Hello. We are Realworld, a playable content platform. ESG has become a hot keyword in corporate management recently. ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance, and it's a key factor in evaluating a company's sustainability. But what does Realworld have to do with ESG? It's said to be particularly related to the environment - let's explore what story lies behind this.
Pop-up store waste has reached dangerous levels
The hot spot in Seoul's Seongsu-dong, Realworld Seongsu, is approaching its 3rd anniversary since opening. Being located in Seongsu-dong, the mecca of pop-up stores, we often observe various pop-up stores, and there's one disappointing aspect: waste.
To create pop-up stores that change concepts and structures each time, installation and dismantling work is inevitable. Exhibition events like pop-up stores generate 270kg of waste per 9㎡, meaning a typical small pop-up over 36㎡ produces approximately 1 ton of waste.
According to Seoul's business waste generation and treatment statistics, the daily average business waste generation in Seongdong-gu, where Seongsu-dong is located, increased more than 10-fold from 51.2 tons in 2018 to 518.6 tons in 2022. While it decreased to 264 tons in 2023, urgent waste management measures for pop-up stores remain necessary.
Same space, differentiated through content experiences
On the other hand, would you believe there's a pop-up store that collaborates with various brands while generating almost no waste? This is the story of Realworld Seongsu. It normally operates as a mystery hotel concept cafe, but when pop-up stores open, it transforms into various settings like a suspicious mart, film company office, or crime scene.
How is it possible to transform spaces while minimizing physical changes? It's because we overcome the limitations of existing spaces by layering content on top. Realworld provides various stories and missions through the Realworld app, so even when players are in the same space, if they enjoy different content, they experience being in completely different places. This is why Realworld Seongsu can transform into various locations without changing the space.
For the recently launched 'Corner Truck' pop-up store, we created props and installations that avoid single-use items and enable recycling. Thanks to this, after the pop-up store ends, we expect to generate only one 20L garbage bag worth of waste.
A barrier-free space where people with and without disabilities can enjoy together
Escape room cafes, where you solve various puzzles in dark rooms, continue to be very popular, but they present difficulties for people with disabilities. Sometimes you need to climb to high places or crawl into low spaces, and manipulate complex sensors.
But Realworld's spaces are different. They're open spaces without thresholds, making them easily accessible to everyone. Especially the recently opened 'Realworld Connect Hyundai Cheongju' has all spaces arranged on one floor, allowing people with disabilities to enjoy Realworld's playable content without mobility difficulties.
We're also developing AI functionality that reads screen content and converts it to audio. When applied, this should significantly resolve not only mobility constraints but visual constraints as well.
This way, Realworld considers both environmental concerns and accessibility for people with disabilities, going beyond the limitations of existing pop-up stores and escape room cafes. Realworld will continue to provide enjoyment to players through content while solving social problems. Thank you.