DEFINE JENKINS THEORY OF FANDOM, HOW DO CONVERGING PLATFORMS AND NEW DISTRIBUTION METHODS HELP MINECRAFT FANS BECOME TEXTUAL POACHERS?
In this essay, we are going to examine how converging platforms and new distribution methods help Minecraft fans become textual poachers, using Henry Jenkins' Theory of Fandom.
Jenkins' theory of Fandom is of which describes communities built around a shared enjoyment of an aspect of popular culture, such as books, movies, TV shows, bands, sports or sports teams, etc. Fan cultures are examples of
participatory cultures. Participatory cultures involve fans acting not only as consumers but also as producers and creators of some form of creative media. Also, he was interested in convergence culture, which meant different types of media coming together. Jenkins makes the argument that convergence is less about a technological process and more about a cultural shift as consumers are encouraged to seek out new information and make connections amongst dispersed media content, this is completely opposite to the Hypodermic needle theory, as Jenkins here, seems to have a positive outlook on the media, whereas the Hypodermic needle theory says we are all addicted to the media, as if it was a drug to us. Furthermore, Jenkins belongs to a group of Media thinkers who are highly optimistic about the media. They view the media, and Web 2.0 as empowering to the audience, breaking down traditional boundaries of class and status. The audience is interactive and powerful. They can participate and create their own narratives, questioning messages and generating their own ideas.
An example of converging platforms would be Minecraft, a sandbox video game, created by Markus Noch Persson, a Swedish game video programmer, and was later developed and published by Mojang, who were a group of Swedish video programmers. This is particularly significant as Minecraft is a cross-platform video game, which means it is accessible through different types of platforms; Windows PC, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Android and more. This is beneficial to the audience because different types of platforms can reach different types of audiences, therefore making Minecraft successful and more fun to play, as users can make new friends with different types of people.
Minecraft's distribution is quite broad and varied. As we've already mentioned that the game is widely available on Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linus, PlayStation 4, Android and Nintendo Switch, this would've helped the distribution of the game very much, as it would've reached a variety of audiences. Further, another distribution is the fact that Minecraft has its own licenced products, which are widely available; consisting of toys, backpacks for school, etc, that take form of 3D blocks to signify the game and lastly, Minecraft had its own marketing campaign, such as building a colossal machine inside the game to advertise a new update. This is when the idea of consumption and participatory culture comes in, when users are in-game, they may think that the default style of Minecraft is quite boring, so they may want to add something into the game to make it more fun to play; mods, which are different types of customization made by different, many users. Mods can be beneficial because they make the game look more appealing and interesting to play, you can get them by downloading them and putting them into your games folder, or you can simply buy the mods through different trust-worthy websites. Further, this links to Henry Jenkins' idea of a fandom, which is also beneficial to Minecraft, because since it has its own fandom, users can help promote the game significantly to its success by again, the creation of different mods, fan art, fiction, cosplay and tutorials. Minecraft fandom can also consume the game through YouTube, such as filming walkthroughs, teaching other users how to play and doing tutorials on how to build certain things, etc. Also, users can interact through a cultural poacher, which means they can create mods for their game, etc. The significance of a fandom is beneficial because it can attract different types of new audiences and lead the game to its high success.
In conclusion, I think that converging platforms, new and different types of distribution methods, as well as Jenkins' theory of Fandom, really do help Minecraft fans become textual poachers. Like it was said, the converging platforms help Minecraft spread to different types of audiences, and the fact that it's available on all cross platforms, is even better for the gamers, cause some platforms may be easier to play on than others, or it may be just a personal preference. Minecraft's licenced products are also advantageous because it may make the audience feel happy and excited about the latest products that have come out and WILL come out in the future, etc. Mods are also a great way to consume the game, because again, it makes the game look more attractive and fun for the user to play and Henry Jenkins' theory of Fandom is also just as useful as all of those other factors here, because users can create their own fan-fictions, mods, stories, fan art, cosplay and even tutorials. So I think that converging platforms, new and different types of distribution methods, as well as Jenkins' theory of Fandom, really do help Minecraft fans become textual poachers to a great extent.
