K&AJones

I can remember all the Soap Opera jokes and comments about all those who did nothing but watch them religiously and get emotional tied to them. But for the life of me I cannot believe people buy a Gaming Console and end up watching videos of people playing games?.....now that is troubling.

The Bus

I made $76 by making a video of me reading this thread.

Rival11

I would like to add my two cents to this. This isn't just a "new generation" thing. To an extent, yes it is but if you look closer, you will notice that these kids actually think they are accomplishing something great.

When I was a kid, sure...I just had to beat that impossible ninja gaiden game (and I did) but as much as I Played (and I would say it WAS too much), it wasn't something I did to be "Cool" and I never saw it as a respected accomplishment (although yes, beating a game was very satisfying). I played games because they were fun to play - that was the main priority.

Younger generations today play serious - not all of them do but a huge portion does. If you ever go on twitch you will clearly see what I'm talking about. I actually stopped using twitch because of how weird it got (and I mainly used twitch to see how good new games looked before buying them) - not only was it weird enough that they play so much but then you have those werid personality complexes going on, they are trying too hard to put on a show or be cool (hence what leads to many talking way too damn much when making their game videos).

There is a video out there where a kid beats mike tyson's punch out blindfolded - yes, blindfolded. He talks some very, very, weird shit while playing too.

If you like something that much learn the in's and out's out of it....do something more than letting it own you. When I was 14 or 15 I do remember playing mario on the super nintendo non-stop and I literally remember all these years later saying to myself "Man, I need to put this down and go workout".

Here's how I look at it as how it should be as a generational thing: making cool videos of your games every now and then and posting them online if you want, making online gameplay with your friends the bulk of your playing time, and using a few apps to learn new cheats and other gameplay elements.

And this is what shouldn't be considered "OK": spending every minute of the day playing games and only stopping to eat, drink, and go tot he bathroom, playing games for hours on end while recording yourself talking about how your playing, simply getting too involved in gaming without showing any interest at all in other activities (this is the biggest example and I could have literally just used this one line but I wanted to shed more light on it).

chuckd21

Just do like I do and hope you die before the kids find the nuclear silos and launch the bombs for the lulz.

slop101

One theory I've heard, which seems solid enough to me, is that many of these kids grew up with parents who played videogames, and the kids were too young to play along, so they watched as their parents played, be it Halo, or whatever, and listened to their parents talk about the game while they played. So in a way, they were conditioned to appreciate videogames in that way first, rather than playing first.

And now, they're still doing that, just on a bigger scale through youtube.

BobO'Link

Exactly. Other than some which are obviously sponsored it never entered my head there's money to be made by "creating" stupid and mostly useless videos (opening Pokemon card packs for one).

I just thought it is pretty lame to sit and watch videos of others playing games. I give my grandson grief over this all the time - basically "Why would you *watch* someone play a game on youtube? Isn't it better to just play it yourself?" type comments.

Draven

My kids (9 and 11) both watch these Minecraft shows (often while playing Minecraft). They actually like the hosts' personalities and often repeat some of the jokes to me. Plus they'll look up and install the mods the shows talk about too, as it's a good way to preview things before you try them.

As annoying as it can be, I constantly have to remind myself of a few things.

1) If I had had the technology they have now when I was a kid, I would have lost my goddamn mind. The idea of being able to carry around an iPad and watch videos on it while doing other things...man, that's all I would have done.

2) I used to watch TERRIBLE cartoons like Transformers and He-Man for hours on end. I got the Season 1 of G1 Transformers DVDs a few years back and I couldn't even make it through one episode, it's so bad. Watching some guy on YouTube play Minecraft is just a different kind of terrible.

fujishig

You're talking about the people making the videos; surprisingly, I'm ok with them, since it's something they seem to enjoy that somehow makes them money. But the people watching them obsessively and generating that money, I'm really surprised by.

I can see it as a sport, like a Starcraft tournament or something. But otherwise, is it that the kids can't buy the games and they're living vicariously? Or do they actually own these games and chose to watch hours of someone else playing instead? I mean I really don't understand the appeal of unboxing toys short of something like Transformers where there's an actual transformation being reviewed or shown or something.

But now I kind of understand why there are useless dedicated share buttons on both of my next gen consoles, and why when I go to the Xbox One game store and go to a game page, instead of seeing an actual preview of the game I'm greeted with dozens of gameplay videos instead.

