Computer and video games have been a part of our society for the longest time, or so it might seem. But the advent of YouTube marked a shift away from game consoles and the beginning of a generation who are as interested in playing digital games as they are in watching, through their screens, other people play games – perhaps even more.
There’s a certain magnetic pull to it. Attempts have been made to explain why people would want to watch other people play games when they can actually play the game themselves. People have several motivations other than to simply watch people play, and at the root of it all is the reason why of the top 100 channels on YouTube, more than 20% are gaming channels.
Below are the most popular gaming channels on YouTube who are poised to benefit from the $7.7 billion gaming industry, perhaps as much as the industry capitalizes on them today.
Image credit: HikeTheGamer
PewDiePie
Gaming channel and more, PewDiePie is the most subscribed channel on the entire platform. If you’ve ever read any advice on building a YouTube presence, we’re pretty sure you already know the importance of creating a good pitch in your channel description and how popular YouTubers have great ones.
PewDiePie’s channel description, however, breaks out of that mold with just three words: I make videos.
Image credit: PewDiePie YouTube
Amazing, right?
The rise in popularity of PewDiePie, real name Felix Kjellberg, was theorized to be caused by YouTube’s sudden change in algorithm. Kjellberg was making 15 to 20-minute long videos at the time when YouTube decided videos with higher watch time are more valuable.
A greater average watch time makes YouTube push your videos up the search results, giving them more exposure and more chances for users to subscribe. A high number of views and subscribers will naturally attract even more views and subscribers. The result for this Tuber: 55 million subscribers.
We’re not discounting the value PewDiePie must be bringing to his audience, but think about it, which video would you watch – the one with just a few views, or the one with many? Who would you subscribe to, the channel with few subscribers or the one with a lot?
You too can have a shot at making it big if you buy YouTube Views to go along with your video content. When you buy from reputable companies that offer high-quality, high watch time Views, YouTube will put a high value on your videos. Your videos will then draw in organic views and you’ll gain more subscribers as people see how popular you are.
Now, see what the next most popular YouTube gamer is doing right on the platform.
Vanoss Gaming
Vanoss Gaming is the YouTube channel of Evan Fong, who credits his popularity to the authentic type of content he regularly provides his audience. His videos are characterized by laughter and when he collaborates with other YouTubers, it’s all lighthearted banter as they play games like Grand Theft Auto V and Call of Duty: World at War.
Check out this entertaining stream where he played with three of his YouTuber friends.
Markiplier
Mark Edward Fischbach, or Markiplier, first became known for the horror games he plays on YouTube. Over time, people started noticing him for his distinct voice, too.
In fact, his low, soothing voice – along with a pick mustache – has become a kind of brand for his channel and might be the major reason why he’s become so popular.
Check out his pink mustache (or just the most recent hair color) on his YouTube channel and get hypnotized by his voice.
Image credit: Markiplier YouTube
KSI
Olajide William “JJ” Olatunji, better known as KSI, has been playing FIFA video games since he was a teenager. He believes though, that gamers attract an audience not because they’re good at the games they’re playing, but because of their personality. He has a very strong and loud personality, which apparently appealed to a ton of viewers on YouTube.
Image credit: BusinessInsider
On top of his energetic persona, the early start he had on YouTube – only 4 years after YouTube was launched – may have contributed to his popularity too.
Just because he started building traffic for his channel a long time ago, though, doesn‘t mean it’s impossible for you to draw level with him and other early creators and brands on the platform. Bought YouTube Views will fortify your marketing efforts and will help you achieve your subscriber goals faster than average.
TheDiamondMinecart/DanTDM
The game you are playing, commenting on, or giving tutorials on also matters a lot, as you’ll see in our next gamers. Daniel Middleton, of The Diamond Minecart or DanTDM, hit a jackpot when he chose Minecraft to be his main game content.
Not only is he being watched by his own fans but he’s also constantly getting Views from fans of this popular game in general. As a matter of fact, his channel got into the Guinness World Records for having the most views for a dedicated Minecraft video channel. Those Views can encompass young audiences too (a large gamer demographic) because he keeps his language clean and gets a nod of approval from parents.
DanTDM took advantage of the game’s attraction and paired it with great storytelling to lure more subscribers and Views to his channel. Watch how he used storytelling in this clip from the upload below.
Sky Does Minecraft
Sky of Sky Does Minecraft also took advantage of Minecraft’s popularity, and the videos on this channel are also very story-driven. The game’s Story Mode makes it easy for YouTube gamers to shift it and make up their own stories with their own creativity.
The following video of Sky illustrates that creativity well.
While YouTube gamers benefit from widely popular games, the developers and publishers of those games also benefit from the free advertising. Take a look at the next one on our list.
The Syndicate Project
Tom Cassell, also known as TheSyndicateProject, used to play computer games as a teenager for his own entertainment. When he decided to film his commentaries while playing games, his life took a dramatic turn.
His channel initially started with Halo and Modern Warfare 2, but it was the Call of Duty: Black Ops games that propelled him to YouTube celebrity status.
Image credit: Pinterest
Captain Sparklez
Jordan “CaptainSparklez” Maron used the Minecraft game (notice a recurring theme here?) to make musical parodies on YouTube. His popularity may have stemmed from the fact that the parodies are about songs of popular artists, but it could also be due to his regular video uploads. Either way, he has amassed a loyal following to this day.
It was those subscribers that Captain Sparklez banked on when he decided to start his own mobile games company. Just imagine going from casual gamer to businessman, getting applauded for playing games along the way. That’s the kind of change that YouTube has brought to the world.
Image credit: CaptainSparklez YouTube
YouTube Gaming is Not a Fad
There is no better time than today to start a gaming channel (as you can see, dyed hair is common but not required). As long as computer and video games are as deeply integrated into our culture as they are today, we can continue to expect gaming channels on YouTube to grow even more popular.
There are many other factors that contributed to the amazing results these YouTubers got on the platform, but we hope those mentioned here will guide you in your marketing campaigns.
Also, if you’re on the other side of the fence and you’re a game developer or publisher, know that while YouTube gamers can take advantage of your products, you can also directly profit from the exposure your games are going to get. You’ll always hold a very important variable in the rise and fall of any YouTube gaming channel, and you can collaborate with popular gamers to gain great publicity.
The good news is that whether you’re a game maker or a YouTube creator, YouTube and YouTube gaming are here to stay. It’s a good time to be a gamer!
Date: June 1, 2017 / Categories: Tips, YouTube, / Author: Chell
