Video Games are by far my favorite hobby. Video Games enable the player to explore whole new worlds and experience things and do things you would not typically be able to do in the real world. Whether you personally prefer Indie Games, or Triple E games, the love of gaming is a glue that links all gamers together. Most gamers want to see the industry grow and expand. While Gaming is expanding and the industry is becoming more and more accepted as a legitimate form of media, there are still those stuck in their ways who do not understand the industry.
Before we get to that, lets discuss gaming media. Traditionally, video game media has been locked to magazines and online websites that post news releases and written reviews that take only a couple of minutes to read. However Youtube came into the fray and has exploded in popularity. Millions of people love to watch their favorite personalities play games and witness their reaction or here their opinion on the video game that is not through blocks of words. Review and first impression based content has become the go to for people to find out if a video game is right for them. People also enjoy watching lets plays of games where a YouTube personality plays through either segments of the game or through the entirety of the game and experience the journey, hardships, and successes of the gamer's trek through the interactive media. Many people ask what is the point of watching someone else play a game, why not go out and play it yourself. The answer is simple, people love to watch reactions of other people. People love watching the reactions of other people in various situations whether it be reactions to the story of a game, to multi-player aspects of the game or through the horror elements of a game.
There is a misnomer in society. Some people believe that when people watch a lets play or a review then they will not buy the game, because they have experienced what the game has to offer. The problem with that is that you can not prove that they were even going to purchase the game in the first place. There is no way to tell. Also if a game's experience can be fully had through merely watching it, it has failed as a video game. The whole unique aspect of the video game is that it is interactive. To fully experience a game such as Journey, World of Warcraft, Halo, or Minecraft, you must play it for yourself. If that experience can be gained through watching it, it failed as a video game.
Let's defend review and first impression shall we?
Some people argue against review and first impression by saying that it can negatively affect game sales. That is the point of a review or first impression. To state the pros and cons of the game in perspective of the reviewer or personality. If a game is fundamentally flawed, either it is not optimized, is broken, or there are subjective aspects of the game that the person does not like, then that is for the viewer to decide if those problems outweigh the pros of the game. I will admit, I am not pro big business or small business, I really could not care about either, I am pro consumer and the rights of the consumer are paramount to me. If someone believes/knows they will not enjoy a game, then they are not inclined to purchase or support said game. That is their right of a consumer. But TopHatMan, developers will go under if no one purchases their game. The answer is produce a good game that is well optimized and not broken. Mechanics of the game and genre are subjective and the likes of each mechanic and genre will vary from person to person. If you send a well optimized game that is not broken (when I click play it plays) it will find its market. Not all games succeed, just like every other industry, some companies flop and some companies prosper.
The idea that some companies on Youtube can copyright strike and take down critique of their games is inherently anti-consumer and should be excised from society like the plague was. If critique is not allowed to live in the industry then consumers will buy games they do not like, and will have wasted hard earned money that could have been saved for games they like. People also have made jobs off of critiquing games and albeit an easy job in comparison to other manual labor based jobs, it is difficult to prosper as a youtuber. When you find your audience you have to hold onto it or they will forget you and move on.
That is the end for this blog. Thank you all and have a nice week!'
My favorite youtuber.
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