Tokyo Sick Girlfriend

Chapter 167 Inspiration
There is always a huge gap between reality and imagination; you only realize how difficult it is when you actually do it.

"Mr. Shiratori, do you mean you want to bring the 3D motion capture equipment used in action games to live streaming?"

"Correct."

Upon receiving an affirmative answer, a look of doubt flashed in Iguchi Kazue's slender eyes. After hesitating for a moment, she nodded, folding her delicate hands in front of her and saying:

"First of all, I must say your idea is absolutely brilliant, but... excuse me, before we proceed, may I ask whether you intend to use it for personal purposes or for company business use..."

Upon hearing the saleswoman's question, Shiratori Seiya immediately looked away from the advanced VR equipment in front of him, his mind immediately on alert. He frowned, narrowed his eyes, and looked at Iguchi Kazue, asking:
"Is this important?"

When Shiratori Seiya's sharp gaze fell upon her, Iguchi Kazue was stunned, her red lips pursed.

Although she had sensed something amiss between his demeanor and his youthful face the moment he entered, being stared at like that made her nervous. Facing him felt like facing her manager, so she quickly bowed slightly in apology.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Shiratori, you've misunderstood. I didn't mean to pry into how you intended to use it. In fact, we've all signed an agreement that we won't disclose customer information, so you can rest assured..."

Upon hearing this, Shiratori Seiya looked away from her, but did not offer a smile.

They say they won't leak information, but who knows, when introducing the equipment to a second customer, they might say that someone is using this equipment for live streaming. The virtual live streaming boom is so fragile right now that it's easy to miss out; whoever seizes the opportunity first will make a fortune.

He asked again:
"So, is there any difference?"

Seeing the calm expression on the man's face, Iguchi Kazue breathed a sigh of relief and said:
"Yes, that's right. In order to be responsible for your after-sales use, I must explain the usage of this product to you clearly."

If you're doing a personal live stream, I wouldn't recommend using it. While it can indeed bring real people to life like anime characters, allowing you to portray them, it's impossible for one person to do it alone. It requires the support of a technical and design team... for example, handling technical tasks like 3D motion capture monitoring and reconstruction... these are not tasks that one or two people can accomplish..."

Upon hearing this, Shiratori Seiya couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

Although he had some prior expectations, he didn't actually have a concrete concept of this kind of 3D live streaming, which is why he came here today. So he asked:
Approximately how many people are needed?

"Well... it depends on the specific situation. However, based on our experience working with action game companies before, at least seven or eight people should be needed to monitor it simultaneously..."

"..."

Seven or eight people.

Upon hearing this, Shiratori Seiya fell silent, beginning to calculate in his mind the cost of cultivating a virtual idol.

Besides the cost of purchasing all the equipment, there's also the cost of paying the virtual live streamers, plus the salaries of seven or eight people each month. In Japan, engineers typically earn between 200,000 and 500,000 yen per month. Even taking the lowest estimate, the monthly cost would still be 1.6 million yen...

One million six hundred thousand.

Although I have great confidence in this industry, the cost is still too high, and it is difficult for virtual streamers to make a profit in the early stages.

Even including the one million yen in dating subsidies he received from signing in with Mio, the monthly cost was still six hundred thousand yen.

So, in the early stages, it's a pure loss.

After a moment of silence, Shiratori Seiya asked again:
"How much does this motion capture equipment cost approximately?"

Kazue Iguchi glanced at the expression on Seiya Shiratori's face, hesitated for a moment, and said:

"Well, this motion capture system was newly developed in the United States last year, and it costs 209800 yen..."

In fact, the cost is even higher. For example, the software setup is not something that ordinary computers can run. Add in some other miscellaneous components, and this whole setup would cost around 300,000 yen.

Although she felt the deal was unlikely to go through, she still held onto the thought that 'what if it sells?' and tried to keep the price from being too outrageous.

In fact, Kazue Iguchi was also somewhat helpless. Based on her sales experience, she really didn't want to point out the drawbacks of this equipment. However, if she didn't explain it clearly, and Shiratori Seiya returned the product later, it would be even more troublesome, and she could forget about her performance bonus for this quarter.

However, looking at the pensive look on the man's face, Kazue Iguchi knew that this deal was probably going to fall through.

No, we can't just let it go.

Since he can ask about such expensive equipment, it means he definitely has the purchasing power of 200,000 yen. If this demand doesn't work, then create another demand.

Thinking this, Iguchi Kazue's eyes darted around, and after pondering for two seconds, she said again:

"However, Mr. Shiratori, if you're considering doing live streaming but feel the initial investment is too large, you could consider creating some 2D virtual avatars first. Creating these avatars also takes time, and our company currently offers this service..."

"How much does it cost?"

