[Entertain &] Entertainment-Metaverse "Romance of the Century".

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Metaverse is a big topic for all industrial groups.As seen in the synthesis of META and the real world (UNIVERSE), demand is high as a non-face-to-face alternative that enables mutual communication and economic activities amid concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.Metaverse is expected to show signs of activation even after the end of COVID-19. Entertainment& will see how much entertainment and the meta-bus industry need each other and how they are developing.

◇ Entertainment ◇ Metaverse "Dreaming of an Immortal Artist Fantasy"

In the direction of entertainment, Metaverse is accepted as a true "open world" that makes up one's imagination and is a communication space in a non-face-to-face stance.It is an opportunity for idol groups to experience the worldview that has been explained in units of music and music video.

Espa is drawing a meta-bus worldview called the Wilderness, and is unfolding a storyline that can implement experiences on the platform as well as content.It can be simply regarded as a cyber fantasy, but it feels real when exposed repeatedly to a meta-bus environment that can implement graphics. It is also the basis for infinitely implementing finite celebrities along with the real sense of each worldview.Even the best artists of the time have finiteness along with basic restrictions such as defense obligations, disease, and aging, as well as group maintenance conditions such as whether to renew their contracts.However, the story changes in the meta-bus environment.

<Tinytan, which is introduced by the narrative of being a body containing bulletproof carbon BTS. (Photo = Hive provided)>

HYBE's "Tinitan" and SMCU's "SMCU" are good examples.'Tinitan' is configured in the same way in terms of image or personality with the setting that the identity of BTS is implanted in the avatar form. Until now, it has been regarded as a fun factor centered on real BTS, but it can increase familiarity with contents such as dynamite dance videos, Naver Jet's Geppetto-based experience elements, and artist interworking, giving an infinite sense of reality to artist intellectual property (IP) at 2020 MAMA.

"SMCU," which means that Artist IP is connected in various ways against the backdrop of the wilderness, the main environment of Espa, simply connects artists scattered in their conceptual composition.

However, not only TVXQ and Super Junior, but also Kangta, who emerged as SM-YouTube's "Remastering Project," and by promoting the so-called 1st and 2nd generation artist IP such as S.E.S. to be meta-versed with SMCU, it can naturally lead to concept change. Artist IP scalability and infinity based on Metaverse create the possibility of spreading not only to music and works but also to the entire lifestyle.This can soon lead to the usefulness of irreplaceable tokens (NFTs).

In short, the value of using Metaverse desired by entertainment is similar to that of famous domestic games such as Lineage.Lineage has continued to vary from PC online to mobile, but it maintains the same line in terms of its game style and character. This atmosphere raises expectations for infinite and diverse developments in the entertainment market, which used to operate only on a finite artist IP one-sided basis. Choi Sam-ha, a professor at Sogang University's Game Education Center, said, "With the development of technology, the passage (UI) to gain human emotional pleasure is changing, and the entertainment orientation is also quite consistent with the development of the meta-bus.This means that activities in the meta-bus and actual pleasure can soon have a connection point, which is bound to be a connection."

◇Metaverse ◇ Entertainment's "YouTube Platform Writing Together" From the perspective of Metaverse, entertainment, like the existing industry, needs a real feeling of the Metaverse environment based on the storyline of the worldview they have mainly done, along with the rise of the topic through artists. Metaverse platforms derived from sandbox-type games and social networking services (SNS) are absolutely user inflow and utilization.In this process, collaboration with artists is the basis for developing a continuous sense of reality through the use of their storylines as well as simple topics.

In fact, Naver Jet's Geppetto not only promotes non-face-to-face communication between artists such as BTS and Black Pink, but also promotes several opportunities to experience meta-bus based on it, securing its presence as a realistic "non-face-to-face" environment.

UT+ interactive "Ditto Land," which has recently emerged as a dark horse in the meta-bus world, is also securing acceptance as "non-face-to-face" rather than "virtual" through tvN's 15th anniversary of "Joyland" collaboration with the influx of users based on sandbox-type freedom. Another meta-bus dark horse "Merility" is building a "multi-metaverse" platform structure based on its own technology that leaves content in front of users' eyes, while enhancing user communication and corporate and consumer transactions (B2C) using pre-contracted animation IP characters such as Lava, Sticky Monster Lab, Molang, Zombidum, and UZZU MyPet.

Unlike other fan platforms that emphasize communication aspects, "Universe," a fan platform run by NCsoft and Klep, convincingly reflects the trend of the worldview within the platform through various contents and avatars under the setting of a single framework of UNIVERSE and a Planet for each artist. If this leads to an open field form such as a role-playing game (RPG), it can show another potential different from the nature of the existing fan platform.

The flow can serve as a basis for securing data in the era of customized services as well as new social concepts that allow users to experience the nature of platforms such as Facebook and YouTube in various ways.It is also effective in building the value of NFT utilization. An official from the platform industry said, "From the perspective of entertainment companies, it becomes a link to communicate with fans, and from our perspective, it is a win-win structure that enables global promotion along with meeting unique IPs through them." ◇ Entertainment-Metaverse romance, public realism, and institutional understanding are needed. Entertainment and Metaverse have a honeymoon relationship with mutual demand such as IP scalability, permanence, and platform reality.What are the key development points in such a honeymoon relationship?

The biggest point is the visibility of the storyline connecting entertainment and metadata.Starting with Hive and SM, which predicted genre diversification using artist IP, many entertainment companies, including YG and JYP, are creating storylines in direct and indirect solidarity with related companies such as Naver, Dunamu, and NCsoft. A Hive official said, "Metaverse should be a world that exists for artists-loving fans, and it should allow fans' entertainment lifestyles to flow online and offline, real and virtual worlds, and expand without any boundaries between platforms and platforms.To this end, Hive is working on various concerns and research."

It is also important to supply and demand realistic content that reflects the storyline.In fact, Space Elvis, known as a strong VFX player in Korea, is promoting a multifaceted project to enhance the contact point between real artists and virtual environments for reality leading to a meta-bus platform, led by holding XR-based fan meetings with existing film and drama computer graphics (CG) areas. Cho Sung-ho, co-CEO of Space Elvis, said, "It is important for both Metaverse and NFT to be recognized for their real-life value along with impressive experiences by users at the entry stage.Like our Studio Elvis and Personaux, the natural intermediate process of connecting Metaverse and the real world will be the key along with the implementation of AR and VR with increased specifications."

Another is copyright.Copyright is an issue in the real entertainment industry, not only content-related but also publicity rights for each artist, and there are concerns about issues within Metaverse, a digital environment. In fact, as the number of contents using artist's sound sources without permission on a meta-bus platform increases exponentially, it is also required to prepare a digital IP protection system device in the meta-bus. Choi Kwang-ho, secretary-general of the Korea Music Contents Association, said, "There are cases of unauthorized creation of works using sound sources in Metaverse," adding, "As online video services (OTT) and social platforms as well as Metaverse are considered one of the pillars of media environment change, a consultation environment should be established."

<Picture=SM Entertainment provided>

In short, entertainment and Metaverse are interdependent with IP infinity, irreplaceability, and lifecycle connectivity in mind, along with huge scalability. Park Dong-sun, a reporter for E-newspaper Entertainment, dspark@etnews.com