YouTube Gamers

[Johnny_Nevori]

Why do people buy their stuff? I mean anyone reading this and anyone who has ever watched a gamer on YouTube has played the same games they play. What makes them any different than you or me? why do me and you have to work a real job to just barely pay my bills and be able to play theses games, while these people sit around all day playing the same games we play and people pay them for it, Seriously? WHY? (and some aren't even good at some of the games at all)

 

I can understand if its a game developer/designer or artist or programmer or someone that actually creates stuff like Ame or Jan or who ever else that makes actual games or does something productive and wants support for their work/products.

 

but the ones who literally just sit there and play the games and that's it and get paid for it just so they can buy new game systems and clothes and travel to different places and meet people they want, NO, that's stupid. there are players out there putting up the same type of videos but ain't getting paid for it, so why do the others get paid? I just don't understand.

 

But you know I bet nobody agrees with me and honestly that's fine cause your the ones who are working hard to get paid just to pay these people your hard earned money so they can live wealthy and comfortable with all the nice things they desire all for free.

 

Well that's the end of my little rant for the day, Sorry if this upsets someone.

[Candy]

some gamers on YT are entertaining to watch. it's the same as paying a singer for singing- we could sing too, but at least in my case, it's def not entertaining to watch or hear

if you think you can entertain a crowd, enough that they'll become your fans, you should play games on YT too

[Johnny_Nevori]

people thought pet rocks was entertaining and bought those.

 

its a losing battle ill never win like i said no one will agree with me.

[Candy]

I mean no one is ever alone in having an opinion. I'm sure many feel the same way you do.

My opinion is that any skill can be marketable as long as there is enough people to market it to. I can't sit in front of a camera and entertain someone by playing a game. That's be mighty boring cause it's just not a skill I have. Hence I chose a career in something else, something I think I can do better than an average joe  I don't think it's wrong for peepos to make a hell lot a money from doing something they found they're good at. Life is boring by default so people are constantly looking for ways to entertain themselves. It's a good market, if you ask me.

[Dreamy]

Eh, it's comparable to something like an Actor or Comedian, they're producing a form of entertainment. And plenty of people enjoy that form of entertainment, and that's fine.
I think you might be surprised about how much background work goes into running a channel like this too, It's not just a matter of sitting down, playing some games, sticking it on YouTube. Also, at least for most mid-sized channels, it doesn't actually pay that well in the modern YouTube scene. I'd bet that only a small portion of them are really 'doing it for the money'. Usually it's because they enjoy making content that viewers enjoy, and the money is what lets them actually dedicate their full time to it.   

 

3 hours ago, Johnny_Nevori said:

your the ones who are working hard to get paid just to pay these people your hard earned money so they can live wealthy and comfortable with all the nice things they desire all for free.

Seems like a bit of an odd point to make when it's one of the few forms of entertainment of this type that's actually free for viewers to experience compared to something like a movie. And as above, they're definitely not getting 'free money', they're working a job and earning from it.  

 

The dynamic changes a bit when you get to the extra large channel scale, but still a ton of time, effort and money goes into them to get them to that point and keep them going.

[Taska]

They are entertaining, and as a result advertisers believe they can make money off these people so they put ads on their videos and/or they sponsor them. It's pretty simple. You type as if you made a youtube channel but don't get any money or views off of it. Sounds pretty bitter. As if a 60 year old who doesn't watch youtube or play video games would get mad that people can make a living off of playing video games.

[Seal]

Everyone can play videogames but not everyone can be entertaining enough to actually get watched. Most successful video game channels that watch have either worked a long time to get to a position to actually make a living on YouTube, have established themselves as entertaining people in another format, studied/worked in a field that would make for an entertaining content creator or are just naturally entertaining. As with any art form, making a living on YouTube isn't easy nor is it reliable, especially with the constantly shifting rules and shitty decisions from the people at the YouTube HQ.

[LemonJones]

They are fun to watch and/or share their knowledge while playing. These days so many young people feel completely down, alone and crushed. At that moment watching this particular youtuber gets them through, might even feel like a friend. So many reasons why.

