The underrated market of records

▬ 100 million minutes (the total user watch time of livestreams from the European speedrunner assembly (ESA) on Twitch.tv)

▬ 6.85 million times (the average view count of the annual events on the website Games Done Quick since the summer of 2017)

▬ US $3 million (the amount of donation raised by the summer event of Games Done Quick in 2022)

▬ 3.22 million (the number of valid data submitted to the website Speedrun)

▬ 1.28 million (the number of registered users on the website Speedrun)

Game records refer to the gameplay focusing on speedrun. A good speedrun is fascinating: Crazy jumps, trailer skips and lightning-fast movements, all of which are made possible by hard-won tactics and obvious efforts, combine into performances dazzling the audience.

It would be as meaningless, in any subculture, to search for a piece of evidence that precedes another, as it is to argue about the time at which a snowball rolling down a mountain experiences the greatest acceleration.

Doom is a typical example of the internet subcultures of speedrun: it is loophole-free to a large extent. No skip allows you to finish the game quicker, and there is hardly any door or wall that can be pierced and leads to an area out of bounds. This means that almost anyone can attempt a speedrun trial without knowing the game mechanisms in full detail, due to its more obvious limitations. In theory, all that a new record needs is trying.

Subway Surfers (developed by SYBO Games in Denmark) is an example of the most popular racing game since 2022. In just 3 months, its speedrun community size increased from a few hundred people to more than 20,000, resonating in the game market of Brazil and other areas.

Like any sport, the pursuit of better and faster game records enables players to challenge their own limits. Speedrun records of the game (the whole or segments) encourage participants to complete the task as soon as possible. In addition, like-minded players gather at the game record community, enhancing friendship and social connection.