance their bodies to survive in a post-apocalyptic metropolis, the open-world adventure game Cyberpunk 2077 was the right candidate to have interaction Instagram users with body-modifying AR filters. Produced in partnership with Meta’s Creative Shop, the project tapped into two distinct but equally passionate online communities: Cyberpunk 2077’s global fanbase and the talented creators at the guts of Facebook’s Spark AR community – over 600,000 in total, representing over 200 countries.
Engaging the Community
"We’re lucky that so many incredibly passionate and supportive players have gathered around our games," explains Dominika Burza, Community Manager at CD PROJEKT RED (CDPR), the Poland-based studio behind Cyberpunk 2077. "We at all times look for brand new ways to have interaction our community, by sharing game lore in a cool or unexpected way, showing behind-the-scenes details, or encouraging people to precise themselves." "Cyberpunk 2077 is stuffed with futuristic elements, and AR gave the look of a must-use tool to experiment with," agrees Aliona Valcheuskaya, Marketing Specialist at CDPR. "AR provides the chance to have interaction and interact with something that was strictly static. There are so many possibilities to inform deeper, more detailed stories, bolstering immersion by bringing a fictional world into real life."
Encouraging Self-Expression
Before even starting to play, gamers will spend days customizing the avatars that may represent them within the Cyberpunk 2077 universe using the sport’s advanced character creator tool. "This was a chance to do this in the true world – to change themselves and showcase who they’re," explains Ryszard Sroka, Creative Strategist at Meta. At first, the plan was simply to present assets to the community and encourage them to construct and explore the Cyberpunk world. But the sheer scale of the initial response revealed huge demand, and the subsequent step was to introduce a competitive element.
Turbo-Charging Creativity
Over the course of a month, Spark AR creators pulled together to push the bounds of AR as they competed for one in every of 10 slots to get their filters published. At the top of every day, they earned points for the extent of engagement with their filters using a ‘captures to shares’ ratio that leveled the playing field for those and not using a huge Instagram following. "The intensity and volume of participation showed a hunger for the community to take part in a cultural moment," agrees Ryszard Sroka’s colleague Dan Moller, an AR specialist. "It was a non-stop frenzy of Cyberpunk content for 30 days." Moller’s team had already tested the water with an earlier contest, wherein they challenged the Spark AR community to create a ‘Superhero’ filter from a very blank canvas. "We thought forcing people to make use of specific assets might restrict creativity, but we saw the whole opposite," he reveals. "It turbo-charged their creativity, and gave them a stepping-stone to a more advanced final result to essentially get enthusiastic about."
Embracing Open-Source Thinking
The important technical hurdle got here in choosing and exporting the proper in-game models for inclusion within the Spark AR Library. "We browsed through a whole bunch of models to search out ones which were interesting, inspiring, and attractive, but in addition left enough space for the creators to use their very own ideas for extra effects and animations," recalls Bartłomiej Kubik, Senior Producer and Project Manager at CDPR. "It’s not so simple as choosing a random assortment and letting them loose," he adds. "It was necessary to be representative of the world of Cyberpunk 2077 – showing different styles, characters, and modifications depending on the groups or gangs they belong to." Releasing in-game assets to the general public to control at will was a giant creative risk for CDPR. "A Triple-A title outsourcing content like that is pretty radical, not only for gaming but for the entertainment industry as a complete," says Moller. "It’s borderline unheard of. We’re grateful to CDPR for his or her partnership, and their trust. It’s difficult for any big brand to take into consideration their IP in this manner."
Empowering Original Storytelling
The risk paid off. Valcheuskaya’s personal favorites include Cyber Angel by Iryna Lytvynenko and Heart Seeker by Matthew YX Chen. "They are subtle, cute, and female – the kinds of filters I’d use every day," she smiles. Burza picks out Aqua Punk by Maxim Velichkin. "It made me stop for a moment and take into consideration its meaning," she explains. "It’s charming." Psico Punk by Kevin Criado, which features an unexpected transition between two masks, is one other highlight. "It jogged my memory of one in every of my favorite scenes from the sport – a projected fish that the player sees initially of one in every of the quests," says Valcheuskaya. "It’s each calm and mesmerizing." Moller’s advice to get probably the most from AR as a creator is to at all times take a people-first approach. "AR could be a really powerful storytelling tool, but the error a number of brands make is to wonder how people can tell their brand story for them through AR," he explains.
Conclusion
The Cyberpunk 2077 AR filter project was a groundbreaking success, empowering creators to inform their very own stories and express themselves in a singular and immersive way. By embracing open-source considering and providing the community with the tools to create their very own content, CDPR and Meta’s Creative Shop were capable of tap into the fervour and creativity of the Spark AR community. The project’s success is a testament to the ability of AR as a storytelling tool and the importance of putting people on the forefront of the creative process. As Moller says, "Encourage creators to take part in a cultural moment – to have fun their skills and one another. Give them the tools to inform their very own story, after which explore how you possibly can authentically play a job in that as a brand."
