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