"A nice Live2D character design. The price for a single character is 100,000 yen. If you're looking to create multiple characters, we can offer a discount. We'll also provide after-sales modeling and repair services..."

Shiratori Seiya raised his hand to stop Iguchi Kazue from speaking, closed his eyes, and thought about the details of those live broadcasts from his past life.

perhaps……

Live streaming doesn't necessarily require using full-body motion capture.

Although he didn't benefit from the initial livestreaming boom, he vaguely remembers that virtual livestreaming only really took off in Japan around 2018. Back then, virtual YouTubers weren't typically using full-body 3D motion capture; they were usually half-body figures, chatting like a card...

To put it more specifically, all that's needed is for the virtual streamer's face to reflect facial expressions in real time, and for their mouth to move when they speak or sing...

At that moment, an inspiration flashed through Shiratori Seiya's mind. He opened his eyes, looked at Iguchi Kazue, and asked:

"I'd like to ask if you have any devices that specifically offer facial capture functionality?"

Eh?
Kazue Iguchi was startled by his sudden opening of his eyes and asking a question. Her eyes widened in surprise, but she quickly recovered and put on a smile, saying:
"Yes, our company also provides motion capture cameras. These cameras can clearly capture facial expressions... You know Apple's latest smartphone, right? Our cameras can achieve an even higher level of detail..."

"and many more."

Upon hearing her say this, Shiratori Seiya interrupted her again, staring into her eyes and asking:

"You mean, the latest iPhone camera can also capture facial expressions?"

Seeing his startled expression, Iguchi Kazue was somewhat puzzled, but still nodded and said:

“Uh, yes, sir…”

"So, is it possible to conduct live streaming and transmit motion capture data via mobile phone?"

Hearing him ask that, Iguchi Kazue's heart skipped a beat; she guessed what he was thinking and quickly replied:
"Sure, but those are just mobile phones after all; they can't achieve the level of precision found in our company's products..."

Shiratori Seiya looked at the anxious expression on Iguchi Kazue's face and smiled, saying:
"Ms. Iguchi, you don't need to worry that I won't buy your company's products. In fact, if you can help me with this, I will order ten virtual characters. So, could you please answer my question first?"

Upon hearing him mention ten custom-made characters, Iguchi Kazue was overjoyed. That meant a 5% commission, and she immediately nodded in agreement.
"Excuse me, Mr. Shiratori, may I ask what questions you have?"

"Yes, you just mentioned that the latest iPhone from Apple has a built-in facial recognition camera, right? Can it capture facial expressions like smiling, blinking, and shaking your head?"

"Absolutely, many people are actually using their phones to livestream these days..."

"Could we use this feature to project the expressions of real people onto the faces of virtual characters?"

"Uh……"

Upon hearing this, Iguchi Kazue hesitated for a moment, then lowered her eyes and pondered, saying, "Please allow me to think about it."

Shiratori Seiya was in no hurry and stood aside patiently waiting.

If it's just a mobile phone, then the cost will be much cheaper than buying a dedicated motion capture device.

Cost is a crucial factor in profitability.

If the cost is ten yuan and the profit is one hundred yuan, then it is a tenfold increase. Moreover, due to the limitation of funds, a large number of virtual characters can be put into the market in a short period of time. Neither the growth speed nor the scale can be compared with motion capture equipment costing hundreds of thousands of yuan.

Before coming, Shiratori Seiya had also investigated the market. In his opinion, the consumer group of virtual idols may not necessarily need their favorite streamers to jump around and perform a hot dance like artists. More often, they need someone to chat with them through the screen to relieve their inner emptiness and the pressure of life. If they need something more, singing a song would be the best they could ask for...

"can."

Just then, he heard Iguchi Kazue, who was beside him, say while holding her phone:

"With current technology, after collecting facial data using the iPhone's camera, ARKit can be used to translate the data into 'data that the virtual avatar can understand.' Finally, by connecting it to the virtual avatar model, the virtual avatar can be driven..."

Shiratori Seiya was somewhat surprised to see her so serious. He had only wanted to know if it was feasible, but she hadn't expected to explain the general process.

Perhaps when the technology is more advanced, she could explain this process clearly without any surprises, but right now, this kind of live streaming method hasn't even emerged yet, and she can't even explain the whole process clearly...

Talent.

Shiratori Seiya thought for a moment, then looked at the name on the other person's name tag and couldn't help but ask:

"Ms. Kazue Iguchi, did you work in a technical field before?"

A little surprised by Shiratori Seiya's sudden question, Iguchi Kazue realized she might have said too much. She smiled shyly and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, saying:

"Ah, yes... I worked in the technical department for a while before transferring to the sales department, so I have some understanding of these fundamental principles..."

"so."

Shiratori Seiya nodded, then suddenly asked:
"Ms. Iguchi, how much is your monthly salary here?"

"Eh?"

…………
-
(End of this chapter)