The Verge: If there’s one thing you can say about Fortnite’s live events, it’s that they keep getting more ambitious. From the original rocket launch to the mech vs. kaiju battle to the black hole that wiped out an entire island, each new event is more elaborate than the last. Now we can say the same is true of the concerts. Last year’s Marshmello show was an exciting, dynamic example of what a virtual concert could look like. This week’s Travis Scott performance blew it out of the water.
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6 comments:
This is so bizarre to me. I have zero experience and knowledge when it comes to Fortnite and other online games that are similar to it, and I am kind of surprised that Travis Scott would host a concert on it, as well. Again, that is probably just because I know very little about it. However, I think that this article made some really relevant points. It must have been cool for Travis Scott as a performer to “perform” in an environment that is not achievable at his real concert. This point calls upon our experience with Imaginarium right now because each group is choosing to kind of push boundaries a little bit, making the experience more grand and elaborate than it would have been in person. I am interested to see which other artists choose to take this performance route, now that concerts and music festivals are moving to online videos.
While I can understand why this might be a draw for people who enjoy the culture of Fortnite and log hundreds of hours on the game, these last weeks of social distancing and at home quarantining have made me less receptive to getting excited about this kind of thing because I can't imagine wanting to go to a virtual concert over a real one. Though it is cool that they could accomplish visual effects that would be impossible in an in person concert, I also can't help but think about the fact that they were preparing this for weeks and there was no possible way that it could have gone wrong because they can code everything to be exactly how they want it, which to me removes some of the majesty from it, and the standard for visuals in video games is so high nowadays I don't even find this kind of thing all that impressive. I think what makes live concerts special is the personal connection to the artist, and the thought of all those avatars doing notorious Fortnite dances in a circle makes me cringe and also worry about the social development of future generations.
It is really cool to see how musicians like Travis Scott are adapting to their current environment for live performances. Utilizing these popular games makes sense since they can still draw a large crowd. It’s great that the game developers are also having fun with this new conert landscape by really going crazy with the visuals. Looking at the pictures made me wish I had Fortnite to attend, which lies my complaint about the experience. While Fortnite is one of the largest video games currently, there are also a lot of people who do not have access to the game. If artists continue to use this method to promote their live shows, I hope that it can be adapted so more people can get access to the performances. I also hope that the big crowds can be used to gain donations for charity during this confusing and limiting time in the world.
Im gonna be painfully honest, I have actually started playing Fortnite since quarantine started. I actually started playing like 2 days ago in a moment of weakness and extreme boredom, but its pretty fun lol. I was on the game when this concert was being publicized, and I honestly had no idea it was a concert and not just a special event. The visuals are pretty cool, but really considering the visuals of all fortnite things it just feels like another weird game thing. I dont know if I feel like it makes sense to even have virtual concerts, and sometimes I think it is weird that we are trying so hard to simulate real events during this, when there is so much content regularly available. Im sure that teenage boys around the world were very excited about this event and had a blast. Good for them. I hope they are happy!
What is Fortnite..? Like it's a battle royale game, but like, apparently there are seasons and concerts ?? I am sure I would understand it better if I played it, but it is so wild hearing that like, A list performers are hosting concerts on this gaming platform. I mean, it is probably what some people needed right now, because that's as close to a live concert as we are going to get currently, but I don’t think a ton of travis scott fans made a fortnite account in order to watch a virtual concert? It is probably for the fortnite community rather than the travis scott community but I don’t really know. But like, there is no harm to a Fortnite and Travis Scott collab, and i'm sure it made a lot of fans excited and happy. Video games are a way for a lot of people to keep occupied at this time likely, and socialize with others.
I am very unfamiliar with video games and online shared streaming platforms, or at least I was, until quarantine times. While I still don’t see myself ever opening up Fortnite to watch a virtual concert, I think it is an interesting way to engage people in music and with each other through a different medium. I am surprised that we have gone to a point where streaming is able to do this. In addition to the Travis Scott concert, I have seen other music festivals and concerts going the virtual route, and I wonder if it is going to be something that we will see more of as we continue in quarantine and move beyond. With that being said, for me going a concert is about the social aspect of it, while also getting to enjoy a shared interest of music, and I have found it to be a connector and motivator. Because of my personal connection, I think music is a powerful way to unite people, but that connection is closely tied to the in-person socialization that comes with it. It will be interesting to see if there is a way that this socialization can be replicated virtually, since virtual is becoming our new normal.
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