Discord, the popular communication platform known for bringing friends together around games, is expanding its support for game developers with new tools. The platform has evolved from its beginnings in 2015 and now boasts a massive community with hundreds of millions of users. To uphold its core mission of deepening friendships through gaming, Discord is introducing enhancements to its Quests and Shop tools.
The gaming landscape has changed significantly over the years, with more users playing across multiple devices and an increase in the number of game launches annually. Discord alone hosts an astonishing 1.5 billion hours of gameplay across over 60,000 titles each month. While this success is commendable, it poses challenges for game developers trying to stand out in an increasingly competitive market.
To address these challenges, Discord has been collaborating extensively with game developers to improve the platform for them. Peter Sellis, senior vice president of product at Discord, mentioned in an interview that these new tools have been in development for the past year and are now being rolled out. These tools are based on themes that Discord has heard a lot from its users, such as fantasy, cyberpunk, and anime.
One of the new tools is Quests, which allow players to discover games and earn rewards for playing them on Discord. After a successful experimental phase, Discord is now opening up sponsored Quests to more game developers. These Quests seamlessly appear in Discord, allowing players to opt-in, stream their gameplay to friends, and win rewards. Game developers and publishers can collaborate with Discord to create engaging Quests that showcase their games and provide tailored rewards.
Sellis explained that Quests follow a similar structure, where a group of users is notified about the Quest and can enroll in it. Some users start the Quest by streaming the game to their friends, and they are rewarded with an item that can be redeemed in the game. Discord ensures that the Quest and reward are of high quality so that users don’t feel bombarded with commercial content.
Another tool that Discord is expanding is the Shop, which helps game developers monetize their games. The Shop, launched last year, allows users to purchase avatar frames and profile effects. Discord is now introducing themed items in collaboration with game developers, including themed profile effects and avatar decorations. The revenue generated from these purchases will be shared with the developers, offering them a new revenue stream.
The Shop initially launched for Nitro users in September 2023 and opened to all Discord users in November 2023. Sellis expressed confidence that the first-party intellectual property from beloved games will do well on the Shop and teased that third-party intellectual property will be coming soon. While specific games collaborating on themed items are currently under wraps, Discord promises exciting announcements in the coming weeks.
Sellis emphasized that Discord’s main source of monetization is still Nitro subscriptions, but these new revenue streams should appeal to game publishers. The goal is to make Discord an indispensable part of the game development and marketing process, empowering game publishers and developers.
Overall, Discord’s enhanced Quest and Shop tools are a significant step forward in supporting game developers and enhancing the gaming experience for its vast user base. With these tools, Discord aims to simplify the process of building a gaming business and improving monetization opportunities. Game developers can look forward to utilizing Quests to reach new players and offering themed items in the Shop to generate additional revenue. As Discord continues to evolve, it strives to be a valuable platform for both gamers and game developers alike.