Jump to content
Search In
  • More options...
Find results that contain...
Find results in...
Katamori

Gameplay-commentary

Recommended Posts

There are a lot of Let's Play/gameplay-commentary videos on Youtube. It means that a guy plays a game and during playing, he/she told what he/she thinks about the game, what he/she sees and about other stuff. There are several famous Youtube user who make this carreer: Simon&Lewis (=The Yogscast), PewDiePie, TotalBiscuit, Captain Sparklez, sethbling, PBat, TobyGames, Nova, NorthernLion etc. - a lot of people.

Do you like these videos? If yes, who are you watching often and which games about? Also which games would you like to watch? Do you make gameplay-commentary videos?

These answers can help me too because I'd like to make gameplay-commentary videos in English and Doom doesn't work properly sadly. :c

Share this post


Link to post

You definitely could ask over at The Replay Forums for help setting stuff up if you need that.

Also, Yogscast is overrated if you ask me.

Share this post


Link to post

Do you like these videos? If yes, who are you watching often and which games about? Also which games would you like to watch? Do you make gameplay-commentary videos?


I find these questions interesting because, to me, it's more about the person doing the video than the game. There are so many people who believe having a webcam and a computer to play games are the only requirements to make video game youtube reviews, much like the way people think about writing - anyone can do it! it's just words together! which, of course, is a laughable way to look at it, and the problem is amplified in video form because you have to deal with terrible voice intonations, umms and errs and, like, stuff, y'know, and so on.

Hence I'm a very casual viewer of these sorts of videos. TotalBiscuit is great. Don't know anything about the others you mentioned.

Share this post


Link to post
Mr. Chris said:

You definitely could ask over at The Replay Forums for help setting stuff up if you need that.

Also, Yogscast is overrated if you ask me.


Thanks for helping! About Yogscast: they were damned good during the last year, you know: original Minecraft series, the beginning of Shadow of Israphel, Survival Island, etc.

But since the last 6-8 months, I can't enjoy them. Especially because it seems they never want to stop Shadow of Israphel and because of it, the series is becoming worse...

Phml said:

I find these questions interesting because, to me, it's more about the person doing the video than the game. There are so many people who believe having a webcam and a computer to play games are the only requirements to make video game youtube reviews, much like the way people think about writing - anyone can do it! it's just words together! which, of course, is a laughable way to look at it, and the problem is amplified in video form because you have to deal with terrible voice intonations, umms and errs and, like, stuff, y'know, and so on.


Totally agree!

Share this post


Link to post

I enjoy videos like that, as long as the commentator is good.

I regularly watch SSoHPKC for his L4D, GTA4, and Mario vids. PieceOfPiesoftware for his Doom stuff and other id Software related vids (except Duke Nukem Forever). Gix17 for his TES stuff. TobyGames for various things if I'm up for it. Also occasionally watch chuggaaconroy, SlimKirby, Kikoskia, and Helloween4545.

I also make LP's myself, mostly Doom related right now.

Share this post


Link to post

My absolute favorite webseries right now is "Continue?". All of their videos are fucking hilarious. Here's a pretty good example of what their show has to offer:



Check em out!

Share this post


Link to post

I do like these types of videos. As for the people playing, it's all about their playstyle, and their personality. Tbqh, most of the Let's Plays I've enjoyed have been totally silent, or with subtitles. If the player speaks, I don't want to hear him cracking jokes or mocking every line of dialogue he hears - that's my preference, anyway.

I have no allegiance to any particular Let's Play-er, so I end up trawling the Let's Play archives most of the time, and just watching whatever catches my fancy.

Share this post


Link to post

I remember the Quake LP was pretty funny. Other than that, I don't usually find them humorous or entertaining at all. (there's been a couple more exceptions I can't recall off the top of my head)

Share this post


Link to post

I've only one piece of advice: don't try to assign yourself a gimmick unless you're absolutely positive it won't be the most irritating thing in the world. Don't try to be Raocow, don't try to be AVGN, and especially don't try to be Spoony.

Share this post


Link to post
WildWeasel said:

and especially don't try to be Spoony.

What's wrong with Spoony? It's been a while since I've watched any of his videos, but I remember them being just kinda ranty in style, not any particular gimmick IIRC. Seems like that one would be fairly easy to pull off without being terrible at it, whereas Raocow and AVGN would take a bit more skill. Not saying that Spoony has no skill, just that his reviewing style would be easy enough for others to pull off.

Share this post


Link to post
Sodaholic said:

What's wrong with Spoony? It's been a while since I've watched any of his videos, but I remember them being just kinda ranty in style, not any particular gimmick IIRC. Seems like that one would be fairly easy to pull off without being terrible at it, whereas Raocow and AVGN would take a bit more skill. Not saying that Spoony has no skill, just that his reviewing style would be easy enough for others to pull off.

