Let’s Play
3 Reasons I Love Watching Others Play Video Games
Who here plays video games?
Maybe you’re only into a couple of game apps on your phone ( is Candy Crush still a thing?)
Maybe you just like the chill vibes of Animal Crossing, (CAPITALISM! TURNIPS! BEARS! OH MY!)
Or maybe you’re a hardcore gamer pwning noobs in Apex Legends or Fortnite (do people still say “pwning noobs?” Or play Fortnite anymore if they’re over the age of 14? I’m not talking shit I just really don’t know anymore. Please fill me in…I gotta be hip to the lingo!)
No matter what you play or on what type of console, it’s easy to see that video games are a big part of our lives. They’re not just for teens at sleepovers anymore!
Now a days, if you have the drive and the patience, you could probably even make a living off of playing those games on Youtube/Twitch/Caffeine for thousands of subscribers. No, I’m serious. We’ve all heard of PewDiePie who, by the age of 30, is worth almost $40million dollars. Professional gaming is a real thing and people are making bank.
If you frequent Youtube with any regularity, I’m sure you’ve found a Let’s Play pop up on your home page from time to time. If you’ve never heard of them, a Let’s Play is a video showcasing a gamer doing a play through of a video game, either bits and pieces of longer games, a one off shorter game, or playing through a game that could take 10+ hours to complete therefore allowing for multiple uploads.
Basically, Let’s Plays are like sitting and watching your older siblings or cousins play a video game cause they won’t ever let you touch it…a concept I’m incredibly familiar with.
Here’s the thing, a lot of people *coughboomerscough* give the idea of professional gamers/streamers a lot of shit. Actually, maybe that’s not true. They give the people who actually WATCH these gamers/streamers a lot of shit. “Why would you want to watch somebody play a game instead of just playing it yourself?” Don’t worry, I’m about to lay it out for ya.
As a kid, I was the youngest in the family and also the only girl, so my older cousins NEVER let me play video games with them and their friends. I was lucky enough to just get to watch. As I got older, I’d watch friends play here and there, usually perfectly content to rarely pick up a controller myself. Playing video games myself has only developed in the last few years but my fondness for watching others play has never gone away. That’s where Youtube gamers come in!
In 2017, I accidentally stumbled on gaming streamers when I was trying to look up the gameplay for the Friday the 13th game (lol remember the Friday the 13th game?) I saw a live stream from a guy called Ohmwrecker who was playing the game with a group of his gamer friends. In the 3 years since finding that stream I have watched countless gaming videos posted by not only Ohmwrecker but also from a few of his buddies, Cartoonz and H2O Delirious. Not to mention the gamers I’ve discovered through other games like Vash12349 (the most recent addition to my gamer gang,) Jacksepticeye (the most excitable of all the gamers,) and Hybridpanda (who has been on hiatus since the holidays but I hope makes a triumphant return someday.) These guys have become my dudes. I like their personalities, I like their banter with one another and/or their commentary during their play throughs, and, for the most part, I enjoy a lot of the games they play.
So, the question still remains, why would I want to watch somebody else play a game instead of just playing it myself? Well, first off, I do play the games myself. At least some of them. But I like to see the way other people play them too! I like to hear their reactions at surprising moments (like when Mr. X shows up in the Resident Evil 2 remake….which I have watched more Let’s Plays of than anything else in existence,) or see the way their strategies differed from my own.
There’s also the fact that games are fucking expensive. Sure, I could always use a video game rental site like Gamefly to try out games and send them back without the commitment or disappointment if I get a game I don’t like….but that shit’s expensive too! And I can’t keep the games I do like afterward. So I’d rather find some gamers on Youtube who’ve already played the game I’m interested in and watch a few minutes to see if it’s something I’d like to spend my money on. Is the gameplay something I like? Is the story something I’d be involved in enough to follow? Those are all things I can find out FOR FREE by watching someone else play the game a little bit.
Lastly, we all need help sometimes, right? Have you ever been playing a game and reached a level you find nearly impossible to complete? Maybe it’s a big ass fight you keep getting killed during or a puzzle you’ve spent the last half an hour dicking around with. Watching other gamers play the same section can be hella helpful for getting through a section you’re finding impossible. Of course there are websites like IGN that have written walkthroughs but they’re not always the clearest to understand so being able to see someone else solve a problem that’s making the game less fun for you can make a world of difference.
These are just some of my personal reasons for watching Youtube gamers. Other subscribers/viewers might agree with me or have their own set of reasons for why they like following certain streamers and watching these people play video games. And ya know what? It doesn’t really matter why anyone chooses to. Fuck right off to all ya’ll who seem to have an opinion about watching others play video games and thinks it’s stupid/a waste of time. Let people enjoy what they enjoy without your bullshit!
So, who else likes watching video games on Youtube? Who are your favorite gamers/streamers, I’m always open to recommendations…especially if you have any good female gamers. What are your favorite types of games to watch others play and which games do you think you’re good enough to stream? Let me know in the comments below!