Hey, how’s it going bros? My name is Pewdiepie! And welcome to…
Hello, and welcome, to Cry Plays…
Hi guys, this is Minx here. Hope you’re doing well, and welcome to a new game…
YouTube and other streaming sites like Twitch are filled with video game play-throughs, known as ‘Let’s Play’ videos. For more popular gamers like Pewdiepie, viewers can get up to the millions, and there’s a fair share of cash to be made.
The origins of the concept of ‘Let’s Play’ videos is, like most things on the internet, hard to pin down. Why do people want to watch gamers play on Youtube when they don’t even play video games?
However, they have become an extremely popular phenomenon. Pewdiepie – real name Felix Kjellberg – makes over a million dollars from Let’s Play videos, with his online influence earning him promotional gigs and partnerships.
Even YouTube vloggers are now jumping on the bandwagon, with famous YouTube stars starting gaming channels in addition to their main ones. ‘Let’s Play,’ has come a long way.
So, what about the viewers who keep tuning in?
Well, a lot of them are fellow gamers who just want to see how others are playing, or want to get a sense of a game before buying it.
There is another sub-set, however, of people who don’t game, probably never have and never will, but who still watch these play-throughs religiously. I should know; I’m one of them. I was curious to see if there were others like me out there.
The answer is yes, there are. Quite a lot of us, actually.
Sandra Abdulhakova, for example, first started watching ‘Let’s Play’ videos about three years ago, when The Last of Us was first released.
Having found out that the character Ellie was modeled after Ellen Page – who she is a big fan of – Abdulhakova tried to get a hold of the game. She stumbled across Pewdiepie’s walkthrough.
“I think I spent the next six hours of my life glued to my phone screen watching the game religiously. I fell in love with the graphics first, then of course with Ellie and finally with the story the person playing the game was creating,” said the graphic design major.
Since then, Abdulhakova has added more games to her list of favorites: Life is Strange, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, Nevermind, and Soma.
“These are my favorite because they’re thrilling and I think I kind of like scaring myself,” explained Abdulhakova.
But mostly, I enjoy them because the game reacts to the player, they react to the choices you make, so in a way I feel like the player is actually playing the character. It feels real, especially with the 3D graphics that these games employ.
For all her love for games, though, the Syrian-Czech student says she isn’t really interested in playing them herself, being more of an “observer than a participator.”
“Watching video games is a relaxing activity for myself that I do to unwind. I think if I were to play the games I’d feel way more invested in the characters, hence it would take a toll on my emotional state.”
I prefer watching [them] like a movie.
And hey, so do I. It’s always nice when you’re not alone.
What about you – Do you regularly watch gamers play in Youtube? Why?
Tell us in the comments below.
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