Showing posts with label esports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label esports. Show all posts

Friday, August 2, 2019

Ninja, Twitch, and Manufactured Idols

I'm going to do it. I'm going to go there. I'm going to tell you some harsh truths that will undermine eSports, eSports legends, and the industry that promotes said things. First, and foremost Ninja is a manufactured idol. His popularity was created, or rather manufactured by the eSports business PR to sell product. That product was, and is still Fortnite. He was a tool just like all the other tools in business. Bought out, and sold out to the idea of hype peddling. Tell me, if you can, what makes Ninja any better than other streamers? Is it his cool blue hair? His personality? His skills? Nope, nope, and HELL NO! What it is, is his connections. Like so many spotlighted gaming heroes Ninja makes bank on association. His fandom flocks to him like idol worshipers to be associated themselves. It's the cool crowd syndrome. Kind of like in school where following the cool kid around earned you cool points in a sort of social hierarchy. For Ninja his coolness is earned in a similar way. By being associated with big name industry bigwigs, and sponsors his cool factor is elevated. Only for that reason.

Thursday, March 8, 2018

Hobby Destroyers The Gaming Industry Dilemma As I See It

While the title of this post is broad I'd like to focus mostly on gaming, and the game industry. I'd like to talk about the key points that would turn me away from gaming should they come to fruition. I'd also like to talk a little about the direction gaming is taking, and what this possibly means for the future of gaming itself ...

In the past several years we've seen mainstay creators in the gaming industry twist, and taint the entertainment offerings thereof in a variety of concerning ways. Both for gamers, and for the developers who create the content said gamers consume. We've witnessed Microsoft, and Sony start a console war in which they each released a few different versions of their new-gen console hardware while completely ignoring how it impacted early adopters, and the fact that it made useless consoles that in previous generations would have had a much longer lifespan where games were the focus instead of the consoles themselves. This race to win over the gaming crowd has cost these companies trust among the gaming community, and lost some dedicated service subscribers that would have possibly stuck around if it weren't for the poor decisions made.