Their job is so far away from easy. Not even near just sitting there and playing. Some of them work on their videos all on their own. Supporting them through paypal, patreon or whatever the fuck is optional. A simple click on a like button helps them, I bet many don't even expect more than that. 

 

To me it sounds like you are grinding away for years on something you don't give a flying fuck about. Doing it just because it was a plan. Because it is safe and gets you material things. Maybe a parent wanted you to be that way. So it boils down to money being the only thing on your mind. Then you see this dude playing games, being himself and happy. Better yet, you find him a fake dumbass tricking people into paying him. Why the fuck he has it so easy and you gotta get up at 6 just to catch a bus? As if the guy just magically got his channel going. It was luck.

 

My thing is that I can't sell my time pretending to be what I'm not and working dumbass shifts even if there is nothing to do that day. I've quit so many well paid jobs before understanding what is really going on. Oh and nitpicking at youtubers gaming mistakes. It is silly, obnoxious even.

You know what is really scary though? Feeling alone, misunderstood, like nobody loves you etc. and then (for the sake of arguement) you get a magical thing that grants you infinite cash. The fuck you gonna do with it? Buy a friend? You will still feel the same. Learn nothing then probably pick on another thing others have it easy to bitch about.

 

Think about where this anger comes from. Pin it down then look at it from another perapective. Surely you yourself know how silly it is. Having said that, venting is a decent start.

 

Well aware I might be wrong about it and yapping away into the wind considering I don't know you hehehe..

 

I suck at texting, hopefully I got a fragment of my point across there. It is so easy to misjudge someone's tone too. Master at verbal communication though heh. I will be finally introducing myself to the forum this week after like 3 years of being here. This topic inspired me and noticing @Candy is an aspired writter makes me all excited that she might read it too!

 

Right! Enough! Beer and Mario kart with my buddy! Then some icantbelieveiveskippedthisfranchisetillnow Fire Emblem!

 

Stay cool!

[Amethyst]

21 hours ago, Johnny_Nevori said:

I can understand if its a game developer/designer or artist or programmer or someone that actually creates stuff like Ame or Jan or who ever else that makes actual games or does something productive and wants support for their work/products.

 

but the ones who literally just sit there and play the games and that's it and get paid for it just so they can buy new game systems and clothes and travel to different places and meet people they want, NO, that's stupid. there are players out there putting up the same type of videos but ain't getting paid for it, so why do the others get paid? I just don't understand.

Hi there! I appreciate that you respect me and folks in positions similar to mine. Still, I have some thoughts on the matter.

First, I'd like to say this:  

19 hours ago, Johnny_Nevori said:

its a losing battle ill never win like i said no one will agree with me.

You started this topic with a question. It seems like you felt that there was some information or understanding you were missing, and frankly I believe that's both true and a good thing. You are certainly not the only person who believes it's unfair or is confused as to why it's like this. However, being a topic about exchanging understanding ideas and understanding, this does not have to be a 'battle', nor should it be. We're offering answers to your question; you're not under attack. And I believe it would be a dire mistake to shut out viewpoints that don't align with your own opinion on the basis of assuming that no one would agree with you. There are reasons for that being the case, and those reasons can be understood and even challenged. A discussion like this invites all parties to do so. You don't need to find persecution in disagreement.

 

Also for the record, I think there is nothing wrong with purchasing a pet rock if doing so brings one joy.

 

Anyway, let's return to the main point. I think it's clear from your initial post that you don't see making videos as something that is either productive or work. I challenge this with a recent anecdote. A couple weeks ago, I put out a video about a game, Virgo vs the Zodiac. I recorded about one hour of footage from various save files I'd already made while playing. The end result was a seven minute video, but it took about as many hours to edit. I'm certainly not the best at video editing. I'm only a Youtuber part time, after all. But it is a significant amount of time and effort even if the final product seems relatively small. And among everything else I do, I consider it just as productive (if not an equal priority), as I am by definition producing something in that time.

