The video gaming community has always been an extremely social one. Despite the stereotype that was propagated in the media of the early 2000s. But that stereotype is far from the truth. Gaming, throughout all of human history, has been a social device as much as being for entertainment. It has been a way to bring people together.
As video games developed and the hobby grew we saw many secondary gaming websites and applications popping up. Let’s Play’s and Machinima paved the way for Twitch Streamers and gaming influencers to take to the stage. Sites like IGN set the tone for gaming blogs. And Skype very quickly became a hub for pc gamers to congregate together.
But over the years there are two platforms that have risen above the rest. Both have become staples of the gaming community in vastly different ways. We are, of course, talking about Reddit and Discord. But how did these two goliaths of the gaming world get to where they are? And why do gamers gravitate towards them both?
The Rise Of Discord
Discord was launched back in 2015. Prior to that most gamers would make use of Skype or other IRCs to keep in touch with their fellow gamers. It could be said that there was no singular gaming specific communication platform dominating the market. And Discord, when it launched, wasn’t actually intending to become what it is today.
But it didn’t take long for Discord to become the go-to choice for gamers. And for numerous reasons. Discord operates what is called a ‘Freemium’ business model. Meaning that anyone can make use of Discord for free. But they have the option to pay for extra services. Now Discord wasn’t the only platform using this model. But they stood apart in that the free features offered were numerous and of a good quality.
Discord had arguably better audio quality than most of its competitors, including Skype. It allowed users to create their own servers and to then populate those servers with different rooms. And it offered video and image uploading services. It wasn’t long before Discord became the gaming standard.
And Discord leapt onto this and went with it. Fast forward to today and Discord is now fully integrated into nearly every major console and is compatible with numerous PC games. Alongside that Twitch partners and affiliates can integrate their Twitch stream into their Discord servers.
The Rise Of Reddit
Reddit was launched back in 2005. And you might be surprised to learn that it took a while for it to gain any notoriety. It wasn’t until 2010 that Reddit started to surpass its competitors. And from that point onwards it became known as the front page of the internet.
Reddit is unique amongst social media platforms for its open forum nature. People can make a subreddit for anything they want. Users can engage with whatever aspects of the platform they desire. Reddit is now filled to the brim with gaming related subreddits. Nearly every game has its own dedicated subreddit. And some even have multiple subreddits. Some dedicated towards memes for a specific title. Others surrounding specific multiplayer elements.
The biggest draw to Reddit for gamers is, undoubtedly, the open forum nature of the site. There are no inherent biases perpetuated by Reddit. All the subreddits are completely community driven. And this has led to the rise of numerous gaming personalities like TheOddOne and xQc. To this day many gamers still use Reddit to try to build a name for themselves.
One of the biggest upsides to making a name for yourself on Reddit is the fact that there are no inbuilt pay-to-win features. Companies like Redaccs allow users to buy accounts with an established karma rating to help them get a head start. But users can’t pay for verification like on X or other social media platforms. Users have to rely on their gaming knowledge, skill, and their personality to stand out from the crowd.
The Two World Combined
The true testament to how popular both of these platforms are to the gaming community is how well the two have combined. Nearly every major gaming subreddit also has an active Discord server associated with it. Allowing members to connect with like-minded gamers, find new gaming partners, and share their gaming experiences.
