The present era of console gaming, led by the PlayStation 5, has taken the sense of group to new heights, each by way of Sony and the broader fan base. However whereas the group grows in lots of instructions, it has not all been excellent news for followers.
Sony just lately canned the PlayStation Stars and rewards program, and whereas our PSX Excessive discussion board is a contented, long-standing, little nook of the web, some have turn into poisonous, discriminatory locations.
In earlier generations, the social journey that was PlayStation Residence turned one other sufferer of Sony’s puckish whims. And any in style sport or franchise can rapidly turn into a swamp of aggressive and abusive content material by way of overly possessive “fanboys” and trolls.
Wanting For a New Neighborhood?
Newer and youthful avid gamers can really feel overwhelmed when seeking to hyperlink up with like-minded gamers. Many present boards problem newcomers with big quantities of content material, unusual lingo and turns of phrase, and even the extra inclusive can really feel unwelcoming with boards usually missing welcoming beginning factors.
Attempting to shake up the social panorama is Nerd Tradition, a US-based, however international, set for boards for pleasant nerds. As Nerd Tradition is new, there’s loads of area for first-movers to get in and begin constructing new communities on video games, cosplay, board video games, RPGs and no matter else takes your fancy.
There are a few stand-out options for Nerd Tradition that make it a welcoming port of name for newcomers. First, Nerd Tradition gives a safer area for the socially nervous in comparison with many on-line boards
It additionally affords an experience-based development system constructed into boards, making it clear to see who’s placing within the effort and who’s hanging on to others’ coattails. As a discussion board creator or only a customer, you possibly can simply see how Nerd Tradition builds a protected area with instruments to average, mute, block and report any abuse.
There’s additionally personal messaging for brand spanking new associates to talk exterior the boards, with built-in visibility controls and encrypted threads to make sure privateness. For native or wider teams, there are additionally options for meetups IRL. These are well-managed with location-based visibility, calendar-syncing, and good notifications.
Do bear in mind that Nerd Tradition is open to 18+ adults solely, for creators, artists, natural or digital followers throughout all genres and types of media. Nerd Tradition is a base for a protected and high-quality expertise.
Entering into Nerd Tradition
Even for those who don’t just like the time period nerd, it’s solely a device that you need to use to construct or be a part of social teams. Discussion board options embrace good search and straightforward creation of teams. Sensible filters assist customers discover like-minded associates with ease, and might be based mostly on pursuits, tags, location, and their model of engagement.
At sign-up, customers can initially be a part of as a member or content material creator if they’ve their very own output to share, or a enterprise if they’ve a promotional angle.
Nerd Tradition is rising organically, not as an official department of some company gaming large. Or a mega-game discussion board that has spiralled uncontrolled into a giant mess. It’s handcrafted to enchantment to the nerd world by a small staff of lifelong followers who perceive the ache of chaotic community-hopping and inevitable trolling.
NC’s co-founder Steven Weingarth describes his journey as: “I spent weeks bouncing between Discord servers, Reddit rabbit holes, Meetup detours – simply to discover a respectable D&D or gaming crew. It felt like throwing a Sending spell into the void.”
In an age the place too many platforms really feel like a loud rabble in a shouting match with horrible signal-to-noise ratios, Nerd Tradition is a well-mannered nook sales space the place followers are keen to speak. Formed by its customers, it may be as cozy or chaotic as you need it to.
As we prepare for the PlayStation 6 and no matter social hyperlinks Sony decides so as to add to video games or the entrance web page menus, new followers and outdated will search for methods to discover gamer associates and higher locations to spend their time.
Toxicity and gatekeeping plague many boards, leaving newcomers adrift. Nerd Tradition affords a recent various: a maturing platform constructed by followers for followers, with protected areas, good filters, encrypted messaging, and IRL meetup instruments.
The experience-based development system and moderation options foster respectful engagement. Whether or not you’re into video games, cosplay, or RPGs, Nerd Tradition encourages natural progress and genuine connection, standing aside from chaotic mega-forums with its user-shaped, inclusive ethos and community-first design
