Its hard to think of a way how digital world and fashion industry might collaborate and create new business plans. Graphic design programs are enabling designers to compose and test outfit ideas without wasting time and materials ,websites improve sales and these tools are for sure a great game changer , although they are still mostly used for developing physical products . The key to the success , however, was gaming industry .
The aspect of clothing has always been a big part of gaming. Dressing up your character in different costumes/armor to increase statistics or just for the joy of persona development is to this day a very important subject considered by the developers and graphic designers . In games like for example NBA2K or League of Legends , players can exchange real money for in-game currencies to acquire clothing for their fictional character . Big fashion houses like Balenciaga , Moncler or Louis Vuitton have already stepped up in the gaming world. The collaborations between LV and league as well as Balenciaga-Fortnite occurred in huge global scale success.
Many people can ask what is the purpose of spending money on non-psychical items like clothing for game character, especially if it doesn’t improve the game quality or champion abilities. The reason for that is very simple . It works exactly like in the real world , players want to show off their new digital looks or buy new outfits to change the character looks the same way as people do in real life . Another thing is the design availability . New designer clothes are definitely upmarket products , whereas digital pieces are much more affordable. The fact that gamers can express themselves without even standing up from the computer desk is also a very interesting thing that is slowly but surely taking over the world.
I think that usage of artificial intelligence and graphic programs is the future of fashion designing . Of course the demand for the physical clothing made of actual materials will always be the number one priority , but the online world has unlimited potential and this area of digitalized clothing business is still a fairly new unexplored field.
I’m excited to see how these trend will develop and what other areas of virtual world will be conquered by fashion industry.
All week I was trying to come up with a topic for a new article. I was thinking which issues bother me, what I would like to know more about and something like this. Apparently, the answer was at my Netflix account.
I am sure, all you have heard about “Rick and Morty” show and most of you have watched it. If you haven’t then it is your problem. Go watch five seasons and come back to reading this draft.
“Rick and Morty is the animated science-fiction sitcom featuring the adventures of genius scientist Rick Sanchez and his hapless grandson Morty Smith. Part of Rick and Morty’s appeal is its exaggerated use of obscure scientific concepts and futuristic technology that always seem to have a tinge of truth”.
That is why while watching it, I end up thinking about the possibility of it becoming a reality and how some of Rick’s inventions would influence the business world. I hope it is not that obvious that I just really want to share this information and do not really know how to connect it with capitalism.
First of all, there is a thesis that Rick is a part of a philosophical trend – technopoly. “Our starting point will be Neil Postman’s conception of “technopoly,” which he defines as a “totalitarian technocracy,” meaning that technology comes to define and determine our societies at an ever increasing rate and intensity”. It is kind of similar to Marx’s point that we can divide society and its level of development by tools that people are using for work but not art, music or literature. That shows Rick’s attachment to its technologies even though he has no ambition to win some awards or especially help humanity.
“Our sense of meaning and purpose provided by traditional systems of value such as family, religion, community, or national identity has been transformed by technique. As a result, technology is becoming an end in itself. We have started to invent things just for the sake of inventing them”. When Rick turns himself into a pickle he says: “The reason anyone would do this is, if they could, which they can’t, would be because they could, which they can’t.”
Thus, there are technologies which might become reality in some time or with much more effort. For instance, a freeze gun from the pilot episode. Scientist form the article claims: “It is probably the easiest thing to make. It’s simple: a high-powered liquid nitrogen gun”. Then the question comes to mind – if we can, why not – following the tendency from the 19th century – to invent for inventing. “Rick’s thing works sort of too fast and too localized for modern technology, but I can’t really say what might stop someone in the future from inventing a liquid nitrogen gun that could basically freeze someone almost instantly.”
I can not say that it would radically change our world, but it could have influenced on transportations of the products that were supposed to be delivered frozen. At the same time, we still do not need this cooling process to be localized that much in our case. Besides, it would only slightly influence the military world and its market because it is a gun that can freeze people instantly, but ice has a tendency to melt , so in some time most likely the soldier will survive and keep bringing harm to your land. All in all, it would be the same trend – invent for inventing. Even though it would be nice to have a freezing gun for self defence and for fun, obviously.
