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Virtual YouTuber Provides Gree Financial Reports
By Kasaix • 5 years ago


I think we've hit the uncanny valley. Fine, VTubers play games, or chat, or whatever. That's fine. But for financial reports with billions at stake? Uncanny valley. 


Gree is a Japanese internet media company, best known for their mobile games. During their last financial report, Manami Isora, the cat-eared girl, was a special guest in presenting their financials. Manami was happy to report that Gree would be focusing their attention on the "live entertainment industry". She also reported that Gree accumulated ¥77.9 billion in sales for the fiscal year of 2018, with ¥9.4 billion of operating income, and the company’s focus for fiscal year 2019 is to strengthen and increase investment in their 3 main businesses: games, advertising media and now live entertainment, which also includes business surrounding virtual YouTubers.


Gree CEO Yoshikazu Tanaka talked briefly on the subject of virtual YouTubers:

“We believe that using VTubers in order to introduce products or companies will become a big business in the future. Currently, various areas in Japan have mascot characters, and you can imagine how they could be turned into VTubers who can introduce various local specialties. Press releases for corporations are better done in person, but if it were directed towards users, such as when announcing a new game, having a VTuber explain it fits better, doesn’t it? We thought this financial summary briefing was one of these opportunities, and put it into practice.”


The entire presentation can be viewed online HERE


As outlandish as this is, it's also pretty ingenius. Think about where else VTubers could be used. Who wants to listen to Mr. Milton jar on about math for 40 minutes when Kaya the magical girl can teach students about divison? Sure it's a kind of catfishing, and definitely deceptive, but there's some strand of brilliance to this.


What do you think about VTubers? Should they be restricted to just YouTube, or could they be used elsewhere? Sound off in the comments below!