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News hardware & software 01 July 2020, 14:54

Discord Breaks With the Image of Being a Paltform for Gamers

Discord has so far been associated mainly with conversations of players during online games. Now this is to change. The program will be profiled more towards a universal communicator for the community.

Discord changes character to a more universal place to talk. Source: Discord

Players who actively compete in online games surely know what Discord is. Developed in 2015 by studio owned by Jason Citron, it was advertised as a voice and text messenger for gamers. The similarity of the text-based section to the former IRC, the feeling of anonymity and the simplicity of making voice calls made it popular. Now the application breaks with the typical gaming character in favor of a much wider group of users.

IN A NUTSHELL:
  • Discord changes character from a gaming communicator to a more universal place to talk;
  • Due to recent events in the US, Discord is also working to improve security.

Jason Citron, founder and CEO of Discord, wrote a blog entry about changes in the nature of the program. From now on, it is to become a more universal communicator, aimed at a wide range of Internet users. There will be less gaming and more general conversations. The homepage has already changed its design to a more neutral one, and the new keyword is "Your place to talk". Jason writes about the reasons for the change in approach to the app as follows:

"In asking you what you want Discord to be, we heard that you want Discord to be more welcoming, more inclusive, and more trustworthy so more kinds of communities can find a home here. Many of you told us that the biggest misconception you hear about Discord is that it’s “only for gaming,” but you feel Discord’s for “literally everyone” and “for anyone who likes to talk.”"

Traffic on Discord's servers was analyzed and found that many people use it as a place for communities with little to do with games. More than 100 million active users per month not only use voice and streaming, but create a mass of themed text channels, share their artwork, photos and videos. That's why the creators decided to rebrand Discord in order to better match the actual use of the program.

Changes in Discord

Of course, the changes will not be limited to different graphics on the website and password. Communicator itself will also experience many changes. The humorous elements of the interface have become more universal so that not only players can understand them. New server templates have been created, thanks to which it is easier to create our own places. In addition, there have been many improvements in the efficiency of voice and video transmission, as well as error corrections.

Some changes are related to the recent anti-racist protests in the US and the fight against Internate hate. A "Safety Center" has been created, where we can easily learn about the rules and methods of protection. Discord's developers have also used an external audit and are working on tools to control and reduce harmful phenomena. All this to make the communicator a safer place to talk for everyone.

Arkadiusz Strzala

Arkadiusz Strzala

His adventure in writing began with his own blog and contributing to one of the early forums (in the olden days of Wireless Application Protocol). An electrical engineer by profession, he has a passion for technology, constructing and, of course, playing computer games. He has been a newsman and writer for Gamepressure since April 2020. He specializes in energy and space tech. However, he does not shy away from more relaxed matters every now and then. He loves watching science-fiction movies and car channels on YouTube. He mainly plays on the PC, although he has modest console experience too. He prefers real-time strategies, FPS and all sorts of simulators.

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