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How YouTube Gamers Influence The Gaming Industry

YouTube is changing the gaming world order at an incredible rate. At the highest point sits YouTube gamers, who have changed the way video games are introduced to the market, as well as the perception of what will be a popular subject to watch.

Gone were the days when users and game developers had to rely on mainstream media for reviews and advertising respectively. Today, people simply check out gaming videos of YouTube personalities who are only too eager to share their opinions with the world.

No longer can game companies control branding information and messages around their products. YouTube gamers hold considerable power over the gaming industry and with 90% of gamers turning to YouTube for gaming advice every week, there’s no sign of this influence being overturned.

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You too can have this much power if you decide to set up a gaming channel. Give your channel a boost in popularity by buying quality YouTube Views as soon as you upload videos for an impressive view velocity and watch time – two important factors that YouTube considers when ranking videos.

Bought Views will also establish your authority on the channel because a higher number of Views will, in turn, attract more Views. Bought Views paired with a brilliant marketing approach will help you make it on YouTube faster, so you can start enjoying the same benefits that current YouTube gamers get on the platform today.

The Rise of YouTube Gaming Channels

As consumption of video games changes, gaming channels continue to take the spotlight on the platform. Gaming channels dominate the top 100 channels on YouTube and 144 billion minutes of gaming videos are consumed monthly on the platform.

YouTube provided the platform for lovers of video games to meet. Information about games has become more accessible and gameplay videos, often called Let’s Plays, help the audience get a feel of the game before making a purchase.

The rise of YouTube gamers afforded the gaming industry a much wider reach than it had before. Even though it only makes up one segment of the gaming industry, the future of the entire industry looks peachy.

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Impact of YouTube on the Gaming Industry

YouTube makes it possible for channel creators to do game walkthroughs and demonstrations. These are very helpful for anyone shopping for games, and fun for anyone who can’t afford the game.

The exposure that YouTubers provide for games also levels the field for smaller game companies with less-than stellar advertising budgets. A video by PewDiePie, for example, can turn your game from an unknown into a massive success.

However, while YouTube creators may feel happy to provide access to and advertising for games they are featuring, some game companies aren’t very thrilled.

As far as YouTube gamers are concerned, it’s free advertising. For the companies though, it’s only advertising when YouTube gamers say positive things about their games. These companies have problems accommodating the lack of control they have on YouTube for messages that brand their products.

Still, most companies believe that it’s beneficial to all. Game companies can get free, authentic endorsements and faster feedback on their games. Viewers can see how the game looks before buying, and YouTubers can earn money off the Views they get for their videos.

The benefits that YouTube gamers get, unfortunately, are another source of concern because they profit from showing games that are not their own, which, according to some game publishers, violates intellectual property rights.

Copyright Issues

It is interesting to note that those who made copyright claims on YouTube are those companies who did not receive glowing recommendations from YouTube gamers.

Naturally, game developers with great games stand to benefit more, and indeed, the effect of the reviews of YouTubers can either be bolstering or devastating depending on the quality of the game.

In 2013, game publishers like Nintendo decided YouTubers shouldn’t have that kind of influence and that they shouldn’t earn money from their games. They asked YouTube to take down videos – whether they contain positive or negative reviews – of YouTubers playing their games, and to turn over revenues of those videos to them.

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The response from the YouTube community was very negative and resulted in adverse publicity for the company. The loyal subscribers of the YouTubers whose videos got flagged did not appreciate what Nintendo did. The number of YouTubers uploading Nintendo content on their channels also went down, which is apparently what they wanted.

Nowadays, Nintendo still works on getting a portion of the revenue for videos featuring their games. Thankfully though, there are more game publishers open to YouTube gamers monetizing videos with their games in them.

The Biggest Game Players

The biggest player on YouTube is PewDiePie. Last year, his estimated annual earning was $15 million. With over 55 million subscribers, PewDiePie is also the most subscribed channel on the platform.

The second spot for most popular gaming channel belongs to VanossGaming. This channel has over 20 million subscribers and generates an estimated daily income of $12,000.

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What these two had in common, which could be a pivotal factor in their success, is that they both started when YouTube was still young and there was less competition. If you’re just starting your YouTube channel, get a leg up in your marketing by buying YouTube Views. This will make your videos rank higher in YouTube and Google, making them more visible and thus upping your chances of getting more subscribers.

Wider Implications

The implications of YouTube and YouTube gaming becoming popular are huge and can be felt broadly in society.

Because YouTube’s algorithm favors gaming channels and Google supports gamers with the launch of YouTube Gaming – a dedicated page for gaming videos – the number of YouTube gamers has been growing along with audiences looking for game-related content channels. As a result, there are more people today trying to make it on YouTube and upload their own gaming videos.

There is the issue of over-saturation, but the fact remains that the gaming niche is still the most lucrative on the platform. It creates entrepreneurs out of regular gamers and opens doors of opportunity for those who need to showcase their gaming skills in order to get a job in the industry.

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Likewise, more of the smaller game developers are creating games because with YouTube, they get a great shot at becoming well-known quickly. This puts them on a more equal footing with large companies, letting them market their products to a wider audience at a very minimal cost.

The effect can be felt across the entire gaming industry. Not only that, video game and software development has positively affected the U.S. Gross Domestic Product, which is a primary indicator of the health of a country’s economy. Did you expect video games to be so good for a country?

Perhaps the one negative implication worth mentioning is that the growth of YouTube’s gaming channels undervalues education. The majority of top YouTube gamers left school soon after, if not the instant they received wide success on the platform. Because they’re already earning tons of money, there is less motivation to finish school.

This sends a wrong message to kids, the future generation who will one day hold key positions in our society. Not everyone will become a wealthy YouTube star, but many people will spend days playing video games trying to get there.

Play Games and Make Money!

Odd as that may sound, it does apply to the many successful YouTubers on the platform. As YouTube becomes a staple of the gaming industry, an increasing number of people are flocking to YouTube and creating marketing opportunities for game publishers and developers while disrupting traditional media.

So harness the power of YouTube creators, or consider creating a game channel yourself. Remember that games are deeply integrated into our culture, and the public interest in them may just never end. There might still be time to get in on the ground floor!

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