 

Aside from all of that though, I think what you're missing is the relationship and trust between the creator and the audience. I can be a personal example here as well. We're going on two years since I've released an episode (which is truly just mortifying to me, mind you...) but the community is still lively and folks are still out there on my patreon making sure that I'm able to work on the games full time. I am eternally grateful for the trust in my that they demonstrate by continuing support me through this long final stretch, but it is not by chance that they do. Naturally, I don't see myself as other people do, but I can point out some things that help maintain the trust throughout this time-- the dev blog and scoreboard, the fact that I am still active and very reachable in the community, the long history of releases in and of itself... All of these things help people feel more secure in the idea that I will be continuing to produce content that they will enjoy. 

What those Youtubers have that the typical gamer doesn't, is that trust. 

And similar to the things I'm doing to maintain it, they've done many things to build up their audiences as well. Even if their viewers don't monetarily support them, each person has still decided that it is worth their time to watch each video that they click on. A high subscriber count builds trust because if other people like this person's videos, they must be good at it. A lot of past uploads build trust because it shows this is something that this person has committed time and energy to and spent long enough on to be comfortable and skilled at. A regular upload schedule builds trust by demonstrating a clear pattern of new content that is visibly likely to continue. Responding to comments builds trust by helping viewers see the Youtuber as a person and connect on a deeper level rather than just Some Guy On The Tele. And this is all to say nothing of the actual quality or content of the videos themselves. 

 

I feel like the question of "why do they get to live like that but others don't" is a valid one in so, so many cases. And even as someone who you seem to respect, I find myself struggling with this a lot. I do not consider myself a spectacular person. I just like making games. And I genuinely grieve the fact that so many of my friends, and other folks on the website, or even just the strangers I see in day to day life will not get the same chance I have to do something they love for their work. That's fucked up. Labor systems suck. People should not have to be miserable for most of their adult lives, nor should we be setting up the expectation that they will. 
But I think the question of unfairness here is misdirected. Most Youtubers have put in a lot of work to get where they are, and some do so at the cost of their own physical and mental well-being. It's not just random or an arbitrary success.

 

[Scyl]

"its a losing battle ill never win like i said no one will agree with me."

Debates aren't battles, they're (supposed) to be conversations where both sides showcase their perspectives on things. If someone decides to alter their opinion because you provided solid enough reasoning for them to change it, then that's their prerogative. Likewise, if someone doesn't change their views; then, that's also fine. 

 

"But you know I bet nobody agrees with me and honestly that's fine cause your the ones who are working hard to get paid just to pay these people your hard earned money so they can live wealthy and comfortable with all the nice things they desire all for free."

I mean, it's their money, they can do whatever they want with it. Being any form of Youtuber, gamer or not, is a risky business. You're always at the will of the Youtube higher-ups, which is basically the career equivalent of playing Russian roulette with all but one chamber loaded. As for the "it's not fair" argument, that's just life. Life isn't fair, hasn't ever been fair, and never will be fair. Getting big on YT/Twitch/Etc. is just like getting scouted in sports or become an actor/actress: it's all just luck. You can be the best football player in the world, but if no one scouts you out, you aren't going anywhere. I'm not saying you should change your opinion, because that's only a choice you can make, but this entire post just seems painfully bitter towards people who managed to do something they love as a source of income. Not everyone in the working world is miserable, contrary to popular belief. Some people teach because they love educating, and others do it because it's a living. I'd also like to point out that most people who do YT gaming videos tend to do it as a hobby, and usually have another job act as their primary source of income. You basically have the "they're more well-off than me and they don't deserve it because they don't work as hard as I do" mentality, which is an insanely toxic and unhealthy psyche to adopt. By your own logic, you shouldn't be allowed to complain about Youtube gamers because there are people who don't have jobs in the first place, or people who can't afford the games/consoles that you can buy, etc. Also, not sure how these people get "all of the nice things they desire all for free". I'm pretty sure they still have to pay their bills, buy food, pay for games and other luxuries, etc. A wise man once said, "There are two types of people in the world: people who complain about things that they don't like, and people who work to change the things they don't like." If you dislike how you have to work a job you hate being at in order to get by, then the only person who can change that is you.

[Des Teto]

I kind of see your point. It seems unfair to you that someone can stream a game and get paid for it.

 

But one can make the analogy with anything close to entertainment such as sport and TV show. Why would you watch any of these after all? And why do you get paid for it?

