In the world of online gaming, communication is key. Its not just about chatting with other players, it’s about coordinating, strategizing, and forming relationships.
Discord has become a household name for gamers all over the world as an excellent communication platform. It offers an array of features that make it an ideal choice for gamers, and has been adopted as a go-to for players across genres.
In this article, we will explore the history of Discord, its evolution from a gaming company to a communication platform, and its features that make it a popular choice among gamers. Main topic 1:to Discord
Discord as a communication platform for gamers
Gaming has always been an important part of the online world, and so it is no surprise that gamers take their communication platforms seriously. Discord offers a free and high-quality communication platform for gamers that is easy to use and navigate.
It provides users with the ability to create servers and channels, text chat with friends or strangers, host voice chat rooms, as well as make video calls. Unlike other communication platforms that are geared towards general use, Discord is optimized for gaming.
The platform makes it easy for gamers to connect and collaborate with each other, and does not require any technical knowledge to get started. Anyone can create a server and invite friends in minutes.
One of the great features of Discord that gamers love is the ability to share screens and control other players’ screens, making it possible to take advantage of the gaming experience fully.
Features and functionality of Discord
Discord is jam-packed with features that appeal to gamers. Here are some of the key features offered by the platform:
Text chat: Discord provides users with a text chat platform that can function as a group chat or a private chat.
It also allows users to send links, images, gifs, and videos. Voice chat: Voice chat is one of the most robust features of Discord, allowing users to communicate with each other via voice.
It has excellent sound quality and low latency, making it ideal for team-chat experiences. Video calls: Discord provides users with video call functionality that allows up to nine people to join a call and share screens, making it ideal for team collaboration and streaming.
Servers: Servers are where all the action happens in Discord. Servers are essentially the homes of individual communities within the platform.
Users can create, join or leave servers at any time. Channels: Within servers, users can create channels to communicate with other members.
Channels can be either text or voice chat rooms. Moderation tools: To maintain a safe and healthy community, Discord provides moderation tools like banning, reporting, and muting.
Main topic 2. History of Discord
Founding and early years of Discord
Discord was founded in 2015 by Jason Citron and Stan Vishnevskiy, veterans of the gaming industry, who were formerly behind OpenFeint, a mobile gaming social network. Discord’s early goal was to create a social network for gamers, allowing them to connect with each other, form groups, and play games together online.
However, in 2014, Citron and Vishnevskiy had the idea of creating a communication tool for gamers, and by 2015, they had launched Discord. The early years of Discord were focused on building and perfecting the platform’s communication features.
Its first-ever product was Hammer & Chisel, a gaming company that creates games for touchscreen devices. Its first product was the MOBA-style game Fates Forever launched in 2014 but was shut down in 2018.
Pivoting to communication tools and rapid growth
Despite being late to the party as a communication tool, Discord found a gap in the market. Competitors like TeamSpeak and Skype were popular, but they lacked the power, simplicity, and wide-scale adoption of Discord.
Recognizing this potential, Discord pivoted away from its initial goal of creating a network for gamers and channeled all its energy to compete as a communication tool. This strategy paid off as Discord evolved into one of the most popular communication platforms worldwide.
Discord’s freemium model was key to its success. Discord is free to use, but users can pay for additional features like increased storage, custom emojis, and the removal of ads.
This business model has been successful for Discord and has enabled the company to continue to improve its product offerings. In just a few years, Discord grew from a small communication platform for gamers to a megastar platform that is used by millions of people worldwide.
The platform hit 250 million registered users in 2019, and by the end of 2020, that number had doubled to over 500 million.
Conclusion
Discord has revolutionized the way gamers communicate with each other. It offers an easy-to-use platform that is optimized for gaming, providing features like servers, channels, text chat, voice chat, and video calls.
Discord’s success can be traced back to its founding team, which recognized the need for a powerful and simple communication tool for gamers. From its early days as a gaming social network to its current status as the go-to choice for gamers around the world, Discord continues to lead the way in communication and collaboration.
Main topic 3: Monetization Strategies of Discord
Discord, despite being a free-to-use platform, has built a variety of monetization strategies that allow the platform to earn revenue while providing premium features and services to its users. Here are three of the most prominent monetization strategies employed by Discord.
