MW: Streamer Interviews

Background

MapleStory Worlds for Streaming · Content Creation

The product team set out to explore the potential of MapleStory Worlds as a platform for streaming and content creation. We then translated this business objective into a chance to collaborate with streamers and co-define opportunities with them.

Objectives

1️⃣ Brainstorm ideas for streaming and content creation using MapleStory Worlds

2️⃣ Identify the aspects of MapleStory Worlds that appeal to streamers and players

Methods

Focus Group Discussions with Streamers

To co-create ideas and opportunities, we engaged streamers from various fields in focus group discussions. These sessions also explored which aspects of MapleStory World would appeal to them.

Streamer_1_new

Streamer_2

Streamer_3

Participants

We invited 11 streamers across three groups: similar games (streaming related gaming content), general games (streaming various gaming content), and non-game streamers (focused on diverse content creation), ensuring diversity in perspectives.

Reporting

Summary: Co-creation · Brainstorming Opportunities

MapleStory Worlds has the potential to be a great platform for viewer participation and content creation.

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Streamer_10

Streamer_19~25

Summary: General Impression

MapleStory Worlds needs to break away from the conventional framework of the original MapleStory IP.

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Gap Analysis: Expectation-Impression

We analyzed streamers’ initial expectations of MapleStory Worlds as a metaverse platform and compared them with their impressions after engaging with the concept introduction videos.

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Streamer_12~13

Streamer_14~16

Streamer_17~18

Research Impact

👩‍🏫 Post-Project Research Readouts

• Research findings were shared through post-project readouts.

📌 Product Impact

• Prioritized business opportunities based on stakeholder-generated ideas.

📌 Strategic Impact

• Initiated co-creation by involving streamers and creators early in the design process.
• Built relationships with streamers and creators, key contributors to the creator economy.
• Started discussions about potential partnership opportunities with streamers and creators.
• Discussed further research opportunities involving younger players to assess product-target fit.

📌 Cultural Impact

• Invited stakeholders to observe participants during each session.

📌 Internal Impact

• Established the first case of co-creation with domain experts.

My Role

In the beginning, MapleStory Worlds was merely an idea. I took the lead in research, identifying key needs and opportunities, laying the groundwork for its early stages, and fostering long-term collaboration with stakeholders.

1️⃣ Leading Strategic · Tactical Research

I managed a small team of researchers over a two-year collaboration with the product team. Our efforts encompassed diverse areas, including gameplay experience, content creation, and publishing, utilizing generative research and co-creation methodologies.

2️⃣ Uncovering Needs and Opportunities

In the early stages, we explored user needs and opportunities in first-mover metaverse and social platforms like Roblox, Minecraft, and TikTok. As the project evolved, we expanded our focus to include diverse user types—regular players, creators, and streamers.

Conclusion

📌 Early Stage · Long-Term Collaboration: How it all went

Wrapping up this long-term collaboration, I gave a speech at MCI22 (MapleStory Worlds’ Creators Invitational 2022) on the topic of ‘Co-Creating MapleStory Worlds with the User’. I highlighted our extensive co-creation and collaboration with diverse stakeholders and users, sharing various studies and insights gained from them.

Research Impact

📌 Cultural Impact

Initiated during the ideation phase, the early stage collaboration defined target users through personas, uncovering their needs and opportunity areas. This collaborative design thinking process, involving designers, developers, and users—including creators and streamers—helped shape the product’s go-to-market strategy.

📌 Product Impact

This approach demonstrated how early collaboration can drive long-term product success. MapleStory World achieved a successful launch and has since become a beloved service, now with 60K+ active players, continuing to thrive.

At the conclusion of the collaboration, user needs-based heuristics were provided as a lasting KPI for the product team.

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