'Baeg Mobile' Blackpink Concert Experience... Virtual Reality Platform Success Potential ↑

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] Upon entering the virtual concert hall within the game, numerous fans adorned with various skins and items were eagerly awaiting the start of the upcoming concert. All the attendees waved Blackpink light sticks shaped like hammers, unable to hide their excitement.

This was the scene of Blackpink's in-game concert ‘BLACKPINK X PUBG MOBILE 2022 IN-GAME CONCERT: [THE VIRTUAL]’ held on the 23rd within the Battlegrounds Mobile game.

From Dazzling Performances to the First Reveal of a Special Track

With flashing lights, several transport planes appeared, and 3D avatars of Blackpink members dressed in stage costumes descended with angel wings, appearing in the concert hall. Soon after, Blackpink’s hit song ‘DDU-DU DDU-DU’ began to play. The avatars performed synchronized choreography to the music, captivating the fans’ attention. The natural performance completed with advanced motion capture and the three-dimensional sound were outstanding.

When the next song, ‘Kill This Love,’ started, the stage setup and production changed, and the avatars’ outfits switched to red costumes matching the song’s concept. As the song reached its climax, the characters boarded bubbles, allowing players to control them and get closer to the members. Simultaneously, by pressing the touch buttons appearing on the screen in rhythm, the characters began performing the killing point choreography of ‘Kill This Love’ in sync with the Blackpink members.

The next stage featured a special production. The concert hall transformed into a large slope, and the characters started snowboarding freely. Pressing the touch buttons in time with the intense beat of ‘How You Like That’ to move the characters gave a feeling similar to playing a rhythm game.

Following this, the finale of the Blackpink in-game concert was the stage for ‘Ready For Love.’ ‘Ready For Love’ is an unreleased track that briefly appeared in the 2020 Netflix documentary ‘Blackpink: Light Up the World’ during a scene where the members were recording, sparking fans’ curiosity. The final stage of the Blackpink in-game concert was the first-ever reveal of this long-awaited special track. Notably, the choreography for ‘Ready For Love’ was also unveiled during this performance, adding special meaning for the fans.

‘Battlegrounds Mobile’ Shows Potential as a Virtual Reality Platform

This concert was the first in-game concert presented by a K-pop artist, and as soon as the concert announcement was made on the 12th, it attracted worldwide attention from Blackpink fans and Battlegrounds Mobile players alike.

On the day of the in-game concert, Twitter’s worldwide trends were dominated from ranks 1 to 5 by hashtags related to Battlegrounds Mobile and Blackpink. Major international media outlets such as Billboard and NME also covered the in-game concert as a key story. Fans who enjoyed the concert left comments on social media such as ‘Best collaboration of the year,’ ‘Fell for Blackpink while playing the game,’ and ‘This new song is amazing.’

Especially, YG Entertainment announced that, thanks to the support of global fans, the performance of ‘Ready For Love’ first revealed at this in-game concert will be turned into a music video and released on the 29th.

This in-game concert is significant in that it demonstrated the potential for Battlegrounds Mobile to function as a virtual reality platform for various online content beyond just gaming. Additionally, by incorporating rhythm game elements into the concert stage, Battlegrounds Mobile, a battle royale game, provided new entertainment that transcended genre boundaries.

The concert will be held once again for 48 hours from the 30th to the 31st. Blackpink in-game items released to commemorate the concert will also be available. Players can check out costume items inspired by the outfits the Blackpink members wore on stage, as well as voice cards recorded by the members themselves. Furthermore, by participating in the concert cheering event, players can earn various in-game items as rewards, including the title ‘BLINK’ (Blackpink fandom name) and Blackpink light sticks.

A Krafton representative said, "This in-game concert was a very special and exciting attempt and served as a great opportunity to expand the possibilities of Battlegrounds Mobile," adding, "We plan to continue offering diverse content for Battlegrounds Mobile fans worldwide."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.