Watching Let's Play's on YouTube you can see how ADD this generation is...

[futurefields]

Rarely do I find a Let's Play series with videos that are consistently over an hour long.

Most of these guys are playing for 20-30 minutes before stopping to do something else.

If you are really enjoying something won't you do it for more than 20-30 minutes? Makes me think these guys either have legit ADD or don't really enjoy gaming that much, just trying to upload more videos.

 

[ImpulsE69]

Doesn't youtube have a general time limit for videos unless you're famous or pay money?

 

[aigomorla]

Doesn't youtube have a general time limit for videos unless you're famous or pay money?

yeah... they have something like that.

And most of these guys are after viewer membership / hit counters to help fuel the ad revenue which youtube generates.

 

[Stringjam]

I always search for "no commentary."

Really...seems like 75% of the videos now start with some kid screaming about himself and then rambling like a tweaker for most of the video.

I just want to watch gameplay. I don't need the adolescent narrative.

 

[BSim500]

I thought Youtube increased the limit recently from default 15mins to 11hrs / 128GB if you verified your account with a mobile phone? In any case, where did that God-awful overly-pretentious trend of sticking a highly distracting webcam style video of themselves over the action come from? I cannot stand "PewDiePie" style 'gaming' video's... D:

 

[ImpulsE69]

They are the most popular. To quote Southpark, we are all grandpas. I can't stand pewpewdie either, and he's making millions apparently.

There is one guy I don't mind, but he has more of an announcer voice than that high pitched squeely voice most have.

 

[mmntech]

True story: when I was a kid, I used to sometimes record my Sega Genesis gameplay sessions on VHS. My dad came in one day and scolded me for wasting tape. I stopped after that. F-you dad.

And most of these guys are after viewer membership / hit counters to help fuel the ad revenue which youtube generates.

MatPat for Game Theory did a video a while back explaining how PewDiePie became so popular.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgMqhEMhVV8

In the past, YouTube's algorithm only factored in view count for ranking and promoting videos. The site got flooded with a lot of click bait. Think videos that had zero content but only got clicks because there was a hot girl in the thumbnail. Those were all over the site a few years ago.

To rectify this, the algorithm was changed to count minutes viewed instead. It rewards channels who can A) produce long videos, and B) upload lots of videos. Which just happens to be perfect for let's play. Game session videos can be churned out quickly enough that you can upload several a day. At half an hour each, you can quickly get those golden minutes and YouTube will promote your content.

This is good for viewers since it fosters more TV length shows. Of course as more people have figured this out, its become less lucrative. Which is why so many channels are moving to Patreon based crowdfunding.

 

[Newbian]

Meh most as done like this to break up a series in multiple parts as more money that way plus to spread the videos out over a few days.

Usually they are 15-20ish minutes for each episode.

 

[cmdrdredd]

How about we play the game ourselves? What happened to that? I don't want to watch someone play the game. If I wanna see the game I look for video reviews that show a bit of the game play. Then I can decide if I wanna play it myself. I have no desire whatsoever to watch someone go through a game.

I'll watch replays of matches in fighting games, video reviews if I want to see a game in action, and maybe part of a walk through if I'm stuck on a particular part of a game or looking for a specific secret I just can't find. That's it.

 

[futurefields]

I just watch games I probably won't ever play, but still have some interest in like Uncharted series, Last of Us etc...

 

[sandorski]

Meh most as done like this to break up a series in multiple parts as more money that way plus to spread the videos out over a few days.

Usually they are 15-20ish minutes for each episode.

This.

 

[Harrod]

This is about the only channel I watch for stuff like Lets play. The guy is pretty entertaining and seems to play stuff that I am interested in, but not so much to the point that I want to buy the games. Kikoskia is the user.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_ADhkBQFudvyhdpsBJJvYw

 

[Newbian]

How about we play the game ourselves? What happened to that? I don't want to watch someone play the game. If I wanna see the game I look for video reviews that show a bit of the game play. Then I can decide if I wanna play it myself. I have no desire whatsoever to watch someone go through a game.

I'll watch replays of matches in fighting games, video reviews if I want to see a game in action, and maybe part of a walk through if I'm stuck on a particular part of a game or looking for a specific secret I just can't find. That's it.

For me I like watching some as you can watch multiple people play the same game at once and see them compete or for some other types such as horror games as half the fun is to watch people freak out such as this guy and I really don't care to play them myself:

https://www.youtube.com/user/markiplierGAME/videos

Otherwise I might watch a few for game info / strategy if I plan on getting the game.

Also I don't have any current consoles so a lot are just for them other then fps games as multiple people playing them is hard to watch compared to something slower such as minecraft.

 

[ImpulsE69]

For me I like watching some as you can watch multiple people play the same game at once and see them compete or for some other types such as horror games as half the fun is to watch people freak out such as this guy and I really don't care to play them myself:

https://www.youtube.com/user/markiplierGAME/videos

Otherwise I might watch a few for game info / strategy if I plan on getting the game.

Also I don't have any current consoles so a lot are just for them other then fps games as multiple people playing them is hard to watch compared to something slower such as minecraft.