 

I see streaming as a mix between a TV show and sport, in this case e-sport. Why do you watch this? Many reasons but I can find some (they're the same as sport and TV): you like the game, you like watching skilled-plays of the game, you like the entertainer ... And since Internet was the only place where one could have a show about videogames, it comes to no surprises that our generation got interested into dedicated shows in this media.

 

As other have detailed, the amount of work to put up a decent content is not small. But don't forget that many and many have tried without reaching any form of success. What we see is the top of the icerberg. Just a few of these streamers actually make a living out of it.

 

Personnaly, I don't envy them. It's a job where you could easily get replaced and forgotten. This is why most of them don't have vacations, by choice yes and also by paranoia. Plus, they ONLY play videogames and they're STUCKED in this activity. Once it becomes your job, it ruins a little the joy of playing the game by replacing it by the need of entertaining your audience. I also think that they miss a lot of things that a 'normal decent' job would offer such as social interactions. But I can see some of them trying to make their content evolve. Fun fact: they're creating new TV shows. Circle of life.

[Commander]

How...do I put this in a way to understand it. Perhaps I should jump into what a brand is. A brand is basically how you sell yourself to others. Not all jobs need the best brand but entertainment is one where it is crucial to survive. Literally take any aspect of it and the logic is the same from developer and YouTuber. Why do people play Sonic but not even give Freedom Planet a chance? Why do some people turn down anything that isnt Pokemon? It absolutely is nonsensical until you think about brands. People buy those because they like them.

 

I can see why you are against advertisements and these nobodies on the internet making money off of their face. But brutally honest YouTubers barely make any money unless you hit Pewdiepie levels. And YouTube even makes it rough to survive on the platform which many have to use donation systems to keep doing what they do. Selling merch helps them out and honestly some people just like the idea of having it. I see no issue selling a product that people want to buy. If you didn't you'd be going naked to work. But you dont have to agree with it. Believe me, I'm not thrilled by people selling shirts with their face on it.

 

Now for something I honestly dont want to glaze over. We live in a world where the rich get richer and fewer and fewer make it there. I'm just going to be blunt when it comes to entertainment you just dont get a whole bunch of people to love you. It's hard work. Painful hard work. You start out from nothing having to learn the ways to get people's attention to try something. Eventually you get to the point where your audience is self growing but before then it is slow

 

I'll admit livestreaming has kind of been a game changer allowing for live events which seems to have made things easier.

[hammerly]

On 3/3/2020 at 3:46 AM, Johnny_Nevori said:

Why do people buy their stuff? I mean anyone reading this and anyone who has ever watched a gamer on YouTube has played the same games they play. What makes them any different than you or me? why do me and you have to work a real job to just barely pay my bills and be able to play theses games, while these people sit around all day playing the same games we play and people pay them for it, Seriously? WHY? (and some aren't even good at some of the games at all)

 

I can understand if its a game developer/designer or artist or programmer or someone that actually creates stuff like Ame or Jan or who ever else that makes actual games or does something productive and wants support for their work/products.

 

but the ones who literally just sit there and play the games and that's it and get paid for it just so they can buy new game systems and clothes and travel to different places and meet people they want, NO, that's stupid. there are players out there putting up the same type of videos but ain't getting paid for it, so why do the others get paid? I just don't understand.

 

But you know I bet nobody agrees with me and honestly that's fine cause your the ones who are working hard to get paid just to pay these people your hard earned money so they can live wealthy and comfortable with all the nice things they desire all for free.

 

Well that's the end of my little rant for the day, Sorry if this upsets someone.

YouTube gamers have revolutionized entertainment, blending interactive gameplay with engaging personalities. Channels like Markiplier and Jacksepticeye offer a mix of humor, skill, and insight, attracting millions who enjoy their unique content. Whether it’s for a laugh, a tip, or just to feel part of a community, these gamers have tapped into the zeitgeist of digital culture. Their influence extends beyond gaming, shaping trends and opinions across media. As they continue to dominate the platform, YouTube gamers are not just playing games; they’re creating a new form of storytelling for the digital age