Nvidia deals with artists selling virtual worlds

Nvidia has made technology deals with several marketplaces where artists sell the three-dimensional content they create, and that it will give away software for free to artists and other creators building virtual worlds for the metaverse.

The metaverse, a loosely defined term that can refer to virtual worlds made more lifelike by the use of augmented and virtual reality headsets, relies heavily on graphics computing technology like Nvidia's flagship semiconductors.

Nvidia is looking to turn its leading position in supplying the computing hardware for the metaverse into a set of software tools for creating and selling content within virtual worlds, a business opportunity that has helped Nvidia share more than double in value over the past year.

Nvidia plans to distribute a free version of its Omniverse software to create virtual worlds for individual artists at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Tuesday. Nvidia said in November it would charge prices starting at $9,000 per year for corporate customers.

Artists can sell their content on multiple marketplaces and content libraries when they create three-dimensional content that can be used in virtual worlds.

On Tuesday, Nvidia said it had reached deals with four such marketplaces - TurboSquid by Shutterstock CGTrader, Sketchfab and Twinbru - to allow their marketplace content to show up in Nvidia's Omniverse software suite. Nvidia also said that the marketplaces Reallusion s ActorCore, Daz 3 D and e-on software s PlantCatalog will soon release their own Omniverse-ready assets.

Nvidia did not reveal the financial arrangements of its deals with the content libraries and marketplaces. There are many technology companies that charge commissions for their software platforms, which are used by large audiences to sell their products and services to their users.