All in all, there are a lot of technologies that influence the business world, but there are also some that actually make no sense and bring no real impact. There are also different ways you can treat these technologies – you might accept their increasing influence in our daily life and be as Rick, who even outrages it and seeks to replace most things in his life with technologies. At the same time you can reject all of it and become an unemployed Jerry. If you care about my opinion, then I would offer you to pick that side which brings you the biggest amount of utility and joy – it doesn’t matter your awareness of modern technologies is on the level of Elon Musk or Morty Smith as long as it makes you happy.
“Ethics and Technology: An Analysis of Rick and Morty” – https://doi.org/10.1515/opphil-2020-0155 received January 29, 2021; accepted April 20, 2021/ Open Philosophy 2022; 5: 1–16
The topic of digitalisation is quite mainstream nowadays. The fear of being watched all the time with no privacy became our routine reality. There are a lot of books and movies that show us how technology might be used by the government, evil corporation (which sometimes is the same thing) or crazy villain. For instance, The Mitchels vs The Machines, Black Mirror and well-known Orwell’s prophetic book. This topic is still being accurate and people keep arguing whether it is possible to replace people with machines.
Nevertheless, as we all know, technologies might be not only evil, but also quite useful – thanks God we do not have to wait for a dove to bring our letters anymore. This trend for digitalisation is followed not only by companies but also by the governments of different countries. The most digitized countries from the EU based on the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) are Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Netherlands and Ireland. However, in this article I want to extend my thoughts about one specific country. You might have never thought about it in such circumstances – especially right now, when you can see this country’s flag all over the world – blue sky and yellow field. Exactly,I am talking about Ukraine. This is my Motherland, so I would like people to know more about how awesome my country is.
The head of Ministry of Digital Transformations Mikhail Fedorov has launched both web-site and app called Diia -Дія ( https://diia.gov.ua/)where you have all your digital document and online public service. Let`s go through all of this with more details. First of all, the origin of the name comes from getting 3 words together – Government And I – Держава І Я (in case you know how to read in cyrylica), so in English it would be GAI. One more interesting quibble is that Diia in Ukrainian also means “action”.
A little bit more about the app itself – it is the folder where digital copies of user documents are stored. And they are officially recognized by the government as analogues of paper or plastic documents. At the initial stage, immediately after the launch of the application, only two documents could be kept in digital form – a driver’s license and a vehicle registration certificate. For a large part of Ukrainians who had neither, this application was useless, but it relieved drivers of the need to copy in the glove compartment and almost eliminated the danger of receiving a fine for forgotten rights. Later, the digitized documents were accompanied by an ID-passport, a biometric passport and a student card. Digital documents are verified using a QR code. “We plan that the e-passport will completely replace ID-cards and paper ones,” Mikhail Fedorov said. The Facebook page of the Ministry of Digital Transformations claims that Ukraine is the first country in the world where it is possible to use a digital passport and at the same time not present a paper or plastic analogue.
Despite that, in Diia you can include your vaccination certificate (both in Ukrainian and English). Also, to encourage people to vaccinate and use Diia, our government provided a service “isSupport” , where you can receive 1000 hrn via this app if you have a green COVID certificate and spend this money to buy books, gym membership or tickets to any cultural events to support business after COVID-19. The 1 000 hrn is €30 , which is enough in Ukraine to visit the cinema 2-3 times and buy 2 – 4 books. I can say that it was 100% effective based on my life experience. I originally come from a small town (almost a village), where we have almost no events and no cinema or theatre, so most of my friends and relatives have spent this money on books, even these ones, who never actually read.
Besides, you can pay fines, renovate some of your documents and even create a document to become an Individual entrepreneur.
Diia app is also accurate in current circumstances, as the “isSupport” service has changed its function, so now people from some particular regions who have lost their jobs because of the war can receive 7 500 hrn (€230), but this time they can spend them whenever they want. Additionally, via this app you can help Ukrainian army and inform them whether you have seen an enemy equipment of the occupiers or find a game “isBayraktar” where you are trying to bomb russian tanks.
To my mind, Diia is a very convenient and useful app, which helps us to be closer to our government and treat it better. Nevertheless, there are some problems that are currently trying to be solved. For instance, still not every person has a modern smartphone and even if they do, not everyone feels a need to understand how it works – now I am mostly referring to older people. Anyway, Ukrainian government has chosen the right direction of development and I am very proud of it.
