People born after 1995 form a substantial segment of cultural product consumers in China, heavily influencing the rise of ACG (anime, comics, games) culture. This group has developed a strong fascination with 2-D characters, leading to significant engagement in cosplay and contributing to the global interactive entertainment industry, including virtual idols, virtual streamers, and digital personalities.
China’s virtual idol industry, worth nearly 1.3 billion yuan ($181.13 million), has seen two major growth periods between 2011-2015 and 2016-2019. However, since 2020, the industry’s growth has plateaued due to factors like the COVID-19 pandemic. Most consumers in this industry are students and young white-collar workers with limited disposable income.
Despite challenges such as language and copyright barriers, China’s virtual idol industry is exploring ways to expand globally, with key markets being the United States, Japan, and Indonesia. Issues like respecting religious norms and handling software copyright effectively are crucial in these expansion efforts.
The report suggests that as the interactive entertainment industry showcases China’s image and culture globally, it could become a new growth driver for cultural exports. This growth is being led by virtual idols, which combine human and 2-D elements to connect directly with young audiences worldwide.
https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202307/22/WS64bb3250a31035260b817e35.html
https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202307/22/WS64bb3250a31035260b817e35.html