Gamer-led, gamer-driven: Why fan communities are the heart of the gaming experience

For as long as games have existed, so have the communities around them. From classic board games like Risk to tabletop role-playing titles such as Dungeons & Dragons, the lifeblood of any successful game lies in its players and audience.

Good ones capture the attention and imagination of players, who in turn become ambassadors who tell – and show – others what makes them so special. This is how gaming helps people build relationships and deepen their passions, empowering each individual as they come together as one community. The shared camaraderie elevates the overall experience for everyone.

Nowhere is that more apparent than in esports.

Virtuous cycle

“Games have empowered players,” says Justin Lye, regional esports manager at Garena, a digital entertainment platform under Singapore-based internet giant Sea. “We used to compete, analyze, and create videos for the games we love – gladly doing it for free. The development of esports has widened the opportunities for many of us to deepen these passions and even translate these into rewarding careers.”

Justin Lye, regional esports manager at Garena / Photo credit: Garena

In recent years, the industry has come up with increasingly creative content, giving games more recognition and expanding their player base.

One example is the phenomenon of “Let’s Play” videos, where players record and publish their playthrough of a video game – often with funny or engaging commentary. This makes for content that’s both informative and entertaining, giving viewers an idea of what a game is like. The trend is so popular that big names in the business, such as PewDiePie, have featured these types of videos on their YouTube channels, which serve to spread awareness and drive up sales for a specific title.

“It’s a virtuous cycle of empowerment between games and players,” Lye says.

And it’s largely showing results. 50 billion hours of gaming content was viewed on YouTube in 2018, and two of the top five channels with the most subscribers worldwide are gaming-related. Last year, Minecraft held its position as the most viewed video game on the platform, while Garena’s self-developed battle royale game Free Fire came in at fourth.

Passion for the games themselves is the catalyst for the creation of these communities. The shared interest connects people initially, and individuals’ skills and preferences then build on the original content. These communities express this passion in different ways – think of the fan art or fanfiction circles that surround movies or video game franchises.

Game publishers and other major game organizations understand this, and play an integral part in creating opportunities for these groups – Garena, for example, actively reaches out in various ways. “We have done everything from organizing cosplay tournaments in Taiwan to training shoutcasters and even creating a virtual band in Brazil,” explains Lye. “It’s a case of ‘one passion, many expressions’.”

Activities such as fan fiction and cosplaying provide fans with “a powerful sense of participatory equality”, and allow them to identify closely with their favorite characters. By actively encouraging these interests, Garena keeps the virtuous cycle turning.

Photo credit: Garena

Expanding universes

As audiences grow, opportunities for collaboration with other pop culture icons become more common as well. For example, popular title Fortnite has had tie-ups with Marvel and the Star Wars franchise in the form of limited-time characters and in-game weapon and costume options.

In other words, growing from a niche interest into a mainstream form of entertainment allows games to enjoy synergies with other prominent entertainment properties.

These collaborations encourage a much greater degree of interaction between games and players, says Lye. For example, Free Fire partnered with well-known Indonesian actor Joe Taslim to make him a playable character. Besides appealing to Indonesian fans as a source of local pride, the inclusion of the Hollywood actor’s character also highlights the archipelago to the rest of the world.

Free Fire has also recently partnered with massively multiplayer online game Ragnarok, adding fashion items and pet options for players to choose from – bringing two popular games and their fans together.

“We are always exploring new collaborative opportunities to strengthen our gaming communities across the world,” Lye notes.

With offline esports events generally on hold during the current Covid-19 situation, such collaborations have become even more critical in sustaining fan engagement. For instance, in Brazil, long-term Garena partner DJ Alok took part in an online competition against local Free Fire players as part of the warm up to a live set he performed across local social media channels.

Additionally, in Colombia, James Rodriguez and David Ospina – two of the country’s most popular footballers – each captained teams of Free Fire influencers in an online charity tournament that attracted over a million views.

It’s about the player experience

Even as esports expands and partnerships with personalities and media properties from other genres and verticals increase, Garena has kept its belief that everything begins with a good core product and how it caters to its primary audience.

“These collaborations drive game developers and publishers to constantly push the envelope and improve what we can offer to players,” says Lye.

As the industry continues to grow and reach a truly global audience, many more opportunities will be unlocked for players and fans to participate.

Case in point: Video content will continue to be a key part of consumer engagement – whether it’s livestreaming or dedicated content made and curated to suit different gamer interests. Garena wants to nurture this group of content creators, promote them, or even bring them in as production specialists.

It’s important, Lye says, to recognize these different expressions of gaming passion and to empower them.

“As a leading developer and publisher of online games, we remain committed to unlocking even more opportunities for players and fans to participate and grow together with us,” he says.

Visit Garena’s website to find out more about the company’s efforts to build and nurture better gaming communities.

This content was produced by Tech in Asia Studios, which connects brands with Asia’s tech community. Learn more about partnering with Tech in Asia Studios.