What makes a good YouTube game channel, in your opinion?

[niightwind]

Hey guys! So starting a YouTube channel for gameplays has been something I've wanted to do for some time now. I even went out and bought a high quality microphone for recording, which I'd like to use for both cover songs and gameplay videos. I'm a bit iffy on it still though, and I'd love to know what you guys here think makes a good YouTube channel in this genre. I want to do this for fun, so I'm not particularly worried about getting a ton of views, especially right away, but I still want to do this right.

So to you, what are the qualities of a good "lets player"? What do you think makes certain YouTubers (like Pewdiepie, Markiplier, etc) stand out above other ones? Do you have any channels you would recommend as good examples?

Also, one question that's really been standing out in my mind recently: Do you think that male YouTubers are more likely to be successful than females? I've noticed that most well-known gamers are male, and I'm not sure if that's just because not enough girl have gone out and given it a try, or because there just isn't a big enough audience for female gamers. So of course being a girl myself, this is something I'm a bit worried about.

 

[Razorwind]

First off, I'll address your concerns about female gamers achieving success. There are many female gamers on youtube that recieve loads of views (actually, some people who are not into gaming at all will like a channel just because it's a girl) so you don't really have to worry about that and if the number seems disproportionate, it's probably because fewer girls actually create a channel rather than anything to do with a preference of males over females. If you post good content, the views will come.

As to what constitutes a good gaming channel, I would say you have to have good knowledge of the game you are playing, maybe finish it once or twice before you make a video so that all the actions you perform in-game come out smooth. Humor is a very very important quality to have too, the more funny content you add, the more views you will get. Also this is just a suggestion, but if you cover games that are kind of cult-y or ones that are not so popular, it may be contribute to your success. And lastly, just make sure whatever you do, it seems professional, don't make a hack-and-slash job of the video, make sure you spend time editing it well.

I should also mention that I do not have a gamin channel at all, my suggestions are just based on lots of views of other people's gaming channels. Hope it helps

 

[Lex]

I second the humor part. That's the main reason why I watch these kinds of videos sometimes. Also you need to be a good talker but I suppose you already know that. Try to fill the time of the video talking, maybe it's just me but when I see a LPer talking for 5 seconds, then pausing for 20 and talking again, I'd get bored quickly and they'd lose my attention fast.

About you being a female though, that may work to your advantage actually. Guys are more likely to watch a video with a girl in it, true fact
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Patrick]

I'll probably never subscribe to any "Let's play" channels. I don't really find any entertainment in watching others play a game and [typically] acting very silly. Gameplay channels are a totally different story. Typically, they'll include mature informative commentary about the game and usually have valuable tips and tricks to getting things done. Sure, humor is great when doing commentary, but screeching and acting childish every 20-30 seconds is pretty obnoxious and really drives me away. When I see a decent amount of effort put into a gameplay video, I'll check out the channel and observe how consistent the uploader is with quality videos and that will determine whether or not I'll subscribe.

When it comes to editing, I'd advise you go for a minimalistic design sense. I think I can vouch for a good number of people when I say that the Intros/outros tend to be the most forgettable parts of the video. Hiring a professional to make a Transformer-esque intro with explosions left and right tends to get annoying, especially if you're doing gameplay commentary or walkthroughs.

Finally, I think you should make sure you know what type of audience you're appealing to and stick with it. If you decide to go the route of PDP and make silly noises every chance you get to primarily appeal to the 13-16 crowd, you'll find it quite difficult to change that audience later on down the road without starting a brand new channel.

Oh, and a bit on female gamers. Lets be honest here, the reason there aren't many "quality" female gamer channels is due to a number of reasons I'm sure. The most prominent is that female gamers are typically trying to attract a male audience and, with that in mind, will often do whatever it takes to get more viewers *cough* *cough*. I'm certainly not saying this is the case for all female gamers, but a decent number of them don't mind using their gender to their advantage. Eventually it ends up being a huge distraction against the actual content and they lose subscribers. This holds true for Gameplay channels, Lets Plays, and Streams alike. I really hate that it sounds like a generalization, but fact is fact :s

 

[deadbroke]

A good youtube channel in my opinion is the one who entertains in a unique way and something that you really like to follow and you always want to some more from it. That's what I call a good youtube channel and for example to me a good one is PewDiePie and not only for the over 35 millions of subscribers but also because he implemented a "new" format of doing videos that is unique and never seen before him.

