Established 'MotionStage' in Building 1784
Closing Gap with SOOP and Intensifying Market Share Competition
Attentive to Industry Shift with Enhanced Virtual Streaming
A participant is taking a photo at the Chijijik Virtual Streaming Experience Booth set up at the Team Naver Integrated Conference 'DAN 24,' held from the 11th to 12th of this month at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Provided by Naver
Naver's streaming platform Chijijik is strengthening virtual streaming through the establishment of a studio. The goal is to expand beyond a game-specialized streaming platform and cultivate diverse content.
According to industry sources on the 23rd, Naver is building a studio called 'Motion Stage' in office building 1784 to provide professional technology support for virtual streamers affiliated with Chijijik. Motion Stage is currently in the final installation phase and is expected to begin pilot operations early next year, followed by an official opening.
Virtual streaming refers to broadcasting videos where the host or cast appears not as their real selves but as virtual avatars or characters. Since characters rather than real people are broadcast on screen, equipment and software for motion capture and streaming are required. Once Motion Stage is established, it will provide an environment where visual elements can be combined and manipulated in real-time throughout the filming process. It will be capable of acquiring motion data used in movies, animations, and games, and will apply technology that can render movements such as vertical motion or jumping in 3D. The studio is reported to accommodate more than five people simultaneously.
Naver turned its attention to the virtual streaming field because it sees high growth potential and views it as a card that can change the competitive landscape. According to statistics from the internet broadcasting ranking site SoftConViewership, Chijijik's average number of viewers increased from 74,936 last month to 112,261 this month. During the same period, SOOP's viewership rose slightly from 141,434 to 142,313. The effect of eSports broadcasts such as League of Legends (LoL) was significant, but Naver believes that strengthening virtual streaming could enable a turnaround.
Additionally, the virtual streaming market size is expected to grow to 14 trillion won by next year. Virtual streamer content is expanding offline into categories such as games, sports, music, talk shows, and fan meetings. For example, 'Virtual Summit Meeting,' a content featuring Chijijik's representative virtual streamers, surpassed 410,000 cumulative viewers, and the virtual web entertainment 'The Black Onyx' also attracted 300,000 cumulative viewers. At G-Star 2024, the largest domestic game exhibition held this month, virtual streamers took the stage and drew attention.
Naver is also enhancing broadcasting functions in mobile environments to support virtual streaming. The mobile live streaming application 'Prism Live Studio' added a 3D avatar feature. It is the first in the streaming industry to apply the universally compatible 'VRM' 3D modeling file format to mobile, allowing files created with various software to be easily imported.
A Naver official explained, "We are providing an environment where virtual streamers active on Chijijik can easily and conveniently create virtual content through content production and technical support," adding, "We will offer a differentiated virtual experience by consolidating top-tier media technology."
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