MoviePage

This thread is basically Why Would You Sit There Watching That Boob Tube When You Could Be Outside Playing?: The Next Generation.

DthRdrX

The best part of youtube for video games is getting you past those parts when you have no idea what to do. That's about it.

shizawn

He knows his audience though, and what they want. He and pewdiepie got really big mostly from playing horror games with jump scares and basically screaming into the camera. I can't stand it, but it is what it is.

He and other YouTubers often do charity drives though, so they're not all bad.

The Infidel

Oh, he actually owns Minecraft, so unless he's just totally being instructed somehow on how to play the game, I still don't get it.

But get this:

A little later after I made the first post, my roommate's kid actually switched it up. Before, he was playing CoD on the XB1 on my TV, and watching/listening to this Stampy goof playing Minecraft on YouTube on the laptop. This time, there was a game he wanted to play that he only had on the laptop, so he turned on YouTube on his XB1, again through my TV, and continued watching/listening to Stampy prattle on about his joyous Minecraft adventures, and played his laptop game.

Having to listen to it coming faintly through the laptop speakers was one thing, but being blast through my house on my TV was quite another. I told him it was movie time, and I proceeded to put in anything that wasn't that.

I think my whole point is, I can understand multitasking to a certain degree, but when it comes to playing videogames, wouldn't you need to concentrate on what you're doing to the extent of not wanting anything distracting you? I mean, he's playing the game, talking to his friends online who are also playing the game, and supposedly watching this Minecraft video. What can you possibly get out of the video playing, either entertainment- or education-wise?

dsa_shea

Pewdiepie is annoying as hell when he screams at the camera.

The Infidel

Hey, I can start making my own YouTube channel with videos of kids going outside and feeling the sun and grass for the first time, like rescued lab animals.

dsa_shea

I think it is time to take your tv back.

dom56

Should check out the Live from Playstation on the PS4. Some gal was playing Alien Isolation last night and she scream out of the top of her lungs everytime she see the alien coming at her. It was so funny I couldn't stop laughing at her. I think she was playing on Easy.

MoviePage

Yeah, that's one of the downsides of this generation of successful YouTube/Twitch personalities. There's a whole lot of bad overacting in an attempt to be entertaining and thus get more viewers.

zero

I really like Max, but there are times I really dislike him. He said during a RE4 playthrough that "Oh Castlevania Symphony of the Night? I'd like to try it out, I mean I played it once back in the day and didn't really see what the big deal was." Only to proclaim months later "Next game we are playing, is without a doubt THE best Castlevania game ever made!" It's one thing to have an opinion about a game you don't think highly of, but it's another to fake enthusiasm. He makes videos for just about anything, and his idea of a "breakdown" is giving a play by play of a 1 minute teaser, and giving his opinion on one small detail. There are people in the FGC that do hate him, but for all the hate he does do something amazing and that's bringing new people into fighting games that are either intimidated or feel they can't play a complex game. He's a lot like Jewario in that respect. The biggest problem aside from what I've already mentioned about his channel? His partner Matt, the guy is a profoundly stupid, ignorant blowhard who rants about shit 100000000 other youtubers already complain about. Like a super nasal version of AngryJoe...oh god I hate that guy too.

RocShemp

He did.

He just omitted the part where the movie was Salò and he informed the kid "this is what'll happen to you if you so much as touch my fucking TV again."

mndtrp

I don't see it as any different than watching people play sports, and then the commentary shows afterward, or the auto auction shows, things like that. These kids like video games, so they watch someone play video games.

Noonan

I used to enjoy watching my brother play rpg's when I was a kid. Hell, I still enjoy watching friends play games.

Draven

Yep, people watch sports with commentators yammering over something you can actually see and don't need them to narrate, then spend 30 minutes analyzing what you just all saw. It's no different.

DaveNinja

True. You could always just go play the sports too instead of watching people who are much better than you play it.

MoviePage

New report released today says PewDiePie made the equivalent of $7.45 million USD last year via his YouTube channel, more than double his 2013 earnings.

kgrogers1979

It's ridiculous to think you can make a living doing nothing but playing video games, but to make millions for it is just inconceivable. It's basically like winning the lottery. Making millions for doing basically nothing, and only a select few are ever lucky enough to win it.