Shower thoughts 🚿 on synchronous participatory media, inspired by an afternoon playing Super Smash Bros...
Media is often more enjoyable when experienced with friends or likeminded people.
E.g. Rarely do people go to the theater or a concert alone.
E.g. Rarely do people go to the theater or a concert alone.
Media is social lubrication, a vehicle to bring friends and likeminded people together. It gives people something to talk about and a sense of belonging.
Yet most of our online consumption of media — movies, music, podcasts, books, etc. — is consumed alone.
Netflix, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Kindle, and other distribution platforms are built for single player mode.
Netflix, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Kindle, and other distribution platforms are built for single player mode.
Games figured this out.
The gaming industry is an early adopter, often years ahead of technology and culture shifts.
E.g. Esports viewership — a form of participatory media consumption — continues to 📈.
The gaming industry is an early adopter, often years ahead of technology and culture shifts.
E.g. Esports viewership — a form of participatory media consumption — continues to 📈.
Aside: Gaming was my gateway into tech and entrepreneurship...
• Worked at my parent’s video game shop when I was ~14
• Learned how to build a PC (to play games)
• Taught myself how to hack Xbox’s b/c I was a broke teen
• Started my professional career at a gaming startup
• Worked at my parent’s video game shop when I was ~14
• Learned how to build a PC (to play games)
• Taught myself how to hack Xbox’s b/c I was a broke teen
• Started my professional career at a gaming startup
If I was competing with any of the above incumbents, I would focus on the multiplayer mode and find ways to make it dead simple for people to consume media together.
👱🏼🎶👩🏽📽👴🏼🎧👨🏿📖👧🏼
👱🏼🎶👩🏽📽👴🏼🎧👨🏿📖👧🏼
