Do you remember your first concert?
The thrill of buying the tickets, the thump of massive loudspeakers and seeing your favourite artist perform live is probably still fresh in your mind.
Advancements in broadcast technologies, including cable and satellite TV, and the internet have enabled a live performance to be viewed in your bed. You can even record the entire duration of a concert to view it later. But it isn't exactly the same as turning up at a live gig, where you get to socialise a bit and make new friends who enjoy a similar taste in music.
But Fortnite, world's most popular multiplayer game with over 200 million registered users, did something unusual and equally amusing on Saturday. More than 10 million players turned up to a "virtual concert" of Marshmello, a popular American electronic dance music (EDM) artist, in the game.
Fortnite's basic game mode matches 100 players in a fight for survival, where the last man (or woman) standing wins. The concert was placed in Pleasant Park, a location in the multiplayer shooting game, where players could watch the virtual performance and even dance or "emote" to the electronic beats.
"It was very cool," says Kunwarveer "Kabir" Singh Salwan, a 23-year-old businessman who has been playing the game for well over a year.
"Even though it's a survival game that involves a lot of shooting, the concert area had weapons disabled. A regular game lasts about 20-25 minutes and once you're killed, the game is over. During the concert, Fortnite had enabled respawning, so players could come back and enjoy the performance. Little nuances like Marshmello shouting "Put your f***ing hands up" also reinforced the feeling of me being actually present at a concert. At no point of time did it feel redundant."
Another Fortnite player, Sahil Singh, says the addition of "emotes" or dance moves added to the realism.
"It was pretty much like a real concert. The characters were performing emotes on the beach. There was even a build-up to the concert where you could find posters at Pleasant Park to make players aware about it," adds Sahil.
The concert has broken a world record— it was attended by more than 10 million players.
The game is no stranger to being a cult phenomenon. It has been played, streamed and viewed by not just ordinary gamers, but also celebrities that include pop artists like Drake and Nick Jonas and even basketball players like Josh Hart.
"It has, in a sense, brought me closer to my favourite celebrities. Watching Drake's duel with Ninja on Fortnite was not only entertaining, but it made me feel like we both share a mutual interest," Kabir says.
"Isn't this what technology is supposed to do—bring me closer to friends. I'm excited every time a new Fortnite event comes up. This is it, this is the future for me."
