[LEVEL UP PLAY 24] EXCLUSIVE: Motoaki Tanigo (YAGOO) Shares hololive’s Future and Global Impact

Guess who we bumped into at LEVEL UP PLAY 2024? None other than the mastermind behind the VTuber phenomenon, Motoaki “YAGOO” Tanigo. We had the chance to chat with the COVER Corporation CEO during Malaysia’s biggest digital content festival, LEVEL UP PLAY 2024.

Indie Game Support and Original Games

When asked about hololive’s plans to create their own games, YAGOO emphasized the importance of their partnerships with game developers. “We do not want to do anything that is in direct competition with them,” he stated. Instead YAGOO mentions that hololive will focus on supporting indie game developers and potentially licensing hololive IPs for collaborations.

YAGOO elaborated, “At the current moment, we have no plans to create any original games, but rather to support these indie game developers to create more games in that sense, or perhaps, to license our hololive IPs, for them as part of that support and collaboration.” YAGOO’s response reflects a strategic decision to maintain positive relationships with game developers while still participating in the gaming industry through their holo Indie publishing brand.

Global Expansion and Regional Support

YAGOO revealed that while hololive has resident staff in various regions like Indonesia and Taiwan, physical offices are currently limited to Japan and the US. However, he mentioned that establishing physical branches in other areas is under consideration, depending on future growth and needs.

“Given the development of future events and if we see any sort of growth in those areas and a greater need to further support the growth in those specific areas, then we are considering putting in a physical branch in those particular areas,” YAGOO explained. His measured approach to expansion reflects a commitment to sustainable growth and efficient resource allocation. YAGOO’s consideration of establishing physical branches based on future needs and growth indicates a cautious yet forward-thinking strategy for global development.

Indonesian Market and Unique Opportunities

The success of hololive Indonesia has opened up new opportunities for the company, including collaborations with local brands like Indomie. He noted, “With the decision of placing a resident staff in Indonesia, that has led to a lot of different opportunities. For example with Indomie, we’ve gotten a lot of opportunities to work with these brands, because we now have a staff on the ground who can negotiate these deals so as to speak.”

YAGOO’s highlighting of the Indonesian market success showcases hololive’s ability to adapt to local markets and leverage regional presence for broader opportunities. He also mentioned ongoing talks with Universal Music to expand the musical activities of their talents, aiming to reach a global audience.

“In fact, we also have some talks in the pipeline, for example to work with Universal Music, and that would essentially help expand the musical activities of the talents that we have. And all of this is to ensure that for example with Hololive Indonesia, it’s not just limited to offering these services to the Indonesian crowd or the whole region, but to the rest of the world,” he added.

Concerts and Live Events

While large-scale concerts featuring all Indonesian talents aren’t currently planned, YAGOO acknowledged the challenges of organizing independent concerts. He highlighted the hololive World Tour as an alternative approach, visiting different countries including Indonesia and Malaysia.

“It can be quite challenging, I believe, to hold an independently run concert and to promote or get the attendees to come,” YAGOO admitted.

However, he remained optimistic about future possibilities: “If we see that take momentum, then perhaps there will be a time that comes where we can do, for example, one concert where it’s just talents from one region such as hololive Indonesia.” YAGOO reflects on a realistic assessment of the challenges involved in organizing independent events. By focusing on the hololive World Tour and remaining open to future possibilities, he is flexible on his approach to live events that balances ambition with practicality.

Future Branches and Talent Recruitment

Rather than opening multiple new branches, YAGOO explained that Hololive is focusing on recruiting talents from various parts of the world to join existing branches. This strategy aims to maintain strong support for their talents without diluting resources and allows hololive to diversify its talent pool while maintaining operational efficiency.

“With trying to open many different branches, what might happen is that the support for the different talents may become reduced in that sense,” YAGOO cautioned.

He added, “What we’re trying to do right now is to have talents from different parts of the world, such as Malaysia or even other English speaking countries join us and so that we can support them.”

Collaborations with AAA Game Developers

YAGOO expressed interest in collaborating with major game companies, potentially featuring hololive characters in AAA games or having their talents perform at gaming events. “It’s one of our wishes to be able to collaborate with AAA games,” he stated. His vision of featuring hololive characters in AAA games and having talents perform at gaming events shows a desire to integrate more deeply with the mainstream gaming world.

“For example, if we were able to promote their games in such a way where we can have our characters appear in their games, and in fact, some of these AAA titles and companies, they sometimes open up their own events as well. So during those times, if we’re able to have the opportunity to appear in the event, maybe be an opening act or hold a concert in those events, that’s something that we hope to achieve if we can.” he added.

Malaysian Connection and Creative Talent

Attending Level Up Play in Malaysia, YAGOO was impressed by the local indie game developers and animation studios. He expressed interest in future collaborations with Malaysian creators, recognizing the wealth of creative talent in the region.

Goodbye Malaysia! pic.twitter.com/b3fwFxYvB1

— 谷郷元昭(YAGOO) / COVER Corp. CEO (@tanigox) September 14, 2024

“Having been invited to attend Level Up Play, I’ve been able to see how there are actually a lot of indie game developers based in Malaysia, but also a lot of animation studios that are homegrown here in the region,” YAGOO observed.

He added, “It would be really nice to be able to collaborate with creators or even developers who come from such creative backgrounds. So moving forward in the future, that’s something that we would like to have.”

YAGOO’s positive impressions of Malaysian indie game developers and animation studios reflect an openness to new collaborations and a recognition of global creative talent. Throughout the interview, YAGOO reflected a careful balance between global expansion and maintaining quality support for hololive’s talents, while also emphasizing the importance of partnerships and community engagement in the VTuber industry.

Check out our video interview here:

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