EA Games // APB //  The Human Avatar  // community engagement

‘Let the world design the world’s first human avatar’

APB was a game unlike any other. It was the brainchild of David Jones, the creator of Grand Theft Auto. In development since 2005, it was an ever-evolving online world where every character was a real person. And these characters were brought to life by the most powerful customization engine the gaming world had ever seen.

With a community eagerly awaiting its launch, EA Games tasked us with building the hype and showcasing the game's unique selling point: the incredible customization engine.

To bring the idea that YOU could become a character in the game to life, we introduced THE HUMAN AVATAR—a game character created by the public. Voters could shape everything, from the hair on his head to the clothes on his back, blurring the lines between pixels and the real world. Once the final look was decided, we took it a step further: the Human Avatar was a perfect recreation of the real-world person.

Then, the twist: he was set free into the world of APB, and the hunt was on.

The creation process spanned two weeks, with each part of the character’s design being put to a public vote. After that, we had to film, edit, and release the content to followers within 24 hours of each vote being cast.

The APB customisation engine in action.

<<< back