 

[niightwind]

Thanks, all of you, for your input! I guess what makes a good gaming channel is pretty subjective to someone's tastes. For me, personally - I dislike Pewdiepie, but I like Markiplier. Pewdiepie is too silly and immature for my tastes, and even though I'll admit his content is unique, it just can't capture my attention. Markiplier is also silly, but in a more tolerable way for my liking; I'm not sure what sets Mark apart specifically over other gaming channels in my eyes, but he gives the impression of actually caring about what he's doing, which is something I enjoy and respect.

For myself, I do want to go more down a comedic road then something intended entirely to be serious. I do want to do serious game plays as well, but doing a mix of the two would be my preference. I have a lot of knowledge of video editing; I've been using the Sony Vegas program for years, so I think I might have a good chance of being able to put out content that people would find attractive and fun to watch.

If I decide to go through with creating the channel, I'll post here on the forum about it and see what you all think!

 

[RivaCom]

Getting the attention of users and finding a niche are probably the biggest factors. If you want ideas on how to do it. Check out Node or Smoshgames. These guys are very good at what they do in terms of gaming channels.

 

[SharaElyse]

I think consistency makes for a good channel. Like, if you make a channel, make time for that channel! If you sign up and post a new video ever few months, you won't be able to keep that many people interested. If a viewer likes you, then they will crave seeing your videos being posted more frequently. I don't think you have to post once a week, but if you say, "I'll post one video a month," then make sure you do.

I hope your channel goes well!

 

[JoshSucksAtGames]

I think consistency makes for a good channel. Like, if you make a channel, make time for that channel! If you sign up and post a new video ever few months, you won't be able to keep that many people interested. If a viewer likes you, then they will crave seeing your videos being posted more frequently. I don't think you have to post once a week, but if you say, "I'll post one video a month," then make sure you do.

I hope your channel goes well!

Consistency is definitely a good thing, but I don't think consistency is a must. I watch this one channel (not really gaming related), but the guy who runs it posts at random. It's always a treat to see a new video from him and everyone loves them because they're truly from the heart. He did it because he really wanted to. Not because he had to meet a schedule or anything.

 

[Calcified]

I don't think you'd have any problems getting views simply because of gender. Gamers, in my opinion, are one of the most open minded people out there, at least in my experience. As for what makes a good youtuber, humour plays a huge role in it. I don't think anyone wants to watch these things simply to be bored out of their minds, hence why Pewdiepie is so well known. He's loud, funny and hyper, things that are contagious and make people automatically feel "welcome"? in his channel, IDK how else to explain it.

Another thing, as previously stated is that you have to be consistent, while you don't really have to stick to a every monday or once a week post, it'd be nice if you would update at least once a month, cause let's face it, no one really wants to wait for the next part of a playthrough for a whole month, especially if it spans 12 parts.

What else, I guess just don't over do it and if you get popular and stuff, don't let it get to your head. I know some people who used to watch Pewds, but left cause they felt like he over does things sometimes (like with the Satan thing on Lucius), I didn't mind those, but hey, not everyone will take it nicely, I guess. Good luck with your channel.

 

[Nemesysbr]

I'm not sure if OP managed to make her gaming channel, but just in case anyone else is wondering about gender holding you back on youtube gaming:

Long story short, no, it probably wouldn't detract from your views, in fact it would boost your view account, but for all the wrong reasons. If you're a girl and you want to start any sort of channel on youtube, you should brace yourself for the first wave of creepy comments like the classic "ur hot" and the more sophisticated PMs like "I am really enjoying your channel. Send nudes?". So yeah, first I would wrap my mind around the fact that some people will want to get in your pants through the internet or even claim you're just "doing it for attention".

This first reaction always fade away with time, though, and as you establish yourself as a respectable content creator, the loyal subscribers will outweight the trolls and you will have the same amount of respect as any other gamer on youtube(that's not saying much, but still). Just try to enjoy what you do and find the LP styles that fits you the best, gender will be not be a huge factor then.

 

[JoshSucksAtGames]

Long story short, no, it probably wouldn't detract from your views, in fact it would boost your view account, but for all the wrong reasons. If you're a girl and you want to start any sort of channel on youtube, you should brace yourself for the first wave of creepy comments like the classic "ur hot" and the more sophisticated PMs like "I am really enjoying your channel. Send nudes?". So yeah, first I would wrap my mind around the fact that some people will want to get in your pants through the internet or even claim you're just "doing it for attention".

People be thirsty. Tbh though, if I was a chick, I'd totes have my tits practically hanging out. Get dem sweet perv views. I'm an attention whore though, so yeah. But for real, as long as you don't feed the trolls they vanish pretty quickly. Just got to ignore them.

