>>26358143>>26359264The vtuber meta switch from mainly pre-recorded scripted skits to basically just livestreaming with an anime avatar was probably inevitable, as the natural tendency of things to fall to their lowest common denominator over time settles in.
Livestreaming is just simply more effective from an effort/income ratio. That 5-15 min skit that your favorite pre-livestream vtuber put out probably also took 1-3 hours behind the scenes to produce, what with writing the script, recording and re-takes, editing and adding fx etc. Why go through all the trouble and effort when you can just as well use the same 1-3 hours to simply press "stream" in OBS and play some fotm game, no preparation needed, and you get the same (or even higher) audience engagement metrics for it.
Also a multiple-hour livestream simply has more opportunity for people to send superchats than a 5 minute pre-recorded skit video. Plus the "immediacy" of a livestream (you can actually "chat" with your waifu, and she maybe even responds to your message) builds additional intimacy and has a much higher potential to develop parasocial relationships (which again increases the audiences' willingness to shell out even more superchats). it's much more profitable to exploit.
Tying into this, besides the switch from pre-recorded skits to livestreaming, there was also the switch from 3D models to 2D models. The 3D models were often rather high quality, but that also meant high barrier to entry and high expenses (that's why most of the earlier 3D vtubers were corporate projects/backed, because that's the only way to access studio space and the tech, etc.). Live2D style was way cheaper, you don't need a special studio anymore, the talents can work from their own bedrooms and it became accessible for more people to start vtubing themselves. Expenses came down, and with income from livestreaming up (see above), it's simply the more effective model (produces higher income, with less costs) that prevailed.
