Kakao's Metaverse Veil Lifted... 'Kakao Universe' Unveiled

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] In the future, users who visit specific locations through KakaoMap will be able to exchange related information with other users via OpenLink. On KakaoTalk profiles, users can create their own characters, and open chat room hosts can generate revenue by applying subscription models.

On the 7th, Namgoong Hoon, CEO of Kakao, unveiled the metaverse concept "Kakao Universe" during an online press conference. The goal of Kakao Universe is to present a diverse metaverse environment that encompasses not only text, images, and videos but also virtual reality.

To build the universe, Kakao is introducing "OpenLink," which connects communication between non-acquaintances based on shared interests, and expanding KakaoTalk's role in non-purposeful communication. Additionally, it is establishing a B2C2C ecosystem between creators and users.

Connecting User Interests through ‘OpenLink’

Kakao is preparing the ‘OpenLink’ service as the first step of the "Kakao Universe." OpenLink is a service where users with common interests such as hobbies, places, or people can gather, communicate, and enjoy themselves, provided based on KakaoTalk’s open chat. Kakao plans to offer links connected to OpenLink not only in Kakao services but also in services operated by the Kakao community, providing spaces where users of those services can communicate about shared interests.

For example, users interested in gourmet food who visit a Kakao Brunch operated by a famous chef can click on the OpenLink connected to that brunch to share their interests in food and create and enjoy events such as ‘restaurant tours’ and ‘cooking classes.’ Foreign fans who like Korean webtoons can enter the OpenLink within Kakao Webtoon to talk about webtoons with domestic fans, and users who visit specific locations on KakaoMap can exchange the latest information about those places via OpenLink. It will also be possible for fans to share their impressions and support in real time within OpenLink on popular songs on Melon.

Kakao plans to expand the communication space beyond acquaintance-based communication to communication among non-acquaintances by utilizing the OpenLink service. It aims to launch the service for domestic users in the first half of next year and plans to develop the service in connection with various global services so that people worldwide can communicate without constraints of time and space.

Expansion of Non-Purposeful Communication and Fun Elements within KakaoTalk

Kakao plans to activate the Kakao Universe by adding non-purposeful communication elements so that KakaoTalk users can find various entertainments and feel fun and relaxation beyond the messenger’s original purpose of communication among acquaintances.

First, Kakao will make significant changes to the KakaoTalk profile area. In the second half of the year, Kakao will revamp profiles to allow users to create their own characters to express themselves vividly and provide a function to raise their own pets. Instead of just writing one-way status messages, users will be able to interact with friends who visit their profiles through various communication functions such as emoticons, cheering messages, and gifts. In the long term, Kakao is also considering upgrading multi-profiles to allow users to express multiple personas through their profiles.

Besides profiles, Kakao plans to place non-purposeful elements throughout KakaoTalk, including the friends tab and chat tab, expanding KakaoTalk into a communication service that users can enjoy more leisurely and entertainingly.

KakaoTalk Users Can Create Content and Generate Revenue

Kakao is building a B2C2C ecosystem that supports economic activities among users to activate the Kakao Universe.

Users will not only create and share content but also be able to engage in economic activities through the content they produce, strengthening revenue models across services. Through this, open chat room hosts will be able to generate income by applying subscription models for providing information, and creators writing on Brunch will also be able to earn revenue from their content.

Kakao will also provide an all-in-one content platform (CMS) for professional content producers such as one-person media and media startups. Using this platform, they can conveniently produce content in various formats and monetize it using business tools such as advertising, paid content, sponsorship, and commerce.

Once this B2C2C ecosystem is established, creators will produce valuable content to build superfans, and users will continuously receive interesting content discovered by creators, creating a virtuous cycle.

Comprehensive Collaboration within the Kakao Community

Kakao plans to expand Kakao services, which were mainly text-based, into image, video, and virtual reality areas through collaboration with the Kakao community, presenting users with diverse metaverse environments.

First, Kakao Brain is preparing two features based on large-scale AI models such as ‘KoGPT’ and ‘Karlo’ to enrich the Kakao Universe.

‘Interactive AI’ uses real-time facial movement tracking called ‘face retargeting’ and ‘neural rendering,’ which can implement another self, helping anyone easily create their own character and express multiple personas. Using this, various forms of 3D characters can be automatically generated from a single photo to express multiple personas, enabling unique communication such as role-playing with non-acquaintances in open chats or video calls.

‘Conversational AI’ is a function that allows users to chat like with a friend based on virtual characters and content. For example, it creates AI with the personality, values, speech style, and nuances of a protagonist using popular webtoon data and allows users to have conversations about the webtoon. The features Kakao Brain is preparing will be applied to Kakao services in the future.

Kakao affiliate ‘Neptune’ plans to launch the open metaverse platform ‘Colorverse’ using 3D virtual space technology in collaboration with the metaverse developer ‘Colorverse,’ which it invested in last year. Colorverse is a metaverse space that anyone can easily enjoy across mobile and online ecosystems.

CEO Namgoong said, “Kakao is not a single service or platform but aims to support users connecting with each other based on interests and creating meaningful relationships.” He added, “If the ‘Kakao Universe’ is activated and connects people worldwide based on interests, it will realize the long-term vision of ‘Beyond Korea.’”