‘피의 게임 X’ 전채영 피디 “한회에 4시간, 뷔페처럼 즐기시던데요?

Netflix original survival variety show 'X of the Game X' boasts long episodes of up to 4 hours and 2 minutes per episode, unlike the shorter content that viewers usually enjoy. This is in stark contrast to the trend of short-form content, but the platform's new paid subscription sign-ups and hype have set record levels of success.

The success of the show lies in its completion, not its length, proving that. "I thought it was a mistake when I first saw the compilation," said PD Jeon Tae-yeong, who met with 3 compilation episodes at Seoul's Yeouido Tower on the previous day. The 3 compilation episodes amount to 4 hours and 2 minutes, with each compilation exceeding 5 hours.

"I spent a lot of time thinking about how to improve this, but it's hard to remove anything since I wanted to show the situation and story of all players. The interesting elements make it feel like a blockbuster, like a movie like Blockbuster," they said. 'X of the Game X' season four of the survival variety show 'X of the Game' features the brightest brains and strong physicals competing in a survival competition.

This season includes 20 participants, including top survival players from the previous seasons and brainy survival contestants, as well as rookies with no related experience. They formed teams and competed in team battles, with Kaist graduate Kang Ji-ho emerging as the winner. Paid subscription sign-ups surged by 45% compared to the previous season, and increased by 450% compared to season 2.

The 'Tivi-OTT Integrated Drama Hype Index' index compiled by GoodData Corporation secured first place in six categories. The high level of completion is what keeps the show interesting despite its length. The show aims to maintain the unique appeal of the 'X of the Game' series by revealing the raw human nature in extreme situations.

"I tried to stick to the previous season's formula, just like a good restaurant," Jeon said. "The participants who had participated in previous seasons showed pride in their previous seasons, saying things like 'Our season was the most interesting and our participants were the strongest.' To maximize this, we tried to form teams and create a sense of closeness and relationship among the participants.

Participating in the team battles brought the participants closer, and their emotions and relationships developed faster." To maximize the show's completion, contestants plunged into the game with all their might, battling it out using their brains, physical strength, and political skills, betraying and deceiving each other. The lack of understanding of the game's rules and the constant cycles of alliance and betrayal make the show entertaining.

"When you listen to what the contestants say, they have a second self that only appears in the 'X of the Game' world. They act in ways they never would in their daily lives," they said. To enhance the sense of immersion, the production team and participants designed their paths to avoid meeting, and the cameras used for filming were intentionally hidden.

However, this intense immersion sometimes led to physical confrontations among participants. During the 'Robbery at Night' mission, Shin Seung-young used force against Park Ji-min and Lee Sang-min, resulting in injuries. PD Jeon said, "Even though we simulated the situation multiple times, this happened when the participants became completely immersed in the given situation. I will prepare for the next season to make it a data point."