Transmedia startup Voltaku has announced the acquisition of Vodcasto, an app that will allow anime superfans (otaku) to puppet and livestream avatars from their cyberpunk anime series, Killtopia. This brings Voltaku closer to its goal of combining long-form content, interactive avatars, IP-based NFTs, and digital products into a mix that allows fans to take an active role in the studio’s “living stories.”
“The otaku market is not only underserved, it’s highly interactive,” said Charles Borland, CEO and co-founder of Voltaku. “As the metaverse and web3 grow, we can create and monetize experiences that otaku want to engage in, completely outside of the Hollywood system. Connecting Vodcasto to our Killtopia community is an important step towards accomplishment of this mission, but it will not be the last. Other tools are on the way!
Stilletto is one of the characters who go wild in Voltaku’s Killtopia
Leading this effort is Vodcasto inventor (and Voltaku’s new CTO), Sally Slade. A proven XR content creator and seasoned VFX TD, Slade has worked on immersive spaces for years at Magnopus, where she served as the User Experience Manager behind the award-winning virtual production system used to create Disney’s The Lion Kingas well as titles for iOS, Oculus, HoloLens and Magic Leap.
Sally Slade
Through its new interactive division, Slade will lead Voltaku’s web3 efforts and metaverse apps, including designing/implementing avatar-heavy NFT strategies that will delight otaku and work seamlessly with time-chat apps. live, VR platforms and virtual production workflows.
You can read more about Voltaku’s approach to “New Hollywood” on the company’s blog.
While Voltaku has already opted/conceptualized several IP addresses, their first big project is Killtopia. Currently in production, Killtopia is based on the award-winning indie graphic novel series created by Dave Cook and Craig Paton. Described as “blade runner meets battle royale for the fortnite generation,” Killtopia follows a bounty hunter and his robot sidekick through a futuristic megacity as they battle brutal thugs, augmented mercenaries, and android assassins in a race to save the bounty hunter’s sister — and the world — of a deadly nano plague.
To promote interactivity, Slade’s division is developing a generative NFT link that allows fans access to “Citizens of Killtopia” – NFTs based on characters who will actually appear in the show. Once purchased, fans can use their character however they choose – as a Metaverse-ready avatar, VTube host, or personal creativity mechanic – giving them a more immersive way to engage with the series. This approach will then extend to other Voltaku productions, so that a community of avatars can appear in various worlds and story universes.
Fans who acquire “Citizens of Killtopia” NFTs can use the characters to create their own content with Vodcasto’s performance puppet technology.
you can follow Killtopia and the new animated worlds of Voltaku via Discord.
“It’s the future of media,” says Slade. “Soon, you won’t just be passively watching your favorite movies and TV shows. You’ll interact with them on a variety of mediums and devices as the stories unfold and adapt with the help of user engagement. The possibilities are endless, and we intend to explore them in the most interesting way possible.
voltaku.com | vodcasto
