Discord has been renamed the “gamer chat”: is that why it is so popular? Or because it is an intuitive platform, which lends itself to any occasion and exploited extensively during the pandemic?
WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram. These are the hottest messaging apps, but a relatively recent one that has even captured Microsoft’s interest is Discord . In the beginning, this instant messaging app was created to give voice to a niche , that of gamers , but it soon expanded its user base, becoming attractive even to large companies, such as the one founded by Bill Gates . What makes this platform valuable is its flexibility : not only text messages, but also calls (with or without video) that can be accessed by a large number of users. Not surprisingly, Discord’s popularity blossomed with the pandemic, which forced workers and students to do business remotely. The most popular is certainly Zoom , but Discord has also made its contribution and has often been chosen to distribute lessons online or as a connection tool between friends.
What it is and how it works
The idea in the beginning was to create a messaging app to support gamers, which would allow greater communication between gamers during a game. The communication method is optional: you can interact via chat or via call and video call. To date, video game platforms have already integrated their communication systems, but when we talk about flexibility it’s because Discord gets along with everyone: Xbox and PlayStation like it as well as Apple, Windows and Android. What Discord users like most is that, through this platform, it is possible to stream their games, communicating with other players and allowing other fans to chat and comment with each other. Loved by Generation Z and Millennials, despite having the requisites, Discord is not part of the social network family, but is more understood as the Skype of gamers.
But how does Discord work? Creating a safe environment where chatting and reflecting with friends and colleagues is very easy. At the time of registration, in addition to indicating the nickname Discord also requires an identification number preceded by the hashtag. This allows you to make that user perfectly identifiable and thus avoid confusion with others. On Discord you don’t create channels or groups, but servers . Each user, in fact, creates one and then invites friends to join by invitation (which happens in any way, from email to social networks). Within each server you can insert various channels , both textual (therefore chat in all respects) and voice (useful for calls and video calls, of which no recording remains).
Jason Citron, the founder of Discord who grew up with Super Mario
Behind the success there is always a brilliant mind and, in this case, it’s Jason Citron . Labeled as a nerdy entrepreneur, he grew up playing video games, spending hours and hours in the magical world of Super Mario Bros like so many other kids of his generation. His father, passionate about technology, gave him a hand, even more when they moved to Florida. Citron took a computer science course and honed his skills as a programmer by working at Stormfront Studios. Always in love with gaming, he created Aurora Feint , a video game series inspired by Final Fantasy.
When he then combined business with pleasure, meeting his partner Stan Vishnevskiy he founded a company that would soon leave its mark. The idea for Discord came to life in 2015 and was initially presented as a niche app. But they liked that idea so much that, to date, over 140 million users use this platform. Jason Citron has followed the example of other big companies such as Tesla and Space X and is convinced that the future belongs to gamers.
Goodbye Microsoft, welcome PlayStation
In 2019, Microsoft was reportedly interested in acquiring Discord for $ 10 billion . A staggering figure, even if lower than that offered by Elon Musk for Twitter, demonstrating the fact that the world created online becomes more and more powerful and attractive every day. Microsoft’s idea was to use Discord on Xbox but, after a few years, Citron seems to have had the courage to refuse the offer, only for a better one. In its place, in fact, Sony arrives triumphantly , which has grabbed the Discord service for PlayStation .
At the moment it is a work in progress , but it will soon allow PlayStation players to be able to use Discord as a communication platform. All of this is expected to happen in mid-2022, so let’s assume in the summer. The chat adapts to the new consoles of the PS5 , but also on mobile devices. From the press release released by Sony, the CEO explained:
From our first conversation with Jason and Stan, I was personally inspired by their love of video games and their shared passion for helping community friends interact in new and engaging ways. Our goal is to bring Discord experiences closer to our PlayStation Network. And this already from the beginning of next year, with a great interest in mobile devices.
But why would Jason Citron and Stan Vishnevskiy have turned down $ 10 billion, preferring the PlayStation to the Xbox? According to Forbes , it seems that the two partners have chosen Sony to have a greater field of action in the future . Sony does not in fact become the owner of Discord, but simply invests a stake in it. For a guy with a joystick in the drawer, making such a deal is a source of inspiration for Generation Z, who are aiming for a future in which dreams must become reality no matter what .
