Latest news with #Mihoyo
Straits Times
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Gaming giant Hoyoverse embraces fan-made merch at upcoming Hoyo Fest convention
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Singapore-based artist Astrea Lim is among a cast of 38 creators now in the limelight at Hoyo Fest 2025. SINGAPORE - Fan-made merchandise will be in the spotlight at an upcoming event by a major gaming company, an unusual move in an industry that is usually protective of its intellectual property (IP). Some 38 creators will be allowed to hawk their wares at Hoyo Fest, held at Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre from July 25 to July 27. 'We are devoted to engaging fans and fostering an enthusiastic and inclusive global community that provides access and encouragement for people to share their passion for ACG (anime, comics, games) through their own creativity and skills,' said a spokesperson for event organiser Hoyoverse - the global publishing and branding arm of Mihoyo, a major Chinese video game developer. The creators to be featured at the event's Artist Alley have been vetted by the company to ensure product quality and non-usage of AI, its spokesperson added. Fan-artists such as Ms Astrea Lim and Ms Emi Moreno are thrilled by Hoyoverse's move. This will be their first time selling fan-made Hoyoverse merchandise at a convention targeted at fans of the franchise. 'It's a very good opportunity for creators to show their works while also being surrounded by the community,' said Ms Lim, who is known as Astrea on social media. Ms Lim's signature line of jewellery, featuring necklaces, rings and earrings inspired by Hoyoverse character, are her most popular offering. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY Supporting fan artists is a 'win-win' situation for Hoyoverse since game developers get to focus on the game development, while ensuring that their fans are still entertained by fresh ideas, said Ms Moreno. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore No train service across entire Bukit Panjang LRT line due to power fault Asia 4 dead, 38 missing after ferry sinks on way to Indonesia's Bali Singapore $500 in Child LifeSG credits, Edusave, Post-Sec Education Account top-ups to be disbursed in July Singapore Pedestrian-only path rules to be enforced reasonably; focus on errant cyclists: Baey Yam Keng Singapore 17-year-old youth charged with trespassing on MRT tracks; to be remanded at IMH Business Microsoft cutting 9,000 jobs companywide in second major wave of layoffs this year Asia Malaysian nurses following the money abroad for more opportunities World Trump tax Bill stalled by Republican rebellion in Congress 'This is a really big change in the industry… they (Hoyoverse) are a company that really understands the value of the hype,' said the illustrator and video game concept artist, who goes by the handle Eggyolkceo. Across four of Hoyoverse's major action-role playing game titles - Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, Honkai Impact 3, and Zenless Zone Zero - Hoyoverse has generated about $112 million in total revenue from the Singapore market, according to data analytics firm Sensor Tower. Sensor Tower noted that, since its release in September 2020, the Genshin Impact mobile game has accumulated over 215 million downloads across both App Store and Google Play worldwide. Over 677,000 downloads were estimated to come from Singapore. Hoyo Fest started out at the Aniplus Cafe at the Esplanade Mall in 2021, and expanded into a lobby space in the Suntec City Mall in 2024. The event, which also ran in Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam, had about 150,000 participants across these countries in 2024, according to the company's spokesperson. In terms of event space, the fifth iteration of Hoyo Fest here will be the largest one thus far. It is the first time the annual event will be ticketed. For years, fan-made merchandise - prints, pins and plushies - thrived at ACG conventions and online marketplaces. However, the sale of fan-made merchandise may constitute copyright infringement. While some companies tolerated it, others cracked down. Large media franchise companies are typically highly protective of their IP and do not permit the sale of fan-made merchandise without authorisation. This is because IP makes up a substantial part of the company's value, said Mr Mark Teng, executive director at LLC. One example is how Pop Mart, the IP holder for Labubu and The Monsters, reportedly considered taking action against unauthorised use of its characters , including in food products sold by vendors. Poorly executed or off-brand fan creations may dilute the distinctiveness of the brand or adversely affect how it is perceived by the public, Mr Teng explained. The Artist Alley thus 'reflects a forward-looking strategy that embraces the creative energy of fan communities,' added Mr Teng, who is also a co-vice-chair of the IP Practice Committee at the Law Society of Singapore. Ms Moreno, who started creating fan art in 2023 after she graduated from a private art school here, said fan-made merchandise offers a meaningful way to re-imagine and relive the stories they love. 'I expand on the original IP, not because it is missing something, but to explore different narratives and spaces within a story I already know,' she said. Ms Moreno's art prints - priced at $18 for A3, $14 for A4, and $8 for A5 - are her most popular products among Singaporean customers. PHOTO: EGGYOLKCEO Ms Lim said fan-made items are popular because of the variety in offerings, a point echoed by Ms Lee Leen, a 23-year-old freelance illustrator who has been collecting fan-made merchandise for over eight years. 'There are times when I can't find the type of merchandise I want from the official store, and when I find the fan artists' style to be very appealing,' she said, adding that she prefers buying fan-made merchandise over official products. Hoyo Fest 2025 will also be concurrently held in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand.