Premium subscriptions (Nitro)
Discord offers a premium subscription service called Nitro that provides users with access to premium features, including higher-quality voice chat, larger upload limits, and custom server emojis. Nitro subscribers also get access to games, game betas, and game demos.
Nitro Classic is the cheaper version of Nitro and includes the same standard features as Nitro with the removal of the games library. Nitro costs $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year, while Nitro Classic costs $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year.
Nitro has been a successful monetization strategy for Discord. In 2021, Discord announced that it had surpassed 1 million subscribers for Nitro, demonstrating the service’s success.
The Nitro subscription is an essential part of Discord’s monetization strategy and allows the platform to offer premium features without disrupting the free-to-use nature of the platform.
Game sales and membership fees
In 2018, Discord launched its own game store, which allowed game developers to sell their games directly through the Discord platform. The game store is meant to provide the platform with another monetization channel, with a 10% revenue share going to Discord.
The platform offers a premium subscription service to game developers called Discord Game Store First on Discord, aimed at sophisticated users who want exclusive access to a limited number of curated games. The developers who opt for this program can offer exclusive beta access, free game keys, and other perks.
Discord has leveraged its position as a social hub for gamers to create incentives for gamers to purchase games through the platform directly. Game developers who sell their games through Discord enjoy improved discoverability and increased access to a dedicated gaming community.
Additionally, Discord also offers a Patreon-like service called Discord servers for Creators, where creators can charge their fans membership fees for exclusive content, giving fans access to exclusive communities through Discord.
Server boosting
Discord Servers Boosting a platform for users to show support by raising, or “boosting,” their server level. These increased server levels come with various benefits, such as improved voice quality, enhanced video streams, and more.
Depending on the server level, these benefits can be enjoyed by the server owner and its members. Discord offers three server boost levels; Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3, costing $4.99, $9.99, and $14.99 per month, respectively.
Each boost level provides additional benefits, such as the ability to upgrade the voice server quality, and the frequency of the custom server banner refresh. Also, each boost level provides additional emoji slots, which can be used to add custom emojis to the server.
Discord offers its users several monetization strategies through services like Nitro, Game Store, and Server Boosting, and is indicative of Discord’s commitment to providing a value-added service to its users while reaping the benefits of increased revenue. Funding, Valuation, and Revenue of Discord
Funding history and notable investors
Discord launched in 2015 and quickly raised $20 million in Series A funding from investors, including Index Ventures, which has backed companies like Dropbox, Etsy, and Slack. Other investors included CRV, First Round Capital, and Tencent.
The company’s second round of funding came soon after, in January 2016, raising an additional $30 million from investors such as Greylock Partners, which has invested in Facebook, Dropbox, and Airbnb. In December 2018, Discord raised $150 million in Series D funding, led by Greenoaks Capital and including investments from Firstmark, IVP, and Swiss investment firm Index Ventures.
One of the most notable investors in Discord is Sony Interactive Entertainment, the gaming division of Sony Corporation, which invested an undisclosed amount in the platform’s Series F funding round in 2020. The investment from Sony reflects Discord’s growing importance in the gaming industry.
Discord’s valuation and revenue
Discord’s most recent valuation came from its Series F funding round, which pegged the company’s value at $7 billion. While Discord has not publicly disclosed its revenue figures, the company has many monetization strategies that allow it to earn revenue without disrupting the platform’s free-to-use nature.
Discord has announced that it surpassed $100 million in revenue in 2020, marking a significant milestone for the platform.
The Future of Discord
Discord’s has risen to be one of the most valuable communication platforms in the world, boasting millions of users worldwide. The platform’s commitment to its users, monetization strategies, and focus on growth are some of the key ingredients that have propelled it to success.
With the continued investment in developing the platform, Discord’s future is bright, making it an exciting space to watch in the years to come. Discord has emerged as an indispensable communication platform for gamers worldwide, offering a wide range of features tailored to their needs.
From servers and channels for seamless collaboration to text chat, voice chat, and video calls for clear communication, Discord has become the go-to platform for gamers. It has successfully implemented various monetization strategies, including premium subscriptions like Nitro, game sales through its store, and server boosting options.
With a valuation of $7 billion and a growing user base, Discord’s success is undeniable. The platform’s commitment to providing value to its users while generating revenue has solidified its position as a leader in the gaming communication space.
As Discord continues to grow and evolve, it promises to revolutionize the way gamers connect and collaborate, making it an exciting platform to watch in the future.