Gaming has, quite obviously, evolved in recent years. Whereas in its earliest, arcade years, video games were about obtain the highest scores, games are now about “the experience.” Games try to incorporate you into their worlds, have you empathize with their characters, and positively change you as a person. Above all, though, games try to be fun or interesting, if not both. Regardless of the game’s goals, if you enjoy playing it, you’ll want to share it. In the past, you’d have to invite a friend over and either swap the controller every few turns or play a multiplayer game. Nowadays, modern consoles, like the Playstation 4, have “Share” functions that allow you to post a screenshot or video to the Internet. Video games are best when the experience of play, whether single-player or multiplayer, is shared. And this is best shown through the interactive community of YouTube.
I started using YouTube back in middle school, when a friend of mine videos that people had made of tracks in a game called Line Rider. I was shocked by the sheer skill that these people had in creating seemingly-impossible tracks. So, using YouTube, I began finding more Line Rider videos. And then more gaming videos. And then random videos. The Related Videos sidebar became a hypertext highway that I could access with my fingertips and a little thought power. I wanted to be a part of this experience. YouTube, and other content creation websites, allowed anyone to make an account and share their content with the world. So I made a channel, posted a couple of videos to it, and, after a few months where the majority of the views came from me refreshing the page, I closed it down.
Watching more popular channels like Smosh or the PBS Idea Channel, I realized how they could succeed in the over-saturated market of YouTube, where literally millions post videos every day. It’s because these channels engage with their own specific audiences in their own specific rhetorical styles. They aren’t trying to make everyone happy; they understand the audience to whom their videos are catered. These people, through years of practice (and sometimes failure), figured out the craftsmanship behind their field, and thus learned the psychological and marketing techniques that allow them to succeed. Anyone can post a video; these people are creating content. Content which anyone can interact with.
Pick a random video on YouTube. Go ahead, I’ll wait; it’s not like this page is going anywhere anytime soon. Now, take a look at the entire page the video is located on. You’ll see comments, related videos, video responses; anyone who has a YouTube account can reply to a video (or say something completely different). The discourse community for the Internet has widened even further.
So how does this relate to gaming? Think about it: people can post videos sharing their gaming experiences! Whether in a game review or, now more commonly, Let’s Plays, anyone can share their experience with a game to the world and add their own viewpoints. Popular channels like Angry Video Game Nerd or PewDiePie thrive because they are enjoyable to watch (to some) and can, at times, offer insightful commentary. I certainly got into channels like these, my favorite being Game Grumps.
Having met the Grumps before, I can say that they offered some of the most insightful and friendly comments I’ve heard from any celebrity. These people are not only genuinely entertaining on their own channel, but they’re super inclusive and always welcome discourse with the community. Whether discussing their favorite games, issues within the gaming industry, or something as random as their favorite cereals, the Grumps enjoy simply talking with their “lovelies,” regardless of the subject. Arin, Danny, Ross, Barry, and Suzy care about the community. And the inspiration they imparted onto me has led me to attempt another YouTube channel. The barrier for entry may be large, the market may be over-saturated with less-professional channels, and the chances of popularity may be slim, but that’s unimportant. What matters now is that my co-host and I are adding our own voice to the community. We’re using YouTube to its fullest extent: to reach out to a specific community and add our own voice to the discussion.
LAFworks 
One thought on “We Play: How YouTube is Creating an Interactive Community”