Links Roundup for 5 October 2011

Here’s a roundup of stories on next generation fandom that might be of interest to fans:

• Gaming industry website Gamasutra looks at “a niche social media phenomenon for an example of how expressions of game fandom proliferate in the Web 2.0 era”, noting that social media enables “expressions of fandom [that] are often smaller, more specific, the result of a small in-joke that spreads” and concludes it is all “a sign of the continuing shift for games away from controlled product to democratic experience.”
• Movie Line cites the increasing independence of film makers as an experiment in subscription-based fandom, with one creator suggesting it “will totally liberate me to do something without commercial thoughts in my head. The removal of the press attention and critical infrastructure is something I’m looking forward to.”
• The NY Times’ feature on American football channel Red Zone describes the success of the channel, which features only real-time winning and game-changing plays of multiple games simultaneously, and finds it “consistent with the wider American evolution in media consumption.” Red Zone’s “react[ion] to a new kind of demand, seems a kind of naked acknowledgment that a viewer’s interest in his or her fantasy leagues may actually trump loyalty to a single team”, not unlike how some media fans find fanworks to be of greater interest than the texts they are based on. As one fan quoted notes, “There seems to be a tiny segment of fans who claim to be football purists and they would rather watch every single play of whatever game Fox/CBS feeds them…As if there’s something noble in that. This is 2011!”

If you’re part of gaming, US football, or movie fandoms, why not contribute your own stories and projects to Fanlore? Contributions are welcome from all fans.

We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!