Discord is no longer just for gamers! It has become an indispensable part of our lives as a communication tool used in all kinds of communities, including music, art, and business. But what kind of journey did it take to be born and grow to this point? This article unravels the history of Discord from its birth to the present day, explaining its evolutionary process with concrete examples and detailed information. In addition, we will explore the potential for future communication that Discord is creating.
The Birth of Discord: A Communication Revolution Born from Gamers’ Frustrations
Discord was born in 2015. At the time, Skype and TeamSpeak were the mainstream communication tools for gaming. However, these tools were a source of stress for many gamers due to their unstable voice quality, heavy operation, and poor usability. In particular, voice chats with large numbers of people were often a barrier to smooth communication because of interruptions and delays in the audio. Have you ever had the experience of being frustrated by your communication tools while you were focused on a game?
It was in this context that Jason Citron, the founder of OpenFeint, and Stanislav Vishnevskiy, the founder of Guildwork, teamed up to develop Discord, aiming to create the ideal communication tool for gamers. Their goal was to provide a stress-free communication environment with “clear voice quality,” “lightweight and fast operation,” and “intuitive operability.” Citron himself was an avid gamer and deeply understood the dissatisfaction with existing tools from his own experience, which became the driving force behind Discord’s development.
Explosive Spread in the Gaming Community: Word-of-Mouth as a Catalyst
Released in May 2015, Discord initially spread mainly through word-of-mouth among eSports players and avid gamers. Features optimized for gameplay, such as high-quality, low-latency voice calls, text chat, and screen sharing, captured the hearts of gamers. In particular, it rapidly spread in the communities of popular online games such as “League of Legends” and “Overwatch” at the time. Because team coordination greatly affects the outcome of these games, smooth communication is essential. Discord provided a comfortable communication environment that could not be achieved with conventional tools and dramatically improved the gaming experience of gamers.
Furthermore, Discord was free to use, without any ads, which was another big appeal. While paid plans are also available, the basic functions are free to use, so many users could easily start using it. In this way, Discord quickly became an indispensable tool for gamers, and its popularity spread by word-of-mouth.
Diversification of Communities: Expanding Beyond the Realm of Games
Building on its success in the gamer community, Discord gradually expanded into other fields beyond gaming. The catalyst for this was the COVID-19 pandemic that swept the world in 2020. As face-to-face communication was restricted, people seeking online connections flocked to Discord.
Various communities, including music, art, study groups, and business, formed on Discord, and lively interactions took place. For example, in servers for music lovers, new musical experiences are created by sharing favorite artists’ songs and holding online live events. In language learning servers, people can improve their language skills in real time while interacting with people from all over the world. In addition, an increasing number of companies and organizations are using Discord for internal communications and customer support.
Discord has evolved from a simple tool for gamers to a communication platform that connects all kinds of people. Behind this is Discord’s “flexibility to support diverse communities” and its “user-friendly interface.” The fact that anyone can easily create a server and operate a community with its own rules and culture is a major appeal of Discord.
Discord Today: The Continuously Evolving Potential of Communication
Currently, Discord has more than 350 million users worldwide (as of 2023) and lively communication takes place every day. In addition to basic functions such as voice calls and text chat, various functions such as screen sharing, video viewing, live streaming, and bot functions have been added, and the user experience is constantly improving.
In particular, the “Stage Channels” introduced in 2021 are attracting attention as the perfect function for events and presentations with large numbers of people. Clear audio and speech management functions make it suitable for a variety of uses, such as online seminars, webinars, and live performances. In addition, the thread function introduced in 2022 is useful when you want to have in-depth discussions on specific topics.
Furthermore, Discord is attracting attention as an internal communication tool for companies and educational institutions. It continues to evolve to meet business needs, including enhanced security measures and management functions. For example, it is used in various situations, such as team communication during remote work and Q&A sessions during online classes.
The Future of Discord: Further Evolution and New Forms of Communication
Discord will continue to evolve in the future and will make our communication richer and more convenient. New possibilities are also expanding, such as VR integration and the use of AI technology. For example, communication through avatars in VR spaces and the implementation of AI-powered automatic translation functions are expected. Collaboration with NFT and blockchain technology is also being considered, and new forms of digital content trading and community management may emerge.
The future of Discord may go beyond our imagination. However, one thing is certain: Discord will continue to be an innovative tool that expands the possibilities of communication and connects people. We cannot take our eyes off the evolution of Discord in the future.
Summary: Discord is Creating the Future of Communication
Discord has grown from a small tool born from gamers’ frustrations into a communication platform that connects people all over the world. Looking back on its history reveals the evolutionary process of Discord and the changes in people’s needs for communication.
Discord will continue to make our communication richer and more convenient in the future. Please take advantage of Discord to discover new communities and deepen your bonds with your friends. The possibilities of Discord are limitless! I hope your Discord life will be even more fun and fulfilling.