HTC Launches Virtual Idol Audition Program VPOP ASIA
HTC's XR content production company VIVE ORIGINALS has officially launched the virtual idol audition program 'VPOP ASIA'. The program began airing on July 18 on Taiwan's TVBS Entertainment Channel and CATCHPLAY+, and from July 23 it will stream every Thursday at 21:00 Japan Time on the VPOP ASIA official YouTube and Twitch channels. The show combines virtual production, Chinese-language pop music, and digital IP, featuring newly arranged versions of 120 classic Chinese-language songs from the past 30 years. Fifteen virtual trainees participate, with 29 musicians, artists, and producers from the Chinese-language music scene serving as judges and production staff. The host is Taiwanese entertainer Lulu (Huang Lu Ziyin), marking her first time co-starring with virtual idols. Japanese VTuber Kson makes a special appearance. Production took one and a half years. VIVE ORIGINALS General Manager Liu Siming stated the goal is not to recreate nostalgia but to create the future, positioning the program as a platform for expanding virtual entertainment collaboration across Asia.