AsiaOne
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- AsiaOne
'Report 1 shop, another 10 appear': Hoyofest artists on copyright struggles, Digital News
They spend days in front of their digital canvas, drawing a character, and finally bringing it to life. But once they post their creations online, they are shocked to find that their labour of love is blatantly plagiarised, and are used on flimsy shirts or cheap acrylic keychains. Artists like Deby Kurniawan face such issues regularly when they create content for events, such as the upcoming Hoyofest in Singapore. Hoyofest 2025 is a festival for Hoyoverse games such as Genshin Impact, Honkai Star Rail and Zenless Zone Zero, where game merchandise, cosplay and other activities will be available for those participating in the event. To be held from July 25 to 27 at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre, Hoyofest is Singapore's largest one thus far, and has a similarly scaled-up artist alley to feature more content creators in the region. Proving themselves as artists Despite the support provided by Hoyoverse, the global brand name for China-based game company Mihoyo, artists do face their fair share of difficulties. Deby, 30, a Singapore permanent resident, is one of the five members of the artist group Kuromitsu Kitsune Art Circle based in Indonesia. She said that when Mihoyo's Genshin Impact was launched worldwide in 2020, the group's work began to get noticed after they started making art based on the game's characters. "When we published (our works) on social media, some of the our followers asked if we were going to make pins or prints — that's when we started to make (them)," she said. Deby, who works in the IT industry, started making art as a hobby during the Covid-19 pandemic. Copied by others But her group also faces a perennial problem — their works are copied by others online, which she can do nothing about, Deby admitted. "If you go to Alibaba, (our works) are all there and it's (sold for) $1 so we cannot fight back," she said. "You try to report one shop and another 10 appear." Deby added: "Sometimes we give up. It is really a waste of time, and we decide that it isn't worth the time. We should focus on creating new art." But that doesn't mean she's unaffected by those who infringe upon their copyrighted work. "It's upsetting because it takes some time and effort to draw these," she explained. "Like I said, I have to play the game and I have to understand why the characters are designed in a certain way." There are others like Deby who face similar problems. 'Nothing much I can do' For Singaporean artist Sherry Mak, who makes unique, crocheted works, copycats are a big issue. "They are very heavily inspired by my creations," Sherry, also in her 30s, said. "There's a way I make certain things, I keep it very standard… very recognisable. "Sometimes the customers (who buy a lot from me) can recognise the way my crocheted items look, and they will see that their (products) look very familiar." She added: "There's nothing much I can do." While she does take a long time to craft even one crocheted work, at least the process isn't quite as painstaking. "It's very fun," she admitted. "I play music or I watch movie — I basically sit there and just move my hands, so it's actually very relaxing." Is originality key? So when exactly do artists have a stake in their fan creations? Speaking with AsiaOne, LLC execute director Mark Teng said it is a common misconception for fan creators to think that if they create the work themselves, they own the copyright. "This is not necessarily correct, especially where the work is based on someone else's IP (intellectual property), such as characters, designs, or storylines from games," said Teng, who is also Co-Vice-Chair of Law Society of Singapore's IP Practice Committee. frequently helps IP owners against counterfeiters and copycats, although Teng said that it is rarer to see fan creators taking direct enforcement action because they are hesitant to attract attention from the IP owner or uncertain of the strength of their legal position. He added: "In legal terms, such a work is considered a derivative work. Unless the