 

[Nemesysbr]

People be thirsty. Tbh though, if I was a chick, I'd totes have my tits practically hanging out. Get dem sweet perv views. I'm an attention whore though, so yeah. But for real, as long as you don't feed the trolls they vanish pretty quickly. Just got to ignore them.

I hear you.

"You're a whore."

Oh, really buddy? You're the one giving me the cheddar, so I couldn't care less. Next vid I'm going to go braless, so troll to your heart's content and bring your friends. XOXO

 

[jeffreyk]

I would say the type of Youtube gamers that attract me are either ones that have a great personality or are exceptionally good at a game. I agree with what some are saying though, Youtube comments are full of trolls a lot of the time.

 

[SharaElyse]

Consistency is definitely a good thing, but I don't think consistency is a must. I watch this one channel (not really gaming related), but the guy who runs it posts at random. It's always a treat to see a new video from him and everyone loves them because they're truly from the heart. He did it because he really wanted to. Not because he had to meet a schedule or anything.

That's a good point, I didn't think of it like that. I was more or less thinking of when people go on there and are excited about making a channel, they do one or two videos, then kind of disappear. Then one day out of the blue, that person is like, "sorry for the hiatus..." then they leave for a while. I can't say much though, I am guilty of going MIA for weeks. But your point is very valid! Glad you were able to help me see a different side of it.

 

[Kaitara]

Hey guys! So starting a YouTube channel for gameplays has been something I've wanted to do for some time now. I even went out and bought a high quality microphone for recording, which I'd like to use for both cover songs and gameplay videos. I'm a bit iffy on it still though, and I'd love to know what you guys here think makes a good YouTube channel in this genre. I want to do this for fun, so I'm not particularly worried about getting a ton of views, especially right away, but I still want to do this right.

Good for you for doing something like this! Here is my advice. High quality audio/video, as good as you can get it. Enunciate your words - if you have had any theater training this should come easy, if not, I suggest looking up the basics Try to play a wide variety of games. Have a good sense of humor, and show that to your audience. Don't be afraid of making fun of yourself when you fail and cheering yourself on when you win - after all, in a "let's play" video YOU are the hero your audience wants to root for! And finally, don't be too discouraged if your first videos don't turn out how you imagined they would...practice makes perfect.

 

[lexinonomous]

It is really hard for me to pay attention to Let's Play videos when people are not entertaining. I think the main thing is to keep the viewer engaged. You have to continuously talk and make sure what you're saying is either funny or just all around fun to listen to. Some people even incorporate how their day went as they play. Your viewers are going to want to know you on what they feel is a personal level. The connection to your viewers is a biggie.

Also, I do not think men are more likely to be successful. It's a close tie, but I would think that women would be more likely to become popular. Sadly, it's simply because they are women. Men seem to be captivated by the fact that a girl is playing video games. I've been on twitch and it can get a bit ridiculous at times with the amount of money men will pour in.

 

[SharaElyse]

lexxinonomous has a good point with the talking to your audience to connect. Make it fun. I can't stand when someone is doing a Let's Play or any other type of game play and they sit there and curse and yell at the game the entire time. It stresses me out because, it's a game. Games aren't perfect and if you've never played a game, you are going to run into difficulties. There's no need to scream and cuss. It doesn't turn me off from the game, it turns me off from watching the person!

 

[Honeymoon]

More gameplay, less you.
Of course you have to interact with your audience - it's going to be your biggest selling point. So it's needed, but don't overdo it. I absolutely despise it when there's a cinematic scene or other important moments and the player/Youtuber keeps talking. It's like shut up and let the viewers enjoy the game.

Another tip is not to overdo yelling. It worked for Pewdiepie, but I'll bet a good $50 you're just gonna come off as:
A) Pewdiepie wannabe.
B) Completely and absolutely obnoxious.

Last tip from me is that you have to be authentic. DON'T fake your reactions. Your viewers aren't dumb. Unless you happen to be an Oscar-winning actor or some sort, we can hear your fake laugh and it's incredibly annoying and awkward to hear. Don't. We can also hear when you're fake excited. And you'll come off as not genuine, which will impact you very negatively in the Youtube world. Also, don't try TOO hard to be funny. Funny is good and yes it's another selling point but if you keep making really bad jokes, the real joke will be you. I cringe every time a Youtuber bombards his or her viewers with bad unfunny jokes.

 

[Sino989]

I think what makes a good you gaming channel is obviously good content, a good personality, and a quality recording. I think if someone talks like they're enjoying what they're doing than chances are people watching aren't enjoying what they're watching.