Game Devs: Videos of people playing your games. Thoughts?

[ArianeB]

There are now over 100 videos on You Tube of people playing/commenting on Date Ariane and Something's In the Air.

I don't know what it is, but I can't stand to watch them, it just creeps me out. Which is sad because some of them are pretty well done, and some of them are funny as hell, but I myself can't bear to watch them.

I'm totally OK with people making these videos, I don't even mind the highly critical ones. If my game can inspire a half an hour rant about how stupid my game is, I don't take it as an insult, it is actually a point of pride that I can inspire a half an hour rant. I am also aware that some of these video makers specialize in insulting rants, so I am happy to be chosen.

But I have never been able to get through any of them. My feelings when I watch them is similar to someone standing uncomfortably close to me. It also does not help that I know the answers too well, so when they make the wrong choices I know it's going to end badly many moves ahead.

The funny thing is I do enjoy watching people play games that are not mine.

I'm looking to write a blog post about this, and because there are a lot of other game developers here, I was wondering what your feelings are.

[Super]

I saw someone also did a video of Inspiring Celina, and I didn't watch it for similar reasons.

Sy did, though, and he said that it was mostly positive aside from some complaints about his art work.

Still, I can't even bring myself to read playforceone comments for Inspiring Celina. And they, at least, like sexual/ dating stuff and wouldn't make fun of it for that. I don't know.

[ArianeB]

Art criticism doesn't bother me. Some complain my art looks too real, while others not real enough.

I've seen 3D games with unrealistic women, usually in the form of unusually buxom bodies. I have also seen dating simulators made with photos of real models. I'm happy where I am.

[Skelaturi]

just do not let it bother you. There are 3 types of youtube letsplayers in my opinion.

a. Those who are really good/pro at what they do and wich get views that way.
b. the ones who are (or attempt too) be funny, but are actually terrible (or just act that they are) at games, but with laughs and rants they hide that and make their videos interesting.
c. woman with cleavage.

and be honest adult games, are most interesting to lets players who fall into catogory b. as with as with a. they are mostly concerned with games wich add real replayability for yourube (without to much censoring) and catogory c. well i rest my case.

[fleet]

superpaulgames and kubtz scouts made youtube videos of several of my visual novels (Arnie and the Hitchhiker, Giles' Journey, and Sam Spillane, PI). I thought the videos were funny, and I posted links to them on several sites. I think the videos inspired some people to play my games.

[Skelaturi]

superpaulgames and kubtz scouts made youtube videos of several of my visual novels (Arnie and the Hitchhiker, Giles' Journey, and Sam Spillane, PI). I thought the videos were funny, and I posted links to them on several sites. I think the videos inspired some people to play my games.

thats both the downside and upside of the youtubers, you get people to play your game who otherwise probaly wouldn't had heard about it. But both players will be attracted those who are interested and those who just want to bash something.

[tlaero]

I definitely wouldn't enjoy watching a video of someone playing one of my games. But I don't really grok the appeal of watching people play video games in general (Twitch, Major League Gaming, etc). I know such things are popular, and I'm not against people enjoying them, but they're not for me. I'd rather play. (-;

Tlaero

[Greyelf]

But I don't really grok the appeal of watching people play video games in general (Twitch, Major League Gaming, etc).

I can understand watching tutorial videos about how to accomplish a specific task, like killing a boss in a 25-man WoW Raid.

Like you, I also don't see the appeal in watching people play Major League Gaming but then again I don't see the appeal in watching Major League Sport either. lol

[balanime]

I've seen a live stream of a game I worked on.... It was very interesting, in a kind of embarrassing way. xD;

But I was happy to see people playing it!

[Sierra Lee]

I don't really watch people play games in general, but watching people play my game is pretty different. I don't like it in some ways, but it's a useful source of information in others. When people give feedback, they're posting a carefully considered thought, whereas a video is a lot more visceral.

[Petri]

I was able to impress a guy with a game I released online (the game was non-erotic). He was so impressed that he made a let's play video of it. I had a blast watching it!

He didn't get some of the mechanics and was pretty terrible at it. I didn't mind, because it made me see some faults in my game design. It was kinda my fault that he sucked XD

I have watched hundreds of hours of let's-play videos in my time. Watching a let's play video of my own game was surreal.

The guy liked my game, though. I can't say what I would feel of someone being critical of a project I spent months working on. Would I understand it, or would I feel bad about it?

Wish I was able to make more popular games, so I could watch more let's play videos of them

[ker]

I would be happy to see it. The more feedback the better. If negative is constructive it tends to be more useful than any other kind.

[Samvega]

Oh that would be interesting
especially if player is an aroused female

[ker]

Oh that would be interesting
especially if player is an aroused female

Although I'm pretty sure that both twitch and youtube would be hitting people with the ban for trying it.

[_Inerfa]

I for one really enjoy watching people play my games, but so far I have never made any adult games, so that's probably the big difference
But I think that, no matter what kind of game you create, watching people play them is in the least a great learning experience (users always do EXACTLY that one thing that you didn't expect them to)!