Nowadays, VR techs are actively developing and in the next article one of such cutting-edge technologies will be described. The Emerge Home system is a breakthrough, which allows you not only to immerse yourself in the world of virtual reality and metaverses but also to feel the inner virtual space with bare hands. It is not just a VR set that allows you to see the 3D objects in the virtual worlds or games, but also to interact with them, to sense their shape, and help the user to get as much VR experience as possible, transporting him or her into the virtual world with just a few clicks.
The Emerge Home system is currently at the development stage, and its VR kit consists of two main tech components and a mobile application.
How does everything work?
The first tech component that helps the user to enlarge his VR experience is a VR headset (Emerge Home Quest 2 app).
The second component is the Emerge Wave-1 desktop device that conveys a physical experience with breakthrough technology. Sculpted ultrasonic waves on the surface of the system create a field in the air up to three feet above the device itself and allow users to interact with virtual objects. Moreover, the system itself is similar in size to a thirteen-inch laptop.
For the final step, the user has to install a dedicated Emerge Home mobile app, which allows him or her to connect the devices, customize the avatar and set a Center environment. Moreover, this application is capable of sending messages, creating rooms, and inviting your friends before gathering in the metaverse.
Based on research conducted by the National Research Group, It can be concluded that more than half of potential customers (78% of respondents) claim that when communicating with people virtually, they lack the opportunity of physical contact, and this cutting-edge VR system can significantly improve the situation.
However, there is a high risk that, in the nearest future, live communication, which is an important factor in human interactions, will be replaced by such kinds of technologies.
Any breakthrough in science is valuable. Some people may find it useful, while others may see it as technology that brings more harm. However, Emerge’s expertise can help the science and progress of virtual reality, and not only facilitate human interaction but also lead to new innovations that follow.
The evolution of technology and changes in preferred leisure activities have shaped the marketing strategies of many industries and these changes still keep them on their toes. In this article, I will try to explain the relationship between luxury high-fashion brands and video games.
For many, one of the most crucial aspects of game design is graphic quality, which has improved immensely over the last few years. Nowadays, games have to be more than just a source of entertainment because the market is over-saturated, and the bar is high. Game developers go to great lengths to attract the consumers’ attention, and many do so by mending the border between entertainment and art to provide the best experience possible.
A great example of this is Red Dead Redemption II, which stole the hearts of even the most judgemental critics, and as a result, was named “the best-looking video game of all time.” Many have claimed that playing the game is almost like watching a movie, and the main character feels like a sentient being. Such qualities make players connect to the game on an almost personal level.It is just one example out of the many, but it determines how far technological development has progressed.
Video games are now the most popular they’ve ever been, and the number of consumers steadily grows each year, with the current number of around 2.8 billion. For this reason, many industries see it as an attractive, lucrative market – one of them being the fashion industry.
While the interest of the high-fashion sector in video games sparked relatively recently, the games’ obsession with looks is nothing new! What’s more – it plays a crucial part in many games – sets the atmosphere, tells players who the characters are, their traits, and much more…
Furthermore, video games do not have to be subject to the laws of physics or practicality, which allows games designers to use any means necessary to create a unique experience. In my opinion, it is a double-edged sword – on the one hand, it allows to create and explore impossible designs like Heel Guns worn by the main character of “Bayonetta.” On the other hand, it adds to the sexual objectification of female characters by dressing them in skimpy armors, which are impractical and only aim to appeal to a particular type of fantasy, like in an RPG “TERA.” That is not, however, what I want to discuss in this article, so let me retract…
With endless ways of connecting via the Internet, many treat playing games as a social activity, which creates a need for self-expression, just like in the physical world. My research concluded that the character customization options can be rather important to the players and most of them stated that the unattractive design actually bothers them, as it can ruin the whole atmosphere. Obviously, it does not apply to every game because, according to what I have learned, some games are not serious enough or have been created a while ago and outdated outfits induce a warm feeling of nostalgia.
The high-fashion sector realized that the popularity of the games among younger generations, the lucrativeness of the industry, the need for self-expression, and technological possibilities are good reasons for expansion in this space.
