mini-essay

Jenkins’ theory of fandom is a more optimist view than effects theory and suggest that audiences today are more powerful than in the past. He suggests this could be due to the rise of media 2.0 which is a new wave of media post 2000. Media 2.0 resulted in a participatory culture where audiences are more interactive with media and can create their own media (user generated content) rather than just looking at or watching the content. Jenkins also referred to ‘punchers’ which are a type of interactive audience who take aspects of a certain type of media (e.g. a game such as Minecraft) and remix the content to make it their own. This can be done through things such as YouTube videos of them playing a game, modding, cosplay, or even music videos. Another way Jenkins spoke about it is story worlds which is when a fan creates their own stories which could be centred on a secondary character, expanding the timeline, or filling in a missing scene to satisfy the fandom community.

Converging platforms is a crossover or coming together of the hardware or consoles. Examples of this in Minecraft are platform gaming where people can play the same version of the game but from many different devices. Another example is gaming videos of fans playing the game or sharing modding tips with other fans. This makes Minecraft fans textual poachers as they are being interactive and taking the game and making it into their own.  This is also all relates to synergy which is the simultaneous selling of linked products whether it be the game and the console or the fans making money off of their videos which are being watched by fans who have bought the game.

Distribution methods are ways in which the audience can get a game whether it be for free or if they pay for it. Some parts of the game will come from fans or poachers such as the mods they have created and made available for other players to download or buy.  This proves than the audience is powerful like Jenkins suggested as they are clearly not just brainwashed and observing the media like effects theory suggests but actually taking part and creating their own versions of the media product as a way of interacting with other fans. This also shows Minecraft fans are textual poachers as they are creating their own parts of the game/media product and passing them along for other players to use.

Overall Minecraft fans are textual poachers in many different ways whether it be through converging platform or distribution. The main way that they are seen as poachers is through their use of modding or making gaming videos on YouTube as this shows that they are taking the content of the game and creatively playing around with it to make it their own. Again this proves that Jenkins’ theory of fandom is correct as this type of poaching was probably not possible before the rise of media 2.0 and the participatory culture.