The Cyberlete eSports triangle stress test
--
Let’s check the strength of entertainer, fan, and player communities.
We keep saying it. Gaming isn’t just about players; it’s about communities. Gamers stream their playing and earn fans who love to watch. Broadcasters share their vision and passion for gaming. It all adds up to a thriving industry.
In a previous post, we noted:
Existing on such a massive scale means gaming culture needs integrity to thrive and remain stable — and fun for everybody at all levels.
Community remains the key. Still, the three groups that comprise the triangle rely on each other for connections, and what they get out of them depends on the quality of their experiences.
As the world’s first fair gaming application powered by Web3 technology, Cyberlete can build integrity and instill social responsibility and sportsmanship into gaming experiences in and around the culture with anti-cheat technology and ensure the esports triangle stays strong.
Let’s look at the eSports triangle outside of the Cyberlete ecosystem. What’s the big picture?
1) The Fans
The number of people watching others play video games for recreation, even when they’re not in a competition, is growing.
- Thirty-five million users visit Twitch monthly.
- Two of the top five YouTube channels with the most subscribers worldwide are gaming related.
The interest isn’t about watching competitive eSports; it’s about watching influencers — expert gamers who build their own communities. Does the nuance between eSports and gaming matter to the integrity and support of the esports triangle? Maybe not.
Rob Moore, CEO of esports organization Sentinels Gaming, explains:
“To a lot of younger people, there’s no such thing as esports; it’s all just video games. Here are our top professional players playing video games, and here’s my favorite content creator playing video games…And then, occasionally, you have the combination where the player is also the top entertainer. But I think, for the fans, the word ‘esport’ is probably less relevant to them than the way we’ve kind of shorthand talked about these organizations.” -From WTF is the difference between gaming and esports?
How fan communities strengthen the triangle.
Fans usually just want to have fun — but any true fan of anything knows there’s more to fandom than that. Being a fan means you’ve found your community within the larger community. Inclusivity is a big part of any experience and can resonate meaningfully beyond gaming. For example, Think Google cites a recent Ipsos survey that shows 66% of female YouTube gamers watch gaming videos on YouTube when they want to hear from people they can relate to.
2) The Entertainers
When you think gaming entertainer, think “influencer.” With more platforms welcoming influencers as creators at both a macro and micro level, the range of niche gaming communities led by influencers exploded in recent years.
You hear about influencers most in the context of marketing power. In the esports triangle, influencers hold all three groups together; they connect fans to players and find other players to highlight.
How entertainer communities strengthen the triangle.
Entertainers highlight the value of gaming to the non-gaming world:
They make gaming accessible. Many might start out just watching, but influencers/entertainers show the human side of playing and prove anybody could try.
They make gaming respectable. Influencers work hard to create content people enjoy. They prove that it’s work! They’re (usually) great gamers, too. Watching influencers play can be a marvel:
Sports at the highest level are humans competing not against each other, but against physics itself. And there is no difference, scientific materialism tells us, between real physics and simulated physics — when an Esports player pulls off something unimaginable for a casual player in-game, there is the same sense of transcendence. — Erik Hoel, From Why watch other people play video games? In his Newsletter, The Intrinsic Perspective
3) The Players
In the eSports triangle, the players prioritize gaming first. They’re excited to play because it’s where their friends are, where they have fun, and where they find a community that supports their sense of self. And no, it’s not just kids:
How player communities strengthen the triangle.
The benefits of community-building through playing video games get more attention every year, and rightfully so. Take a look at these 2022 stats from the Entertainment Software Association.
Conclusion: The positive impact of cultivating gaming communities resonates beyond gaming.
The three audiences Cybelete defines as the Players, the Entertainers, and the Fans are already forging a big-picture esports triangle within gaming culture. The positive effects of those connections and communities extend beyond gaming.
Cyberlete recognizes the opportunity. With technology that ensures quality play within a small, fair, competitive community, we can strengthen and support the positive aspects of gaming culture and keep gaming fun and great experience for everybody. Sportsmanship, respect, and integrity are priorities, while a structured esports environment helps regulate top-tier competitive gaming.
Learn more in our whitepaper or at Cyberlete.io
Join Cyberlete on Discord for Game Night every Wednesday, 8 pm EST (5 pm PST).
Follow Cyberlete:
