Default Prime's Alex Carlson waxes philosophic on one of the fastest growing phenomenons to hit Youtube: the Let's Play video. Is it more than just a fad?
In a world where only the big gaming media companies and established game journalists had access to the technology and cultural influence to capture game footage and promote it to a mass audience, it wasn’t particularly easy to do just that. The development of cheaper capture devices and the prominence of video game media on video sharing sites like Youtube have made the “Let’s Play” into something of a phenomenon. Countless Youtube channel owners have videos of themselves playing through games, with webcam footage in the corners of the screen displaying their reactions. It’s become something so common (and in some cases derivative) that it’s become almost an unwritten standard to have at least one Let’s Play on your gaming Youtube channel. But behind this massive following, something definitely has emerged. The Let’s Play format isn’t just a Youtube fad; it has literally changed the face of gaming culture, giving the typical gamer power that was originally reserved for elite gaming journalism outlets.