/jp/ - Otaku Culture

So, the big question of the week: How do you guys feel about Japan making a serious push into the Youtube industry?

Personally I feel like they're destined to fail. The way you see all these startups literally appearing from thin air trying to take advantage of the boom and jump on the wagon like this is gonna be the next idol industry is suspicious. Sure, you might not have to compete with TV/radio timeslots and have a free platform from the start, but this isn't early Youtube monetization anymore and at the end of the day they're nothing but small content creators, not professional singers or such.
I seriously cannot believe what I'm seeing, you can even see a spike for VR gear in google search, tons of sites popping up overnight dedicated to gathering info on Vtubers, how to be a Vtuber, and everyone and their dog trying to get a slice of the fantasized Youtube pie.

I don't know how to explain this gut feeling I get guys, but it's this uneasy feeling that they're not going to go as far as they hoped and they'll just end up burning out slowly. That's the way I see all these people who are way in over their heads will end up. Even the Heavenly Kings, they might have mass appeal and funding, but it just isn't the type of thing I can see going for long. Say, 5 years from now, do you see Kizuna as a major brand icon? Akari and Luna with multiple figma releases? Vtubers becoming virtual models kinda like when Louis Vuitton got Squeenix to have Lightning as a model? You think any of them can keep their current growth rate after 5 years?

I mean, FUCK, look at the western side, we're the original and biggest Youtuber scene, with real INTERNATIONAL appeal and you don't see any exclusively company funded Youtubers do you? I don't think there's even a western company or startup DEDICATED to MAKING Youtubers, like talent agencies and such, you know: "Work with us and we'll make you famous and rich!", "Wanna be the next Youtube millionaire? Sign up for our auditions!" and yet Japan thinks this is viable. Maybe there are some in the Silicon Valley, run by hipsters, but I haven't heard of any making it big enough to be considered a "Youtuber making machine". Don't blame Japs for trying, but it just doesn't seem like it'll work.