âello Sunshines!
Hello there, my name BrockUK. By day, I am a certified IT Project Manager for a FSTE100 company in the UK. By evening, I am a content creator livestreaming on the worldâs first crypto-based live-streaming platform; kicking butt in FPS games, especially in Overwatch. I may only stream 12-15 hours a week, but I believe in quality over quantity. I am also an award-winning film & television director and editor that has worked alongside with big media firms. So, what bought me over to DLive you may ask? Get comfortable in your chair as I tell you my story.
My time before DLive
I have always had a passion to work in the gaming industry, I just didnât know how to get my foot in the door. Despite me working on fantastic film projects on a contractual basis, I just couldnât secure myself in a full-time position. Then I decided to merge my skillset in IT & Media with my love for gaming. And that is when I started streaming on Twitch in late 2016.
Streaming can mean different things for different people; some it maybe for professional networking, creating unique content or to build a community that shares the same love for games. For me, it was a mixture of all, and more; including to build my confidence when meeting online people as I have had a very rough experience in the past. No more should I be ashamed of who I am, and it was time to show the world what BrockUK can bring to the streaming side of gaming.
I had a pleasant experience during my time on Twitch for just over 2 years, I even attended some exclusive gatherings to meet with developers and staff. I met some extremely creative and like-minded streamers, however I found the overall culture, business drives and developments of that platform to be less and less appealing. There were little to no opportunities for new streamers to make an impact on a platform that already has 12 million content creators; especially for part-timers. I was not interested in putting in effort for a platform that only cares about the top 5% of its assets. It was also around this time that I was made redundant from my previous job and I had to be a carer for my grandmother. There was a lot of juggling with real life and streaming that I was finding more and more challenging to maintain. I felt like it was a rut I just could not get out of, and was leading me to a path of depression.
However, each time I turned on my PC to go job hunting I was always embraced by my Brockoholic community that have always had my back and motivate me to keep going. Note, you are going to see a lot of references to community during this article; because that is the keyword that made me think; what does BrockUK want? To be honest, I wasnât sure. I wanted a fresh start on a newer platform that I could help grow with my expertise and knowledge. YouTube was not an option after hearing about their 3rd Ad-apocalypse (algorithms for adverts to be placed on specific content that appealed to their audience; deployed incorrectly in three separate occasions and lost a lot of big media clients); nor Mixer with their copy / paste of Twitchâs business developments. I was yearning for a platform that stood for something different; and wasnât until early 2019 when I heard DLive enter my vocabulary….
Waving the black & yellow flag
I remember hearing about DLive in January 2019 when two of my friends from Twitch were showcasing DLive (LTZonda & Gigawatt). I created an account and started asking questions about the platform. Each answer they presented gave me more motivation to take that leap of faith; especially hearing about its unique digital currency called LINO that rewards both content creators and their audience. Sure it was in testing phase, but by then I was already a few years into my crypto-currency knowledge, and already procured a few other coins. After a few trial streams, I decided to make my new home on DLive in February 2019.
Since then, my Brockoholic community and I have been well embraced by DLive, and not once between now and then have I looked back. The difference between DLive and other well-established platforms is that it listens to its community; the community is the business driver, not monetary profits. Ideas and DLive values are captured by weekly community meetings; run by our very own Community Manager legend, our uncle Tidy! There is also a Discord server as well, where you can meet other DLive content creators and raise concerns directly with staff and developers. Unlike other platforms where everything seems to be impersonal and automated, DLive takes a personal approach to tailor needs to all content creators and their audiences. DLive also gives all content creators a fair shot to shine their talents by being hosted on the front page of the platform; no matter how big or small your following is. This encouraged me to spend more time with amazing DLive streamers such as Cr4zyKeith, Cal69, Britian, Frozenbox, Kitsunegem and many others whose growth, brand and respect within the DLive community I have witnessed.Â
DLive really kicked off when they invited PewDiePie to stream on the platform, seeing a surge of traffic, audience and content creators alike signing up to be part of DLive. Threats became opportunities when Mixer made the announcement to shut down, and attracted established streamers such as DOMO to make DLive their home. Personally, I found it extremely exciting when I heard that BitTorrent will be making DLive part of their business brand. Sure, the LINO currency ceased, but veterans of DLive were allowed to convert their LINO to BTT tokens with extra bonuses. Not only that, but by staking BTT tokens back into the DLive infrastructure meant we were able (and still are) eligible to receive daily rewards. So not only can you get income from donations whilst streaming, but also from watching your favourite content creator and receiving BTT tokens on a daily basis. I canât think of any other platform that rewards their community in so many different ways. Before COVID-19 hit us hard, I would go to gaming conventions and encourage game developers to check out DLive and explain how it can benefit the outreach with their products.
It is amazing to see so many unique content creators; whether they are gamers, DJs, VRs, artists etcâŠ. We are all unified by sharing the same value as the platform we chose to broadcast on. This encouraged me to band up with other DLive streamers such as DJDanny88, CarnitorPrime, FrozenBox, Kanto_141 and many others to create our âMario Kart Madnessâ community gathering every Friday to get together and just have fun. So much so, that we have already hosted two official tournaments with DLive and created some amazing trailers by using my previous media skillset:
https://twitter.com/RagingBrockUK/status/1385636484649209857
Our brand, Our Community, Our Voice
The reason why I donât stream as much as I should do is because I have so much going on in real-life that needs my attention. However, it really is such a nice feeling to stream on DLive because of the warm messages of âwelcome backâ, âGreat to see you againâ and just making conversations with some fantastic people. I feel that I have grown a lot not only as a streamer but as a person as well. I hope in time I can have more free time to focus on more content on DLive, supporting others and kicking butt!
With DLive being live for almost 3 years in writing this article, I do believe it is bringing much needed competition towards the mainstream brands who have monolpolised the streaming market. In doing so, it has inspired other small platforms to make their mark and bring even more competition. I am proud to be part of DLive, its community and being part of its growth. There is no single platform that is perfect in everyoneâs eyes, but in mine DLive ticks all those boxes. With crypto-currency in its infancy, the future of DLive and its partnership with BTT & TRX is brighter than ever.
I will continue to be part of DLiveâs community and supporting those who bring positivity and smiles into our platform. It isnât about the numbers, followers or subscribes I have, for me it is spreading the good news about life, gaming and friendships. For those who are unsure about joining DLive, I say give it a try. The world is changing socially, economically and ethically. DLive is part of that change, will you be part of it to? Work smarter, not harder.
Thank you for reading my story. Now, its timeâŠ..LETâS RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGE!
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