The next-generation metaverse being built by CALIVERSE, a member of the Lotte Group. With highly sophisticated hyper-realistic graphics, live fusion technology with live action, and AI technology, it will provide completely new experiences in many areas, including shopping and entertainment. The service will be available not only on PCs, but also through VR, 3DTV, and mobile.
Before this interview, I had the chance to try out CALIVERSE on a computer screen, and I was amazed by the quality of its graphics. The term "metaverse" has become a buzzword, and I felt that many products do not live up to the expectations associated with the word, but I feel that CALIVERSE will shatter that preconception.
Kim Dong-Gyu (hereinafter Kim): Thank you. The word "metaverse" is a combination of the words "meta" and "universe." So, it has to be something that transcends what has existed so far.
Many services called "metaverse" have been released so far, but many of the most talked about ones are 3D spaces created by combining blocks, like Minecraft. This approach is familiar to users, and I respect it, but there are limits to what can be expressed.
It is still not enough as 21st century content, and it would be difficult to use it for shopping or entertainment. CALIVERSE is challenging itself with high-quality graphics and the ability to render live-action images in real time (projecting them into a virtual space).
So it's truly a challenge to transcend reality then?
Kim: The word "universe" is also important. Many of the "metaverses" out there today have separate servers because processing and rendering issues arise when only a few dozen people participate. However, something that only a few dozen people can participate in can't be called a "world." On the other hand, CALIVERSE allows about 2,000 people to participate on one server.
So, please tell us more about the experience that users can actually get in CALIVERSE. The idea that "brand shops and other businesses will open stores on the metaverse and users will be able to shop on the metaverse" has long been introduced as an example of the "future that will come with the metaverse," and there are several metaverses that are working on such initiatives. Compared to those, how is CALIVERSE different?
Kim: Obviously, the most important thing when shopping is to look at the item carefully. To achieve this, it is necessary to be able to see products in the virtual space at the same level as in real life.
As you can see when you try out the actual device, CALIVERSE's graphics are very realistic, and of course it can generate products that are indistinguishable from reality. CALIVERSE has also developed a digital twin creation tool in collaboration with KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, a higher education institution known as the MIT of Korea).
Digital twins are a technology that collects data such as physical assets in the real world and reproduces them in a virtual space. With this tool, you can simply scan a product with your smartphone and reproduce it on CALIVERSE in just about three minutes. In other words, you can enjoy shopping for products of comparable quality in a virtual space with graphics that are comparable to the real thing.
I also had the opportunity to experience a live music performance on the actual device. Live music performances in virtual space have been talked about as one of the "futures brought about by the metaverse," but when you actually go to a live performance in the metaverse, there are many cases where there is only a mini stage with only a few dozen people gathered. However, CALIVERSE definitely gives you a real live experience.
Kim: Recently, live music streaming has increased, but fans of artists still go to see them. This is because they want to experience the music of the artist in front of them, and to feel the passion and solidarity of fans who love the same artist. With CALIVERSE, we wanted to realize that kind of live experience in a virtual space.
What's more, CALIVERSE has its own technology that can project live footage of artists in real time in the metaverse space. For example, an artist could perform a live show at home and have it projected in real time on a huge concert venue inside CALIVERSE.
In previous live music shows in the metaverse, artists were often shown as deformed avatars, which is fun in its own way, but I think there are many people who want to see live action, and I think that's the experience I want to see in the metaverse! Speaking of live music, CALIVERSE has an exclusive contract with the global EDM event "Tomorrowland."
Kim: Tomorrowland is the world's largest EDM event, attracting about 400,000 people every year. Through this collaboration, we plan to realize the next generation of "Metaverse Festivals." Live music in the Metaverse should be able to provide users with a new experience that has never been seen before.
For example, Tomorrowland has more than a dozen stages each time, and a new artist appears and performs every hour. So even if you buy a ticket and attend, you can't see everything. Also, some people can't buy tickets in the first place because they are too popular, or can't go to the venue. However, in the Metaverse, these problems can be solved.
So you can experience moving freely around the event venue and enjoying a live performance from the comfort of your own home. What other content and experiences are there besides shopping and live music?
Kim: CALIVERSE has a unique system called User Generated Ques (t UGQ). This is a system that allows users to create quests by freely creating stories in CALIVERSE, placing characters, setting lines for each character, etc.
That sounds interesting! It seems like a variety of content could be created depending on the imagination of users, such as romance, suspense, or quests that involve solving mysteries.
Kim: Creating 3D content is difficult, but CALIVERSE has a system that allows anyone to easily generate it on the website. Users who are good at creating stories can create stories like game quests, and users who are good at design can create characters that act out the stories. It is also possible to put AI into characters and have them say lines unique to the character.
