Re:Discord raises $150M, surpassing $2B valuation
by fipple on Friday December 21, 2018 @10:40PM
(#18738774)
There are different levels of “mainstream.” I talk to my nephew and games like Minecraft / Fortnite / FIFA and Twitch have the mindshare of a 13 year old boy that they categorically did not have 10 years ago. I ask him what he does with his friends and it all revolves around this stuff. They’re not even chasing girls!
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Re:Discord raises $150M, surpassing $2B valuation
by meheleventyone on Saturday December 22, 2018 @05:07AM
(#18739941)
FIFA almost certainly did 10 years ago. It’s been a massive franchise for decades. The others obviously couldn’t as they didn’t exist! But games generally were absolutely mainstream in 2008. So rather than there being different levels of mainstream I think we’re seeing new facets emerging from games and becoming mainstream themselves.
What we’re seeing that’s new is the confluence of a few things that have led to game playing becoming a mainstream career and the existence of game players that are celebrities as a result.
The other trend I see is that more ubiquitous access to the internet means more kids hang out with their friends in games as a means to socialise. But this was by no means a niche thing in 2008 there was just a higher barrier to entry. For example XBox Live debuted in 2002.