Since then, many luxury brands have partnered with game developers in creating new outfits for characters like Marc Jacobs and Valentino did for Animal Crossing or Moschino for The Sims. In this industry, it is, however, considered a minimum effort. Other fashion houses go as far as creating their own games. Balenciaga did just that with a walking simulator and used it, to present its Fall 2021 collection.
In my opinion, the best at adapting to this market is Louis Vuitton. In 2019, the luxury fashion house partnered with the video game developer, Riot Games for the 2019 League of Legends World Championship, becoming the first-ever fashion house to do so. This collaboration was a great strategic move, as the geographic and demographic focus of Louis Vuitton and League of Legends is very similar. In both cases, the brands target millennials with above-average income, and their biggest markets are in Asia. What is also note-worthy, in 2016, LV made the first-ever campain using characters from a game, Final Fantasy!
I think fashion goes great with games and vice versa, because they are more similar than most people care to aknowledge. Needless to say, I am excited to see what great things this pair can offer to the world of culture.
Did you know that we are currently facing a global chips shortage? The crisis came about due to the massive demand for electronic components triggered by the pandemic, factories downtime, production underestimation, and supply chain failure. Whoever produces the chips, holds all the power – in this case the Taiwanese manufacturer TSMC seems to be a ruler.
The company Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co may seem unfamiliar to you, but it is more than sure that their products are used by you every single day. TSMC is the world’s largest chip manufacturer that produces parts for major electronics and automotive companies, including Apple (which is reckoned to constitute 25% of TSMC’s income [1]).
Chips are not only a common component of consumer electronics such as smartphones, computers, or smart appliances, but they are also required for automotive electronic systems, which are expected to account for more than 50% of the total production cost of a car by 2030[2]. For comparison, in 2010 this figure comprised 35% while in the 1970s, 5%. New cars need more processors, which in other words means – more and more chips.
In fact, it is the automotive industry that has been inflicted the most during the last months. Major players on the market such as Volkswagen, Toyota, Renault, General Motors, and Honda had been forced to hold back production due to the lack of components. A shortage in the microprocessor industry is expected to slash Ford’s profit by $2.5 billion this year and GM’s profit by $2 billion[3].
The crisis has also hit the electronics industry. Sony has announced that it is unable to manufacture the number of PS5 consoles planned for this year, just like Samsung which in turn postponed the release of its new version of the Galaxy Note smartphone. All this because of chips shortage. But how did such situation even come about?
During the outbreak of the pandemic, many companies decided to cancel chip orders due to a significant drop in demand for products such as cars. It was assumed that the demand would not increase quickly. In response to the situation, chip manufacturers decided to change their sales orientation to other industries. At a time when demand picked up again, motor companies were left holding the bag as microprocessor manufacturers had their hands already full with other orders. Another aspect is also the production bottleneck which lead to the supply chain destabilization. The global production of chips is based on 3-4 companies only, including the afore-mentioned TSMC, which is responsible for about 70% world’s production of technologically advanced microprocessors.[3]
TMSC’s goal is to maintain its position and increase its production capacity. For this purpose, the company announced an investment of $100 billion. It is worth mentioning however, that the reliance of global electronics behemoths on the goods of a single Taiwanese firm is an example of the negative consequences of excessive production outsourcing.
At the time of the announcement, it was said about 20 kg of gold, but then the console would cost three times more, so Caviar decided to reduce the mass of gold to 4.5 kg. In a month and a half, Caviar received over 1,300 orders for this console. Among those interested was the famous American basketball player LeBron James. The company also received an order from a well-known Russian businessman and an equally well-known American IT businessman, whose names were not disclosed. High demand has led Caviar to release not one as initially planned but nine PlayStation 5 Golden Rock consoles. It will take about four months to create such a unique console.
Many PlayStation fans are eagerly awaiting when Sony releases the PS5 in black, as not everyone likes the original two-tone design. Caviar has unveiled two black PlayStation 5 consoles covered in carbon and leather. The carbon version will be released in 99 units for $ 5830, and the Caviar logo is made of 24-carat gold. Another version is covered in crocodile leather and costs $ 8,140. The circulation is also 99 consoles.
