Explain to me the Lets Play movement.

originally posted by: American-philosopher
a reply to: SaturnFX

okay I am not saying her reaction was not genuine to the walking dead game. But how can you tube sure her reaction is genuine if she has a camera that is recording her? and if she wants to get a reaction viewers. Even if it is natural to cry during that moment how can you not think that she over exaggerated at times??

They all over exaggerate.

Go watch videos of people getting donations on their streams... they do all kinds of stupidity.

Doesn't matter to me though, not like I give them any money, so how could I complain?

Best. Let's Play. Ever.

a reply to: American-philosopher

Not necessarily. Sometimes you just dont feel like playing so you watch. Though sometimes I would watch these channels to see what a game I was interested in was like. But I never really watched the whole thing unless I was really bored and had nothing else to do. Sometimes certain people get a game early from the developers, and I would end up watching there channel just to decide if I was going to buy the game or not. Or another time it was a game that was exclusively out only in Japan and not stateside, I basically just watched and the comments because it was interesting enough to not bore me, and because I just had time on my hands.

I think its a online thing only, and some just like to spectate, its not a new thing by far. A few years ago this thing was nowhere near as big as it is now. Now it seems everybody has a channel with something on it. In fact like you I dont see much of a point to it, and if it was anything but just an internet thing. If this was in real life in my room. Well I hate having people staring over my shoulder while I play a game, its kind of annoying, but online, OK whatever, I sort of see why some people do it.

a reply to: gspat
Oh man I actually remember that level in Mario when I was a kid, it pissed the hell out of me back then to, that level was crazy, only battletoads and some levels in earthworm jim pissed me off more.

Thats another thing about this whole lets play thing, a lot of it is practically just for comedy, and cant blame them some of them are pretty entertaining, and would give most of the things on the TV a run for there money. Which is why the internet and things like youtube are becoming so much more then just some guys posting videos online, some of those channels are practically just shows were they got a bunch of people working on it, and if you reach a certain number in viewers you even get attention from big brand names.

So ya! Its all just entertainment, and its becoming a lot more then that, practically like TV. So ya spectators, it may be just normal, or it just may lead to the death and extinction of all the human race. Who knows eh?

originally posted by: American-philosopher
a reply to: SaturnFX

okay I am not saying her reaction was not genuine to the walking dead game. But how can you tube sure her reaction is genuine if she has a camera that is recording her? and if she wants to get a reaction viewers. Even if it is natural to cry during that moment how can you not think that she over exaggerated at times??

overexaggeration, yes
consider this
watch a movie..a funny movie, by yourself. you will find that you are laughing, but most of it is inside..maybe a few chuckles make it to the surface
now, go to a comedy club, you will find, without actually intending, that you are mostly vocally laughing.
Its a interesting phenomena, subconscious, where if you are in company, you vocalize your emotional states more than when you are alone.
So, it is exaggerated emotions, sure, but it is also genuine.
I stream now and then. I also played twd while streaming, and because the point is to keep vocal, I found myself in near panic, having extreme emotions (at the end), etc...all things genuine, but if there wasn't a camera, all that would have simply been going on in my head verses expressed out loud.

a reply to: galadofwarthethird

okay I think I sort of get the following of the bigger personalities for Lets Play, Its kind of like there a funny or entertaining person and use video games as the back drop for them being funny. Like comedian/ventriloquist Jeff Dunham use his puppets as a backdrop even though he is one that is funny.

a reply to: SaturnFX

okay good point

I used to watch videos to improve skill, for a variety of activities including games.

The let's play movement doesn't really appeal to me, since it tends to focus on entertainers and entertainment more than anything.

I think if one has issues understanding why someone would watch such things, trying to understand this like the let's play stuff would be even more difficult.

I'll never understand why people watch NASCAR, but they do!

a reply to: Serdgiam

I actually do have more clarity on this. I consider myself a gamer and wanted to know why large amounts of gamers found Lets play interesting,.

And I don't think its that same thing of Just not understanding why people watch NASCAR if you were a person that's into drag racing and you say I don't get why people like NASCAR that's the same thing.,

I am trying to understand something new that is happening in a hobby that I enjoy.

a reply to: American-philosopher

I'm not so different

See, I'm the type that watches videos, especially of my game play, and my opponents.

My point was that I do not view let's play in the same light, and many people I play with feel the same.

I also tend to enjoy F1 and motoGP, just, you know, not NASCAR. In the same way, I enjoy watching matches on YT, vimeo, or even in person! But not so interested in let's play.

Just adding nuance to the whole deal.

Watching a South Park episode REHASH I believe its called. Ya I see now that this whole lets play movement is really out there, I mean bizarre. I mean I dont mind watching something if it has a purpose, but I think that episode of South Park in typical South Park fashion nails a lot about it....I mean what is it? Probably some sort of virus right? Kids these days.

a reply to: galadofwarthethird
I don't actually understand the confusion about the whole lets play movement or the elitism over the people that view them. Not meaning to be rude, I just find it genuinely odd that persons find it so hard to understand.

Humans are social creatures, and they do lots of odd things. Humans have always commented on each others behaviours and then commented on each other's comments. Humans have always watched each other do things both smart and stupid. There has always been a demand for this type of content, just not really any mass outlet for it. What is genuinely confusing about any of this?

