[Life Act 3 Companies] Web Novel Platform 'DLP Studio' for the 4060 Generation

Web Novel Platform for Middle-Aged and Older Adults 'TextSoda'
"Supports Large Fonts to Avoid Discomfort"
"Web Novel Usage Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults Expected to Increase Further"

Seohyuncheol, CEO of DLP Studio. / Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Various startups supported by the Korea Creative Content Agency gather at the Content Korea Lab (CKL) Enterprise Support Center located in Jung-gu, Seoul. The types range from sitcom production companies to online music education platforms and game developers. 'DLP Studio,' located on the 13th floor of the building, is also a startup established in March last year, operating the web novel platform 'Text Soda' for the 40s to 60s generation. The office, about 15 pyeong in size, features a clean white-tone interior, and various well-used items belonging to employees were placed around. Instead of employees who have started working from home, the CEO with bright eyes warmly welcomed us.

DLP Studio was founded by CEO Seo Hyuncheol (45), who was in charge of content business at the webtoon platform 'Lezhin Comics,' along with founding members of Lezhin Comics. Seo has been with Lezhin Comics for about eight years from its establishment in 2013 until last year. Lezhin Comics is a platform recognized for pioneering the domestic webtoon monetization market. Why did he step into the web novel market after being involved in the webtoon market for a long time? He said, "I took pride in pioneering the domestic webtoon monetization market, which had never existed before, while working in the webtoon market for about eight years. However, after working in webtoon-related work for a long time, I wanted to try a different challenge, so I chose the web novel market instead of webtoons."

Currently, DLP Studio operates both Text Soda and 'Panmoolim,' a web novel platform mainly focused on fantasy and martial arts genres. He felt the absence of a content platform for middle-aged and older adults while acquiring and operating Panmoolim in the early stages of the startup. Seo said, "When we analyzed the age group of Panmoolim users, many were over their 50s. Also, through Panmoolim, we could analyze the reading patterns of the 40s to 60s generation for web novels, and based on this, we launched the Text Soda platform."

Like Panmoolim, Text Soda mainly offers martial arts and fantasy works. The difference is that Text Soda targets the 40s to 60s generation. Also, unlike other platforms where users must pay 100 won per web novel episode, Text Soda offers unlimited access to completed works for a monthly fee of 9,900 won. Currently, about 200 web novel contents are registered, and around 40 works are added every month. Seo said, "The 40s to 60s generation prefers completed works rather than serialized ones. It seems they prefer to read a whole work at once, even if some time has passed, rather than waiting weekly for the latest episodes."

Seo Hyun-cheol, CEO of DLP Studio. / Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

Text Soda supports large fonts to make it easier for middle-aged and older adults to access content. Users can also customize themes, fonts, font sizes, and line spacing according to their preferences. Seo said, "It is crucial to design the platform so that the senior generation does not find it unfamiliar. Beyond just supporting large fonts for seniors, we need to consider what kind of design is suitable for the senior generation."

Seo credits his employees as the background for Text Soda's development. Among the eight employees, five are in their 40s, so they have a high understanding of the middle-aged and older generation. Also, most employees worked with Seo at Lezhin Comics, so they have a good grasp of content platforms. Seo said, "More than half of our employees are in their 40s, so they understand the needs of the middle-aged and older generation better than anyone else. We believe that the service we are satisfied with can be the answer to content platforms for the middle-aged and older generation."

Seo gave a positive outlook on the web novel market. He said, "The web novel market is growing significantly these days, and in terms of growth rate, it is growing as fast as the webtoon market. We expect the number of web novel readers to increase further, and among them, the usage rate of the middle-aged and older generation will rise even more sharply."

Below is a Q&A session.

- Why did you start a web novel media platform?

▲ Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the company I worked for implemented work-from-home. Until then, I commuted to the office, so I did not know what my retired father was doing during the day. Watching him at home, I found that after YouTube, he enjoyed reading martial arts novels the most. Seeing him read martial arts novels on the computer, I thought that the 40s to 60s generation, who used to enjoy content in comic book rooms during childhood, are now finding the content they enjoyed online again. So, I created a web novel platform for the middle-aged and older generation, and my father is satisfied with our platform.

- The web novel market often targets the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z) in marketing. A web novel platform for the middle-aged and older generation is unfamiliar.

▲ Most of the emerging content like web novels and webtoons nowadays seems to be created mainly for the MZ generation. However, the 40s to 60s generation also consumes a lot of such content. You can often see people in their 40s to 60s reading on their phones during subway commutes. According to surveys by the Korea Creative Content Agency and others, the usage rate of web novels among people in their 40s is not low. Also, it is a market expected to grow more in the future. Recently, more people in their 40s to 60s are using mobile devices without much difficulty. As the web novel market grows, the growth of the 40s to 60s generation is expected to be even faster.

- Are there any difficulties for the senior generation in using web novel platforms?

▲ Before creating the Text Soda platform, we acquired and operated a web novel platform called Panmoolim. Analyzing Panmoolim, we found many users were over 50, and many of them read web novels on PCs rather than mobile devices. About 40% accessed the platform via PC. Usually, services are optimized for mobile because most people read web novels on phones. However, we realized many users feel uncomfortable with small screens and prefer PCs, so we provide a web browser-centered service rather than an application (app).

- What differentiates your service from other platforms?

▲ We consider various aspects to ensure users do not feel inconvenienced. For example, to improve content accessibility for the senior generation, we support large fonts and create large thumbnails (representative images). Also, when clicking a thumbnail, instead of showing information about the webtoon, it directly leads to the first episode of the work. We try to reduce unnecessary steps that seniors might find difficult.

- Are there any services you want to introduce for the senior generation in the future?

▲ As people age, their eyesight may deteriorate due to presbyopia and other factors. We are considering a Text To Speech (TTS) service for such users. Currently, TTS technology reads text mechanically. Although it needs further development to convey emotions in voice, we believe this is a problem that will be solved over time. If a natural TTS function that can read web novels is integrated into our platform, more people will be able to enjoy web novels comfortably.

- Will the web novel market centered on the senior generation grow in the future?

▲ Yes. The senior generation tends to revisit the content genres they enjoyed in their youth as time passes. For example, many people in their 50s and 60s still listen to the genres they enjoyed in their teens and twenties. Content is similar to music in this regard. Young people currently reading web novels are likely to read similar genres as they age.

- What kind of platform do you want to establish?

▲ I hope our platform allows the middle-aged and older generation to enjoy web novels. Many services targeting seniors focus heavily on healthcare and health aspects. Of course, physical aging issues are important. However, there seem to be few platforms or services for those who have more leisure time after retirement. We want to enrich their leisure time more.