Webtoon Entertainment, the U.S. headquarters of Naver Webtoon, said on the 28th that it signed a strategic partnership with Genies, a U.S. artificial intelligence (AI) avatar technology corporations.
With this collaboration, Naver Webtoon plans to develop a digital experience service using webtoon characters. It noted that it will focus on providing an immersive fan experience in which readers not only view webtoons but also communicate with digital characters based on webtoons and experience the universe.
Webtoon creators will be able to present characters from their works as 3D avatars based on Genies' technology. As the first pilot application, the popular webtoons "The Greatest Estate Designer," "The Knight Who Lives Only Today," and "The In-Laws Obsess Over Me" were selected with the creators' consent.
Characters from these webtoon intellectual properties (IP) will be made into 3D avatars that preserve the original art style and personality based on Genies' AI technology. Readers can communicate with the avatars and have conversations about the works. Readers can obtain items to customize the avatars through various activities such as viewing works, paying for paid episodes, and accessing the app.
Naver Webtoon plans to introduce premium items in the future to help creators secure new revenue sources.
The 3D digital avatar feature will begin pilot service within the year on Naver Webtoon's English platform WEBTOON.
Kim Yong-su, president of Webtoon Entertainment, said, "This partnership will be a key turning point that evolves the way people view webtoons by newly offering an immersive digital experience where fans deeply interact with their favorite characters," adding, "All processes will be carried out with creators' consent and within a scope that does not damage the value of the originals."
Akash Nigam, CEO of Genies, said, "We are pleased to provide tools that digitally extend the characters fans love and expand how they experience the stories."