artist has obtained permission from the original rights holder, distributing a derivative work may likely constitute copyright infringement." Adding sufficient originality to the work may qualify it for a separate copyright, but this would be assessed on a case-by-case basis, he clarified. For Hoyoverse, its publicly available terms "do not appear to explicitly require fan creators to assign the copyright in derivative works back to the company", Teng said, explaining that if a fan creator's work is "sufficiently original", they may own the copyright in that derivative work. The burden is on the fan creator to prove the infringement — but for the case of a clear-cut copy-paste reproduction, the fan creator may have "stronger grounds to enforce their copyright" even for derivate works, he said. Responding to queries from AsiaOne, a Hoyoverse representative said: "We are devoted to fostering an inclusive fan base, and for our fans to share their passion for animation, comics and games through their own creativity and skills." 'Subtle watermarks' Teng also advised fan creators to embed "subtle watermarks" or "unique design elements" to discourage copying and better protect their work. "These can serve as evidence to help demonstrate that a copycat has copied their work," he explained. Using lower-resolution images when uploading works online also reduces the likelihood of copycats, Teng added. He also indicated that it is "good practice" for fan creators to monitor major online platforms and marketplaces for unauthorised copies of their work. "Early detection allows creators to take timely action, such as filing takedown requests with the relevant platform." As for copycats that may be based in China, the battle may not be worthwhile for many fan creators. "Owing to China's large manufacturing capabilities and its comparatively complex IP enforcement landscape, taking legal action across borders can often be expensive, complicated, and time-consuming," Teng admitted. It may even be more cost-effective to target distribution channels rather than the source of production, which means curbing demand and restricting sales of infringing merchandise on online marketplaces, he said. "While tackling the manufacturing source may be challenging, cutting off access to the market at the point of sale can be a more efficient way to reduce the impact of infringing products." Planning ahead Both Deby and Sherry have tried their own measures to mitigate the copyright infringement issues. Deby says that most copycats would understand after her group speaks with them. Her group has also started putting watermarks or blurring images when they post them online, so that copying their work isn't that easy. Separately, Deby also expressed hope that her group will be able to operate on a scale that goes beyond Southeast Asia such as in Europe or America. Sherry puts up notices both online and at the event booth "just to bring awareness to new customers" that they would be getting "original designs crocheted by her" instead of "copied from others". "That's all I can do," she simply stated. [[nid:715282]] khooyihang@
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
米哈遊新作《崩壞：因緣精靈》註冊商標！收集和培養精靈、自走棋對戰玩法？
曾推出《原神》、《崩壞：星穹鐵道》、《絕區零》等作品的米哈遊，近日被發現在多國註冊了新商標「Honkai： Nexus Anima」，並且同樣註冊了多個不同地區的社群帳號。而根據去年洩漏的招聘資訊來看，很可能就是《崩壞：因緣精靈》。 根據 Reddit 上網友們發現，米哈遊註冊了「Honkai： Nexus Anima」新商標，並在 X（推特），以及中國大陸貼吧、Bilibili 上都申請了相關帳號與討論區。而這款從名稱上判斷，就是去年米哈遊 9 月招聘訊息洩漏的新作《崩壞：因緣精靈》。 [Hoyo News]Mihoyo applies for the trademark of a new Honkai game, and many accounts with the name 'Honkai Nexus Anima' were created. It might be for this (2nd pic) game they were hiring for (more in next tweet) Source: — Gacha News (@gachaissue) April 25, 2025 《崩壞：因緣精靈》在當時被米哈遊定位「積極開發中」，屬於《崩壞》系列衍生，主題為「現代城鎮」、「生活感」、「CRPG」、「趣味幻想」、「精靈養成」。同時根據該作品背景敘述，講述在悠閒的海濱小鎮和風格各異的位面中穿行遊歷，收集形形色色的因緣精靈，組成屬於玩家的專屬陣容、培養進化精靈，將牠們作為棋子參與刺激的自動戰棋，接觸精靈的力量飛行、滑翔、衝浪等，探索隱藏的奧秘。 目前遊戲畫面尚未公開，米哈遊官方也尚未確認此事。而這也引起許多網友討論，尤其是去年 7 月傳聞為《動物森友會》競爭品的《星布谷地》取得中國大陸當地發行版號，至今沒有任何消息，反而是《崩壞：因緣精靈》註冊後開始在各大社群開討論區與帳號，懷疑是否《星布谷地》已經取消，或是因為其他原因而延後。 緊貼最新科技資訊、網購優惠，追隨 Yahoo Tech 各大社交平台！ 🎉📱 Tech Facebook： 🎉📱 Tech Instagram： 🎉📱 Tech WhatsApp 社群： 🎉📱 Tech WhatsApp 頻道： 🎉📱 Tech Telegram 頻道：
