Virtual Exhibition Hall as a Solution for Promoting City Profiles with the Integration of Avatars and Non-Player Characters based on Metaverse Technology

In recent years, metaverse technology has become popular as a virtual environment. This has created new opportunities to showcase cities in innovative ways. This research aims to introduce MetaCityProfile, a virtual exhibition hall application that integrates avatars and intelligent Non-Player Characters (NPC) to promote city profiles using metaverse. Our focus is on the city profiles of South Kalimantan Province, Indonesia. We will also confirm the impact of the behavioral design techniques of intelligent NPCs interacting with avatars in virtual spaces. This will provide a more engaging and informative user experience. We used justification techniques to measure the impact of the application on users’ knowledge and interests. Additionally, we evaluated the immersive user experience. The research results show that the use of virtual exhibition hall integrated with avatars and intelligent NPCs can significantly increase knowledge and interest in city profiles and encourage public participation. The use of metaverse provides a dynamic and engaging platform to visually promote city assets and attractions. Users report a more satisfying and immersive experience when exploring each city profile while interacting with intelligent, informative NPCs. This research provides a basis for developing more effective city promotion.