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. https://twitter.com/Dream/status/1344315641298366464

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://twitter.com/Dream/status/1333504015070597122?s=20

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://twitter.com/Valkyrae/status/1322230152298856448?s=20 https://twitter.com/larrayxo/status/1344006551355322368?s=20

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 :)