Spoony's problem - not even bringing up his recent public breakdown - is that, as time went on, his reviews had significantly less content about the game itself, and more throwaway sketch comedy things that just draw the little jokes out way too far. Okay, we get that Ultima is silly because they give you phasers and force fields as weapon and armor upgrades, but you don't need to dress up as Gandalf with a lightsaber to drive the point home.

In the end, the review should be 99% the game itself, and 1% clarifying the things that aren't immediately obvious from watching you play the game.

Share this post


Link to post

I see. I was mostly remembering his older videos, I do remember being somewhat annoyed by his newer style. I have no idea what this recent drama or breakdown of his is, but I somehow doubt that I want to find out...

Share this post


Link to post
Katamori said:

Simon&Lewis (=The Yogscast), PewDiePie, TotalBiscuit, Captain Sparklez, sethbling, PBat, TobyGames, Nova, NorthernLion etc. - a lot of people.

Do any of these guys do commentary of PC FPS's (except TotalBiscuit/NorthernLion)? I have a game that BADLY needs some exposure.

Share this post


Link to post
Phml said:

and the problem is amplified in video form because you have to deal with terrible voice intonations, umms and errs and, like, stuff, y'know, and so on.

I still like hearing that more than a speaker bot. At least it only tends to happen in lazy video tutorials, not in live Let's plays which need to be expressive. I wonder what my opinion will be when speaker bots' intonations will become undistinguishable from voice actors'.

I dislike Let's play videos voiced by children or young teenagers, though. I prefer hearing an adult's opinion.

Share this post


Link to post
Carnevil said:

Do any of these guys do commentary of PC FPS's (except TotalBiscuit/NorthernLion)? I have a game that BADLY needs some exposure.

I'd offer to do it for you, except I don't have money to buy it, and my channel doesn't really get a lot of views. =P

Share this post


Link to post

I don't find this commentary thing appealing at all, probably why I've never bothered with any. The idea of listening to some stranger talk over a video game sounds terrible.

Share this post


Link to post
printz said:

I dislike Let's play videos voiced by children or young teenagers, though.


The bad thing is that they always try - a lot of people who can't do it well.

Share this post


Link to post

The only LP'ers I know by name are Slowbeef, Diabetus, and SirRonLionHeart, since I follow their stuff from time to time. Other than that, the only time I care to listen to commentary is if it lends useful insight into how the player is approaching the game. Listening to people talk while they do walkthroughs of DayZ is nice, especially since it provides some entertainment during the long and lonely hikes.

Share this post


Link to post

DayZ looks like the sort of game that induces psychosis and delusions after a while. Must be the scariest LP ever.

I'm all for LP vids if the maker is entertaining. That can be through ideas, presentation or both. Far too many of them are just annoying, though. Some of that could be fixed just by forcing those guys to listen to themselves for a while. It might inspire them to learn how to use a mic better - or, in the worst cases, inspire them to get a new mic.

Share this post


Link to post

Sorry, self-advertisement is coming, but 1.) I need help 2.) it's related to the thread.

I made my first English Binding of Isaac gameplay-commentary and I need some criticism. I think it wasn't so good but I'd like to now: did you like it?

Share this post


Link to post
Katamori said:

There are a lot of Let's Play/gameplay-commentary videos on Youtube. It means that a guy plays a game and during playing, he/she told what he/she thinks about the game, what he/she sees and about other stuff.

Just my opinion, but personally I really can't stand these kinds of video at all. I find that quite often I want to watch a video of gameplay for a particular game (one that I haven't played before, or that I'm just feeling nostalgic about), but I never want to hear someone talking over the top of it.

Oddly enough I don't mind "proper" game reviews at all: I find the Angry Video Game Nerd videos really entertaining, for example.

The problem as I see it is that the majority of people who do these videos really aren't entertaining, funny or interesting at all. It's probably also harder to come up with anything entertaining to say in real time while you're playing a game, compared to a scripted review. There might be a few people who can do them well but I haven't really seen any yet.

Share this post


Link to post
fraggle said:

Oddly enough I don't mind "proper" game reviews at all: I find the Angry Video Game Nerd videos really entertaining, for example.

The problem as I see it is that the majority of people who do these videos really aren't entertaining, funny or interesting at all.

Essentially, there are three kinds of "gameplay commentary videos": Entertaining ones, informative ones and ones that have no added value whatsoever. It's always the ones that fall into the entertaining category, with (ie. TB) or without (ie. AVGN) bits of information, that are the most successful. It's interesting that you mention AVGN as a "proper" game review series, since it's not really one. Rolfe himself has said multiple times that the videos should not be taken seriously, and that the character does not voice his real, personal opinions. Save for the occasional tiny bits of trivia, it's all for comedy.

Share this post


Link to post

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×