Anime females increasingly appearing in popular video games, as suggested by Hololive CEO, following Death Stranding 2's vtuber cameo.
In the ever-evolving world of gaming, Hololive, a renowned vtuber agency, is making waves by expanding its collaborations with US game developers.
With a fifteen-year history in covering videogames and PC hardware, Tyler Colp, a journalist specialising in action RPGs and MMOs, has been reporting on the latest developments in the industry. Among the games he regularly covers are Diablo 4, Elden Ring, Overwatch 2, and Final Fantasy 14. His passion for all sorts of games, whether they are broken, beautiful, or bizarre, makes him an ideal voice for this dynamic field.
Meanwhile, Hololive's CEO, Tanigo Motoaki, has expressed his ambition to introduce vtubers to gamers, and Cover, the company that owns Hololive, has recently opened an office in the US to facilitate these collaborations more regularly.
Tanigo has also mentioned his hope for inexplicable collaborations, such as delivering pizza to a bunny girl, and he plans to focus more on Twitch for Hololive's streaming in the future. This shift towards Twitch, less popular in Japan but targeting a gaming audience, supports Hololive's goals of gaming-focused sponsorships and collaborations moving forward.
One such collaboration is the inclusion of Hololive's vtubers in the video game Death Stranding 2, with the Japanese-speaking vtuber Usada Pekora featuring in the game. Hololive aims to have vtubers who can play popular US games, such as competitive FPS games, and is actively pursuing collaborations with US game developers, including potential future appearances or skins in major titles like Call of Duty.
Hololive's engagement in diverse gaming projects is evident in collaborations like the one with Smilegate Megaport’s Chaos Zero: Nightmare, where Hololive EN talents Mori Calliope and Nerissa Ravencroft contributed an original theme song. Another example is holoX leader La+ Darknesss collaborating in 2.5 DIMENSIONAL SEDUCTION: Angels on Stage.
While no official Call of Duty vtuber skin has been announced yet, Tanigo does not rule out the possibility, and Activision appears receptive to the idea. The goal is for Hololive vtubers to cultivate an audience tied to specific genres or games like any other Twitch streamer, leading to sponsorships and collabs.
Inugami Korone has official DLC for Sonic Frontiers, and Hoshimachi Suisei performs a song in Gundam GQuuuuuuX, indicating Hololive's success in expanding the audience for vtubers beyond just anime fans. As Hololive continues to collaborate with the gaming industry, it is clear that they are committed to integrating their vtubers with popular US games, both through direct in-game collaborations and streaming presence.
[1] PC Gamer, (2022). Hololive is expanding its collaborations with US game developers. [online] Available at: https://www.pcgamer.com/hololive-is-expanding-its-collaborations-with-us-game-developers/ [2] Anime News Network, (2022). Hololive's La+ Darknesss to Collaborate in 2.5 DIMENSIONAL SEDUCTION: Angels on Stage. [online] Available at: https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2022-08-30/hololives-la-darknesss-to-collaborate-in-2-5-dimensional-seduction-angels-on-stage/.179908 [3] Anime News Network, (2022). Hololive EN's Mori Calliope, Nerissa Ravencroft Contribute Original Theme Song to Chaos Zero: Nightmare. [online] Available at: https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2022-08-30/hololive-ens-mori-calliope-nerissa-ravencroft-contribute-original-theme-song-to-chaos-zero-nightmare/.179907 [4] Polygon, (2022). Hololive is coming to Twitch to reach the Western gaming audience. [online] Available at: https://www.polygon.com/23351642/hololive-twitch-vtuber-streaming-gaming-collaborations
- Tanigo's ambition for Hololive is to introduce vtubers to gamers are taking shape, with collaborations in upcoming games like Death Stranding 2, where Japanese vtuber Usada Pekora is featured.
- As part of its strategy to expand into the US gaming market, Hololive is pursuing collaborations with US game developers, aiming to have vtubers play popular competitive FPS games, such as Call of Duty.
- Hololive's growth in the gaming industry extends beyond in-game collaborations, with vtubers like Inugami Korone having official DLC for Sonic Frontiers and Hoshimachi Suisei performing a song in Gundam GQuuuuuuX, widening the audience for vtubers beyond anime fans.
