A thread on @Dream, his friends, Minecraft, insane Twitter engagement, and more:

Dream & friends' (@GeorgeNotFound, @tommyinnit, @Quackity, @TubboLive, @WilburSoot, etc) meteoric rise and the massive return of Minecraft has been one of the most amazing gaming stories this year.

1/ What do Dream and crew get so right?

On the surface, it's clear that they show the power of good storytelling and each of our desires to "hang out" with a group of friends that are having fun.

(image @Animagician_)
2/ This remains one of, if not the most important draws for great parasocial content -- whether it be Seinfeld, @DavidDobrik's vlogs, or Dream SMP content, the same is true:

We want to feel a little less alone and spend time in the worlds of these friends we know so much about.
3/ Watching this new wave of superstars take over YouTube / Twitch / Twitter gaming cultures has been incredible and bizarre.

Check the replies and engagement here:
https://t.co/ntqD5Om4Ke
4/ Dream speaks to the underrated and remarkable nature of Minecraft, too. In its 9th year, the game continues to dominate. Why?

Accessible, multi-platform, wide appeal? Sure - but more importantly: it is infinitely extendable. It's a creator's perfect sandbox. (image @SipoverS)
5/ I'm hopeful that more game devs will push in this direction. Roblox has already done so, and Fortnite continues to evolve toward this with creative mode.

You can imagine a world where Among Us allows for much richer customization of modes and maps, for example.
6/ Dream and co have become a force of gravity in gaming, bringing creators like @MrBeastYT, @Lazarbeam, and @KarlJacobs_ into the fold and coming together for massive Among Us collaborations with other newly minted 2020 superstars like @Valkyrae, @Corpse_Husband, and @Sykkuno.
7/ Among Us has become the new streamer all-star game, typically with some faction of the Dream group at the center alongside @Valkyrae and/or @Corpse_Husband:

https://t.co/s0K6YJkmUX

https://t.co/k8GzOK72yc
8/ Stories like this are amazing to watch, especially when most people act as though YouTube is a fixed game (it's too late, others have too much of a head start, you need money to compete).

This year, many creators proved that to be false, with @Dream leading the way.
9/ I'm not an expert on Dream or Minecraft, but this has been fascinating to try and understand.

There are undoubtedly other reasons for this growth. I'd love to read/watch any other thoughtful content on it.

We're watching something special and I don't expect it to end soon!
10/ As a final note:

I'd be remiss to not mention that both Dream and @Corpse_Husband are "faceless" YouTubers -- they hide their identity.

This is such a big idea that I think it needs its own thread or essay. I'll save that for another time.

But watch that trend closely :)
Really good analysis on how Dream games the YT algorithm

https://t.co/O12cJOB0yc

More from Fun

You May Also Like

MDZS is laden with buddhist references. As a South Asian person, and history buff, it is so interesting to see how Buddhism, which originated from India, migrated, flourished & changed in the context of China. Here's some research (🙏🏼 @starkjeon for CN insight + citations)

1. LWJ’s sword Bichen ‘is likely an abbreviation for the term 躲避红尘 (duǒ bì hóng chén), which can be translated as such: 躲避: shunning or hiding away from 红尘 (worldly affairs; which is a buddhist teaching.) (
https://t.co/zF65W3roJe) (abbrev. TWX)

2. Sandu (三 毒), Jiang Cheng’s sword, refers to the three poisons (triviṣa) in Buddhism; desire (kāma-taṇhā), delusion (bhava-taṇhā) and hatred (vibhava-taṇhā).

These 3 poisons represent the roots of craving (tanha) and are the cause of Dukkha (suffering, pain) and thus result in rebirth.

Interesting that MXTX used this name for one of the characters who suffers, arguably, the worst of these three emotions.

3. The Qian kun purse “乾坤袋 (qián kūn dài) – can be called “Heaven and Earth” Pouch. In Buddhism, Maitreya (मैत्रेय) owns this to store items. It was believed that there was a mythical space inside the bag that could absorb the world.” (TWX)