Nvidia Corp said on Tuesday it would give away software for free to artists and other creators who build virtual worlds for the metaverse, and that it has made technology deals with several marketplaces where artists sell the three-dimensional content they create.
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 has helped Nvidia share more than double in value over the past year by transforming 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.
Nvidia plans to distribute a free version of its Omniverse software for creating virtual worlds to individual artists at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Tuesday. In November, Nvidia announced that it would charge prices starting at $9,000 per year for corporate customers.
Artists can sell their content on a number of marketplaces and content libraries after they create three-dimensional content that can be used in virtual worlds.
Nvidia has 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 said Reallusion s ActorCore, Daz 3 D and e-on software s PlantCatalog will soon release their own Omniverse-ready assets.
Nvidia didn't reveal the financial arrangements of its deals with the content libraries and marketplaces. Many technology companies with large audiences charge commissions or other costs for their software platforms that they want to sell to their users.