Yea that's the guy I watch occasionally.

 

[futurefields]

Nah that dude is annoying.

 

[Borealis7]

i was about to make a lengthy comment, but my ADD made me go and do something else.
never watched a Lets Play video, i got better things to do with my time, like playing games.

 

[MeldarthX]

Depends on what I'm doing when I'm recording - if I'm doing quests like say in Witcher 3 - I'll usually record each section of the quest; so they can be from 15 minutes to 30 minute videos.

If I'm doing my Deus Ex: Human Revolution - DR play - usually I'll do an hour record. Pillars is another one that I can do 30 minutes to an hour.

WoT - usually 30 minutes - same with ESO - I'll record the quests I'm doing. I've found usually 15-30 minute videos tend to get more views over my longer ones. Which is ok.

I need to do some more paladin neverwinter PVP videos hehe....UnEpic hasn't been too bad and same with Ronin.....those are usually something about 30 minutes each video.

I just got to get my webcam working to start doing streaming. I enjoy recording - and some seem to enjoy my recording and ramblings

 

[clamum]

I only watch a couple of channels that have gameplay videos (but they're not that ADD-riddled PewDiePie garbage) and the longest they have are maybe 35 minutes. Usually it's more in the 15-20 minute range. They'll record a couple of matches (World of Warships, War Thunder) and that's about it, besides maybe some short commentary before and/or after the game.

Come to think of it, the only guy I'm subbed to with long (hour or more) gameplay videos is Dslyecxi. Some of his Arma III/II videos are over an hour long but that's just because the match will run that long. Usually they're a lot less though.

 

[pontifex]

Rarely do I find a Let's Play series with videos that are consistently over an hour long.

Most of these guys are playing for 20-30 minutes before stopping to do something else.

If you are really enjoying something won't you do it for more than 20-30 minutes? Makes me think these guys either have legit ADD or don't really enjoy gaming that much, just trying to upload more videos.

have you ever heard of this thing called editing? most of these people are showing off funny or exciting parts of the games they play. no one wants to sit and watch them play the boring parts.

Are you actually seeing them play for only 20 minutes and then do something else or say they are doing something else?

I watch Robbaz' videos. His commentary and things he does in game is usually funny. He puts out videos like once a week or maybe less.

 

[Riverhound777]

How about we play the game ourselves? What happened to that? I don't want to watch someone play the game. If I wanna see the game I look for video reviews that show a bit of the game play. Then I can decide if I wanna play it myself. I have no desire whatsoever to watch someone go through a game.

Here is why I watch them sometimes. For games such as World of Warships for instance, where the game doesn't have all that much to it, but it takes some practice and knowing certain tricks to get good at it. For games that like, it really helps to watch someone who knows what they are doing play and explain how to do certain things. A quick gameplay video isn't much help there.

Another example are complicated games where the learning curve is steep. Having someone explain how to get started can really help and prevent me from saying "screw this game, it doesn't make any sense."

 

[skipsneeky2]

Only game play videos i watch are the ones concerning found bugs or glitches. TheRussianBadger and his occasional lists can be quite funny with the BF4 ones being funny as all hell.

Other times performance numbers for a given gaming setup with fraps is what i look for but the ones showing game play on certain hardware half the time can't even be bothered to enable fraps ffs let alone MSI AB or other OSD software which is annoying.

 

[sandorski]

When it comes to Let's Plays, the reason I watch them are many:

1) Sometimes just to see if it's a game I might like
2) Sometimes to learn how a game or Mod works. Especially in Minecraft, some of the Mods are quite complex, so getting a feel for their mechanics and necessary steps helps a lot. EU IV is a very complex game which watching others play helps a lot.
3) Often it's to watch a game being played I am not interested in playing or can't play because it is a console exclusive. The Telltale games are ones I am not interested in Playing, but enjoy the Story. The Last of Us I enjoyed the Story and didn't have a Playstation to play it anyway.
4) To watch someone else play a game I have played, but don't feel like playing again.
5) The person doing the Let's Play is just entertaining. Some of the most ROFL moments I have had has been watching someone do something unexpected while playing a game.


The biggest negative about Let's Plays are that every person I have watched eventually gets annoying to me over time. I start to see them miss things, repeat mistakes, do things in an awkward manner, forget or not change Key settings that would help a lot(if I see another person toss their weapon accidentally in Minecraft I'm gonna have a coronary), repeat catch phrases, pronunciation or elocution at first is interesting then becomes annoying, and sometimes they just burn out to a point where it becomes noticeable. I almost always eventually go back to watch them again, just need a break once in awhile.

 

[Lorthreth]

I like to watch ZionMainframeGaming because of moments like
Fistful Of Frags - Ultimate Rage
Heroes & Generals - Outstanding Driving

Sometimes it's the group that is worth watching, not the game

 

[Subyman]

I only watch Giantbomb quicklooks. They are usually long for most big games and the commentary is fun. I can't stand most youtube let's plays. Too much yelling, snark, or intensity for me.

I tend to watch them when I can't play games such as working at the computer or surfing.

 

[TheSlamma]

watching people play games.. the ultimate in Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz