Picture this: it’s 1989, you’re at an arcade, the colorful neon lights are blinking all around you, and the sweet sweet sound of your favorite 8-bit game is playing in the background. Everything is just groovy until… suddenly, a digital bully grabs your high score. Bummer, right? We all have experienced this kind of mood crash at least once, but that was way back then, right? Well, not quite, my friends.
Ladies, gentlemen, and enbies, the same analog love-hate relationships we used to have with our arcade games is now being reborn on your smartphones, and they are taking your emojis hostage. Yikes!
Have you ever wondered how your digital bffs like Winky Face, Cool Sunglasses Emoji, and of course, the ever-entertaining Poop Emoji, were created? I’m talking about those little guys and gals that save you from awkward conversations every day. Where do they come from? Well, put down your phone for a second, take a deep breath, and let me fill you in on the best-kept secret of the emoji underworld.
There is a whole subculture of artists, self-proclaimed Emoji Masters, who are constantly trying to bring the funniest, quirkiest, and sometimes straight-up outrageous emojis to life. Just like we used to pop quarters into our arcade games, Emoji Masters pump pixels into our emojis – only these pixels hold your emoji high scores (aka likes and re-shares). And believe me, the competition is fierce.
The Emoji Battle, as they call it, takes place on an exclusive platform accessible only to Emoji Masters. In order to become a master, one has to have proven skill in the art of digital pictograms, often through designing emojis for popular apps or creating custom emoji packages that get noticed. Only then are they granted access to the secretive battleground. There’s even an initiation ceremony. Shhh… don’t tell anyone.
Once in the arena, Emoji Masters are divided into teams, representing their chosen design styles – think Minimalists vs. Abstracts, Cartoony vs. Hyper-realistic. It’s like the emoji Super Bowl out there, folks. Every team member works diligently, fighting to grab that one pixelated gold nugget that could take their emoji to the top of the trending charts. What’s on the line? Why, it’s just the honor and glory of having their emoji reigned supreme, my friends.
But worry not, dear emoji aficionados, the Emoji Masters’ battlefield may be chaotic, but it is still governed by strict rules to prevent any kind of monkey business (Banana Emoji, we’re looking at you). Some of the most hardcore laws dictate that the Emoji Master can’t use their powers for evil or greed, no designs shall discriminate against others, and under no circumstances are “combo emojis” (such as the long-feared Pizza-icorn) to be unleashed upon the innocent emoji users.
In the end, the winners get the highest satisfaction an artist can achieve: widespread adoption and use of their designs. So next time you’re hastily trying to pick the right emoji to send in a text, remember that there’s an entire secret world behind those little guys – a world of pixels, battlegrounds, and artists battling it out for your emoji approval.
Rock on, Emoji Masters, and may the pixels be ever in your favor.