Due to business adjustments, multiple IAP interactive drama mini-programs developed by the ByteDance Commercialization Department Ocean Engine will be shut down on June 17th. These include Bubble Heart Selection, Claw Heart Selection, and Jelly Heart Selection.
These interactive drama businesses are embedded in the Douyin app in the form of mini-programs. Among them, “Jelly Heart Selection” and “Claw Heart Selection” are developed by Beijing Bitwalk Interactive Entertainment Network Information Co., Ltd. (referred to as: Bitwalk), while “Bubble Heart Selection” is developed by Beijing Ocean Engine Network Technology Co., Ltd. According to a search on Qichacha, both companies are 100% owned by Douyin Limited Company.
Currently, all three platforms have announced the suspension of operations.
In the current competitive short drama market, various branches have emerged, with interactive dramas being one of them. Interactive drama is a form of entertainment that combines short dramas with interactive gaming technology. It not only retains the compact and exciting features of short dramas but also provides audiences with more engagement and immersion through gaming interaction technology.
Last year, due to the sudden popularity of an interactive drama called ‘Oops! I’m Surrounded by Beauties!’，the cross-border trend of ‘game + short drama’ surged overnight. According to the ‘2023 National Game Sales Top 10 Inventory’ released by the third-party data statistics team Guoyouxiaoliangba, this interactive drama achieved sales as high as 80 million yuan last year. Faced with this new opportunity, China Literature Limited, Kuaishou, ByteDance, COL Digital Publishing and other platforms have all made moves to lay out their strategies.
However, quite unexpectedly, ByteDance has shut down its interactive drama business. Is interactive drama losing its appeal?
ByteDance’s shutdown of the interactive drama businesses such as “Bubble Heart Selection,” “Claw Heart Selection,” and “Jelly Heart Selection” clearly indicates that interactive dramas are still a tough nut to crack.
An informed source revealed that ByteDance’s creation of an interactive drama business matrix seems more like a trial run. Despite some setbacks at present, faced with the temptation of this market, there is still a possibility for a comeback in the future.
From the current perspective, ByteDance has not vigorously promoted this business. ByteDance’s self-produced interactive drama “Return to 1990: Beauty Everywhere” had only been played 79,000 times on the Douyin app, far lower than other interactive dramas with millions, tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions of views on Douyin.
On the other hand, for ByteDance, the exploration cost of new businesses is not low. Compared to traditional TV series, interactive dramas require more content materials and complex technical architecture implementation which significantly increases costs. From scene construction and actor performances to post-production work and various other aspects all require more resources and have high production costs.
The high production cost also makes it difficult for interactive dramas to have the same efficient output as short dramas. Therefore, there are not many playable interactive dramas on the market, and they can be counted on one hand on platforms like ByteDance.
Moreover, the monthly subscription price of 199 yuan for ByteDance’s interactive drama platform is relatively high. For example, “Oops! I’m Surrounded by Beauties!” has an official game price of 42 yuan, which can drop to 35 yuan during discount seasons. With just a few tens of yuan, players can experience it. By spending the same amount of 199 yuan, users can experience at least 4-5 interactive dramas.
SEE ALSO: Tencent’s Various Products Are Increasing Investment in Short Dramas
In the overall environment, although interactive dramas are trending hot, there are still very few breakout hit interactive dramas. Apart from “Oops! I’m Surrounded by Beauties!”, the vast majority of interactive dramas have not yet produced market-influencing breakout hits.
Although ByteDance’s interactive drama business is currently facing setbacks, many leading players in the content industry are exploring interactive dramas. China Literature Limited, Kuaishou, COL Digital Publishing and other internet platforms have taken action.
Under the rapid development of innovative content forms such as interactive short plays, new stories may emerge in this niche track.
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