The Batlord

Over the past few months I've become addicted to these people: Pewdiepie, Markiplier, Day[9], jacksepticeye, Game Grumps, and, most recently, Jev, are at least as entertaining to me as a good album or movie. Hell, watching them play video games can be even better than playing them myself... especially certain games.

Ahem.

Some don't get it, but it's pretty obvious why some do. These people have much the same allure as a comedian or radio show host: they put their personality out there for our entertainment, and we connect with them on a level that is at once different, and yet the same as how we form relationships with "real" people.

Another aspect of the phenomenon that is often integral to the experience is that many of the most popular games for them to play are those with a good storyline, or at least one that makes the action on screen feel like more than just action on a screen. Watching Markiplier creep his way through Alien: Isolation, or Pewdiepie make an ass of himself on Deadpool, or Day[9] devolve into a crying girl before our eyes during Amnesia: The Dark Descent, is almost like watching an actual movie, except one where, while the story might be scripted, the rest is entirely spontaneous. And if you've been following the Youtuber's videos you're also watching the movie with an old friend.

The Future...?

It's easy to not think much of all this, until you find out that that retarded man-child Pewdiepie is making almost $7,000,000 a year, and has a net worth of 12 million. Like, WTF, right? He's easily the most popular Youtuber out there, with someone like Markiplier being worth a pitiful $2 million. N00b.

How is this possible? **** if I know. Endorsements of some sort or another, I guess. But regardless, this is clearly a business with potential, and I'm curious as to how this will evolve. Will some kind of soulless, corporate apparatus develop which will suck the life out of Let's Play commentaries? Can that even happen? **** if I know. But considering that these people are often more popular amongst the younger generation (I'm looking at you, Pet_Sounds) than "legitimate" celebrities, much like reality stars like Kim Kardashian have been bigger than Jesus over the past decade, I'm kind of fascinated as to how far this can all go.

Pewds on TMZ?

Another thing on the business side of things is the influence that these people have had on the industry itself. From what I understand, Amnesia: The Dark Descent wasn't really that well known until the Youtubers got to it, and now who hasn't heard of it? Now the same developers, Frictional Games, have released SOMA, and of course I'm in the middle of watching Zev play it, and I question whether or not they would have been able to release a game with such high production values if not for the unexpected success of Amnesia, which is at least in part due to the Youtubers.

Another thing I hear is that companies often send copies of their games to these folks as advertisement. I mean, what's going to get you more sales: a review in Game Informer, or a playthrough on Pewdiepie's channel? On the possibly negative side, I've heard that games are now starting to be made which are specifically targeted at the people watching these videos, as opposed to the gaming community in general, which is, you know, maybe not the best thing if it's true, but **** happens I guess.

I guess to expand on both the above paragraphs, one of the most popular type of games for Youtubers to play is the horror genre, for obvious reasons. For a very long time, I can't remember all that many horror games coming out. Sure, they were there, but not that many -- especially after their heyday on the original Playstation when Resident Evil and Silent Hill were still new concepts -- and not that high profile. But unless I'm just more tuned in due to the videos I've been watching (and I probably am) there does seem to be a bit of a renaissance going on in the past few years: Amnesia, Slender, Five Nights at Freddy's, Dead Space, and most recently games like The Evil Within, SOMA, and mother****ing Alien: Isolation.

I highly doubt that the resurgence in horror games would be happening without the Youtubers. So, love them or hate them, they're probably not going away anytime soon, and I suspect their influence on gaming itself will only grow... for better or worse.

And if you have yet to watch any of these people, then...





Well, I guess I'm done "bloviating" for now, so if you liked this post, hit the like button at the bottom LIKE A BOSS, and subscribe to become a Bat-bro today. And as always, I'll see YOU... in the next entry.

Bye bye!

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