In recent years, with the rapid development of digital media, VTuber (Virtual YouTuber), an emerging form of virtual anchor, has attracted widespread attention around the world. In Taiwan, the rise of the VTuber community not only demonstrates the enthusiasm of local young people for innovative forms of entertainment, but also reflects the diversity and vitality of digital culture.
What is VTuber
VTuber originated in Japan, and its full name is “Virtual YouTuber”, which is a virtual YouTuber. It is a new online content creation model that combines animated characters and live broadcast platforms. These virtual characters are usually controlled by real content creators and interact, live broadcast, game live, etc. through avatars. This form quickly achieved great success in Japan and gradually affected other regions.
Technical introduction and application status of VTuber
How do these roles of VTuber come into play? The first is character modeling, which mainly uses a network camera or a mobile phone to capture the operator’s movements. The model can be 2D or 3D, and a smaller number of virtual YouTubers use 3D motion capture. The biggest difference between 2D and 3D is whether they can make movements with large body changes. Movements are collected through motion capture devices and sensors installed on the operator’s head or limbs, and then software is used to import the character model into VTube Studio or other software to collect the collected character expressions and body movements. Map onto the virtual character. The reason why VTuber can be so lifelike is that it relies on these emerging technologies to clearly present the subtle facial expressions and slight changes in body movements to the audience.
How to become a VTuber
Virtual YouTuber has two components: the virtual character and the operator behind it. By capturing the operator’s voice, body movements and facial expressions and mapping them onto the virtual character through software, the virtual YouTuber is then created and created in the form of live broadcast or video. Improve the virtual character image. Because VTuber does not need to show their face, the entry barrier is very low. For those who do not want to show
their faces or be exposed, there is a platform to become YouTubers by creating new virtual characters and share different things.
The rise of Taiwan’s VTuber community
In Taiwan, the rise of VTuber can be traced back to around 2020. As the global VTuber craze spreads, young creators in Taiwan have also begun to invest in this field. Taiwan’s VTubers not only imitate the Japanese model, but innovate and adjust according to local cultural characteristics and language, forming a unique local VTuber community.
Diversity and Characteristics of the Community
You may not know that more than 40% of the top 100 most profitable YouTube live streaming rewards in Taiwan in 2023 are virtual idols! Under the exquisite skin of VTuber, there are real people who need to perform the role behind the scenes, giving this character a lot of soul, which also tests the creativity of every creator.
Taiwan’s VTubers show great diversity in content creation. They not only conduct game live broadcasts, sing and dance, but also produce interesting short films and conduct talk shows. These diversified contents attract audiences with different interests and enrich the expression form of VTuber.
Community interaction and support
VTuber fans have high loyalty. Relying on the creator’s unique interaction and personal characteristics, fans not only actively participate in live broadcast interactions, but also participate in various online and offline activities to support their favorite VTuber. This good interactive relationship promotes the stable development of the VTuber community and increases the stickiness of fans.
Taiwan establishes its own virtual influencer association
Because of the trend that is rapidly spreading around the world, Taiwan established this association in 2019 in order to promote the development of this innovative industry. It operates with four core cores: “local culture, international exchange, educational innovation, and virtual technology”, and holds relevant competitions every year, so that those in Taiwan who are interested in virtual and real integration can keep up with the world and enhance Taiwan’s virtual production competitiveness.
Challenges and the future
Although Taiwan’s VTuber community is developing rapidly, it still faces some challenges. For example, the market competition is fierce, and how to keep the content fresh and creative is a problem that every VTuber must face. In addition, platform specifications and content management are also issues that need to be addressed. Perhaps the market will need to implement corresponding policy management for related industries in the future to prevent the abuse of the platform or the negative impact on minors.
The virtual world market allows Taiwan’s VTuber community to continue to flourish. With the advancement of digital technology and the popularization of virtual reality, VTuber is likely to develop more applications in entertainment, education, business and other fields. Taiwan’s VTubers will also continue to explore and innovate to bring more colorful content to the audience.
Author: Stella Chang
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