The State of The VTuber World 2022 - Part 1
This year was the year we came out of the shadows of COVID... there was worry that with people being out that we can't hold them in, which was abated to a certain extent. In fact, for a while, there was a great rouse due people discussing this world as they re-mingled.
But as we head to normality, the concern we face starts to show itself. We could say the market has matured. It's not dead, but it's not growing as much as we've seen... this could change, there is a lot more growth to be had, but we're not if that growth will prevail.
In light of that, we must ask ourselves... when the promise of growth disappears, can we hold onto what we already have? It's unlikely people will leave, but it is also unlikely that people will stay if the stage stays the same. There is a tension of growth and stability for the big companies and the ecosystem at large.
The question is in multiple dimensions. Is there enough resources and outside talents (as in video expertise) to maintain a level of growth that is promised in the subculture. Whether the crowding will cause growth can never be substantiated, and if growth is a path we want to pursue at all... all this can only be answered through time.
It is hard, but it is also imperative to the companies. This is their job in a sense to find and finance the hardships that we talk about. So, the balance always comes down, what is favorable versus what must be done. There is a sense of reconsolidation, but this regrouping of a different flavor and scale, and if we want to establish ourselves in a sense of legitimacy, we must take this merger carefully.
The Second Half would be more specific examples...