People like Neil Postman have been discussing this for a couple of decades I think? Am I really missing something that big?

a reply to: Pinke

I think also in the south park episode the big owner of the record company that were not ruled by ratings anymore we care about comments. meaning if Lorde did the most disgusting thing while performing it wouldn't matter as long as people are commenting good or bad.

which I know this may be off topic but also explains to me why a personality/show like honey boo boo Is popular.

and I know we have always made comments about each others behaviours but I think before the rise of social media it was made behind the person's back or in private.

a reply to: Pinke
I was mostly commenting on based on the south park show I seen yesterday. In it you had kyle who just bought the new call of duty game and he went up stairs to get ike to play with him. But ike didn't want to be cause he was watching that pewdiepie pie guy play that very same game on youtube, I actualy seen a few of that guys vids online, I never watched one from begining to end, but its actually pretty dam close to what South Park depicts it as. And then you had cartman get on the deal of commenting on things with his own youtube channel when he learned its a big thing.

And well you know, the show was about a lot of other things. But on that part it was basically this whole lets play movement were other people watch other people play games and make stupid comments. It was not so much about commenting as about it being just the next new thing, a fling or a fad, you basically had kyle and how old is he supposed to be on the show like 7 or something, and you have ike the 3 year old.

And basically the premise was that the times have changed so much that the 7 year old's dont know why the 3 year old's are doing that. Kind of like, kids these days you hear from old people, only nobody is old here, or that much of a difference in lifestyles, making more of a comment on trends and how fast they come and go now a days then anything else. There was even a scene there were there was a sleepover with all of Ike's friends, and everybody was on there own gadgets in the room and all watching the same thing or different things on there computer or portable devices/cellphones.

So ya! Something about culture.


I never heard of this Neil Postman guy. I checked out his name and some works he did linked including a vid about one of his books I think. We Amusing Ourselves to Death, its called, its pretty dam long over 20 minutes, and its more then one part, and pretty heavy going, and they talk to slow, I may read the book as it would be faster, but probably not. So ya! No comment.

But all of life is merely keeping oneself occupied, but ya it will change the human psyche...And even back then they would not have imagined it would have come to be what it is today, what with so many things and sites and programs online to keep one amused. And # is only likely to get stranger over time, humanity as a whole and people in university are still just learning the effects TV had on groups of people and different ages way back from the 1940, the whole mental makeup of the human mind changed do to TV and massmedia and multimedia's, and there still trying to understand things that have happened generations ago to our grandparents, and the effect it had on them and society as a whole.

So ya! things are bound to get stranger in the coming generations, what when things change so fast in a few years when today's kids still do not necessarily understand there younger siblings. And there may come a day when everybody will be staying in there own line and on there own device even while doing group activities, effectively removing the whole tribe processing of your minds and brains out of humanity as a whole. Singletons and bots, the wave of the future.

TV and the whole machine, well there is always more going on behind the scenes, and nothing ever stays the same. Well that's about what I have to comment on the short 16:54 minutes of the vid I watched on this Neil Postman guy.

a reply to: galadofwarthethird

Thinking about it as a fad seems fairly legitimate or just a general commentary on culture isn't too offensive. Though I'd maintain the same stance that it isn't anything particularly new. Victorian era Europeans used to dress up and pose together in costumes they were that much in need of entertainment.

As far as Neil Postman goes, the first few chapters of Amused to Death are freely available. Really chapter 1 and 2 is all you need to get a grasp of what is discussed and apply it to modern life. They are quite short. The other chapters are interesting but not as engaging or necessary to grasp the concepts laid down.

a reply to: Pinke
Not to sure about that in a long term way or at least the over all cause and effects all media and all these things have on the human psyche, but for sure there changing, because frankly everything changes everything.

But ya fads are fads, how knows how many have come and gone from 1990 to today? Plenty right? I dont even remember half of them now, what happened to those guys who always used to play and kick that little bean bag around, they like disappeared, what the hell were they called anyways, I always used to think of them as bean bag kicker kicker dudes. Could be the same for all of this stuff in a few short years, maybe not even that long.

I may read up on this Neil Postman guy, but its not pertinent to me, maybe one day it would be, one day far into the future. Maybe then I may think on all the fads that came and went and were pertinent to me. I may even read up on what he has to say then. I mean chapter 1 and chapter 2 you say, but that may just be 5 minutes I dont have right now.

I like to watch some about games I wouldn't normally buy, but I would like to see what they're about. For example: Goat Simulator; I would never actually pay any real hard earned money for that joke of a game, but it's funny to watch someone else play it. Last night I was enjoying binge watching eriktheawful's SCP Containment Breach videos. I would probably never personally play that game. I was having anxiety issues just from watching the video. I just wouldn't be able to do it... So, watching someone else play it is much more enjoyable to me than actually playing it myself.

I watch a lot of Lets Plays myself and they're brilliant IMO. I watch them for a few reasons, mostly when I'm on my PC doing some work, or grinding out a challenge or an achievement on a game it's good to have in the background for their funny commentary. Secondly I like to see people play a game in a fun social way before I buy it myself. Guy called Frankie who does a lot of them got me into both DayZ and Battlefield 4. The Lets Play letsplay channel got me into half a dozen other games. So yeah, it's just like a TV show, but they're playing something you love too. Hey, as long as Gogglebox exists, no one can comment on our Lets Plays

a reply to: American-philosopher

Well, I'm not part of the "new generation" but I still love let's plays. Especially skyrim. I watch almost as much as I play. I like to see how ohter people play the game, it's fun. As I don't have tv, I have to find something to do for mindless entertainment.