Another way to enjoy it is to use the home edit function, which allows you to freely place things in the space, to create an attractive space. In addition, we also have a "Creative to Earn" system, where users who generate quests using these methods are given rewards in return.
It's a system that repurposes the "Play to Earn" system often used in the blockchain gaming industry.
Kim: Other strengths of CALIVERSE include the strong backing of the Lotte Group and the fact that we have many partnerships with real companies.
There are actual stores in the metaverse, such as Lotte Hi-Mart (Korea's largest electronics retail chain) and 7-Eleven (in Korea, 7-Eleven is operated by Korea Seven, a subsidiary of the Lotte Group), as well as other brands such as MCM, Givenchy Beauty from the LVMH Group, MAKE UP FOREVER, and L'Occitane.
In addition, in order to make their blockchain business successful, they have also signed partnerships with Web 3.0 projects such as Arbitrum (Ethereum's L2* solution) and Rakuten Wallet.
Finally, please tell us about your enthusiasm for the future.
Kim: Over the past few years, I have attended many Web 3.0-related events, and at these events, the talk is always about how fast the chain is processed, how strong the security is, and how scalable it is.
Of course, these are important, but I have also felt that we have not been able to present use cases that would surprise and impress ordinary users. That is why we are working with the determination to present CALIVERSE, and I think that many people will find it attractive by actually experiencing it.
*L2: Layer 2. Another network built on the basic network (L1). It can process transactions (data exchanges) without putting a strain on the processing speed of L1.
POINT 1.
Overwhelming graphics using UE5
The graphics, drawn using Unreal Engine 5, the latest game engine, are so realistic that they are indistinguishable from real life. Just walking around the town is full of discoveries. It is said that the game will also be equipped with technology that makes it easy to create 3D models by simply importing photos.
POINT 2.
Expanding the world with Creative to Earn
CALIVERSE is designed so that not only the operators but also users can plan and create events and spaces. Users can enjoy the fun of working together to expand the world, and rewards are also available for those who contribute to the expansion of the world.
POINT 3.
Global companies have already announced their entry
Global companies have already announced their entry. With the support of the Lotte Group, CALIVERSE has already seen a number of famous stores and brands that everyone knows open. It may be that in the future the designs you create in CALIVERSE will be sold alongside famous brands.
Before the interview, I tried out CALIVERSE on a real device (computer screen), and my honest impression was that it was "definitely something I have never experienced before" and "maybe it will realize what we expect from the word metaverse."
During the real device experience, I watched a live music performance by CALIVERSE, and it was an overwhelming 3D experience that could be experienced with the naked eye (you can see images that are like those seen with 3D lenses with the naked eye, but it seems that this is achieved by simply sticking a special sheet that costs a few thousand yen on the display).
To be honest, it was such an amazing experience that I felt that if my favorite artist's live performance was held at CALIVERSE, I might choose to experience it at CALIVERSE rather than going to the venue.
It is also important to note that CALIVERSE has strong support from the Lotte Group. When thinking about whether such a grand and unprecedented challenge can really be realized, the presence of a real global company in the background is considered to be a great advantage in terms of reliability, economics, and building relationships with companies that want to build a collaborative system.
Unfortunately, in the Web 3.0 industry, there are many projects that are overly promoted, which can be called hype, and whose only purpose is to succeed in raising funds by issuing tokens. The word "metaverse" is used simply as a marketing term, and in many cases it refers to a 3D space with graphics that are far inferior to the latest games. The reality is that the products that users expect are not being created easily, and the expectations for the word "metaverse" are gradually fading.
However, the experience at CALIVERSE fully dispelled that disappointment. After the interview, Kim said, "Rather than a lot of written explanations, if you watch the video and experience it for yourself, you will definitely understand the charm," and he is absolutely right. Even without words, if you try it for yourself, you will surely understand that CALIVERSE is "different from anything you've ever experienced before."
By downloading the client from the CALIVERSE homepage, you can experience this "transcendent world" at home (although you will need gaming PC-level specs). We hope that readers who are interested will experience the joy of this new experience for themselves.
◉ Kim Dong-Kyu
CEO of CALIVERSE Inc
After working at the Korean game company NCSOFT, he served as a Korean director for the Japanese game company SEGA for over 10 years, and then founded the current CALIVERSE, which was acquired by Lotte Novate in 2021. The company has created many immersive VR experiences, including virtual concerts and interactive dramas on major platforms such as KT, LGU+, and SONY PlayStation.
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